Heathrow and Gatwick: Tourists warned airport rule change is delayed | UK | News | EUROtoday

Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports aren’t able to carry limits on liquids with flight hubs allowed to overlook the deadline for brand new scanners. A deliberate leisure of guidelines round airline passengers carrying liquids in hand baggage has been delayed by a yr.

The Government introduced on Thursday (April 4) it has granted extensions to a number of main UK airports unable to fulfill its June 1 deadline to completely set up the brand new scanning expertise.

The scanners produce extra detailed photos, which means passengers will be allowed to cross by way of airport safety with containers holding as much as two litres of liquid of their hand baggage.

At airports which haven’t put them in place, the restrict stays 100ml and containers have to be put in clear plastic baggage. The new scanners can even finish the necessity for laptops and tablets to be faraway from hand baggage.

It is hoped the transfer will curb lengthy queues by way of safety the place individuals rush to empty the contents of their baggage into containers for nearly particular person screening.

A deadline of December 2022 for many main airports to deploy new scanners was initially set in August 2019 by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

After the aviation trade suffered enormous disruption because of COVID-19 journey restrictions, in December 2022, Transport Secretary Mark Harper set a brand new date of June 1, 2024. He mentioned on the time this would cut back prolonged queues, which in some cases has compelled individuals to overlook their flights.

Many airports are struggling to put in the scanners forward of the busy summer time vacation interval, largely because of provide chain delays and building difficulties brought on by the burden of the machines.

Ministers have issued extensions of as much as 12 months to a number of airports on a case by case foundation, which is anticipated to be sufficient time for all of them to finish the work.

The Government can be exploring how monetary penalties could possibly be imposed for additional non-compliance. The Department for Transport refused to supply a breakdown of the state of affairs for every airport, citing safety issues.

It mentioned by the beginning of June about half of passengers flying from UK airports shall be processed by the brand new scanners.

But passengers are suggested to arrange to observe the present guidelines, and test with their airport for any adjustments. Mr Harper mentioned: “These cutting-edge scanners will make air travel safer and easier for passengers by strengthening security even further.

“The UK is main the world with its rollout of this expertise, but it surely’s essential we give these airports but to fulfill the deadline a second likelihood to get the job accomplished. Until they do, passengers ought to proceed to test earlier than travelling.”

Heathrow has previously said it expects to have new scanners in all security lanes this summer, while Gatwick expects to complete the programme by the end of March next year.

Manchester Airports Group, which runs Manchester, East Midlands and Stansted airports, said its scanners will be fully rolled out in 2025. London City become the UK’s first major airport to begin using the new scanners for all passengers in April last year.

Karen Dee, chief executive of trade body the Airport Operators Association, said: “Airports are making wonderful progress in delivering these multi-million-pound funding programmes, which can make sure the UK stays on the forefront of aviation safety within the years forward.

“As with any programme of this complexity, there are significant challenges, and we are happy the Government has recognised these and agreed to extend timeframes for delivery where necessary.”

Naomi Leach, Deputy Editor at Which? Travel, mentioned: “Passengers should have been looking forward to a more efficient security process at the UK’s biggest airports this summer. Instead, with different rules and processes now likely to apply at different airports, the ensuing confusion could lead to further delays.

“It’s crucial that these adjustments are made as shortly as potential and that the foundations at totally different airports are communicated clearly to passengers within the meantime. Those airports which have failed to put in the scanners in time shouldn’t enhance passenger charges this yr – this is able to be not possible to justify when this key enchancment to the passenger expertise has not been made.”

Airport safety restrictions for liquids have been launched in 2006 after a foiled terror plot to explode planes flying from London to the US with home made liquid bombs. Travellers failing to stick to them is without doubt one of the greatest causes of delays at airport safety checks.