European airports will have the freedom to decide whether and when to use this new equipment.
Since 2006, it has been a rule in Europe that liquids in hand luggage may not exceed 100 milliliters per container. Passengers also have to place their bottles in a transparent bag. This measure was introduced at the time after a foiled plot in which liquid explosives were intended to be used for a terrorist attack on an airplane.
The restriction applies not only to water or soft drinks but also to creams, toothpaste, gels, perfumes, and aerosols. Everything that is liquid, spreadable, or sprayable falls under this rule. Passengers carrying medication or baby food often had to prove or have it checked separately.
Thanks to new 3D scanners, dangerous liquids can now be accurately identified without passengers having to unpack their belongings. This equipment creates a three-dimensional image of the hand luggage and uses artificial intelligence to detect suspicious substances. As a result, strict rules can be relaxed without compromising safety.
Some airports within the European Union have already started using the new scanners. Among them are Schiphol, London City Airport, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, and various airports in Spain, Finland, and Ireland, which have already installed this technology. Airports in Germany and France have also begun implementation, although the process does not proceed equally quickly everywhere.
The decision to introduce the equipment does not lie with the European Union but with national authorities. Each EU member state decides for itself whether and when to acquire the new equipment. The speed of implementation also varies. In some countries, procurement processes have not yet started or there are infrastructure problems at airports.
Not only the liquid rule is being relaxed. Earlier, many European airports had already dropped the requirement to remove shoes during security checks. Laptops and other electronics also no longer need to be taken out of bags at some airports thanks to improved scanning devices. However, these benefits are not yet available everywhere.