Holidaymakers could face confusion when jetting off this summer after the UK’s busiest airports admitted that they will miss the deadline for installing new security scanners that would end the need for a 100ml limit on liquids.
The Department for Transport (DfT) set the June 2024 target at the end of 2022, with the transport secretary at the time, Mark Harper, pledging to lift the need for the “tiny toiletry”, which he said had become a staple of airport security checkpoints.
However, London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester airports look set to miss the deadline, reports BBC News.
This will mean that while some new scanners will be in place, other lanes will be operating the current scanners, meaning 100ml limits to carry-on liquids will still apply – which could lead to confusion and travellers being caught out by the inconsistency, according to one consumer group.
Read more: Simon Calder on airport security: What are the rules for liquids?
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “It’s very disappointing that some airports may miss the government deadline to install new CT security scanners by June this year. By allowing passengers to keep items like laptops and liquids in their bags, these scanners had the potential to drastically cut security queues in time for the peak summer travel season.
“With different rules and processes now likely to apply at different airports, it’s essential passengers check before they travel so they don’t get caught out. Unfortunately, the lack of consistency is likely to be confusing for a lot of travellers – and may lead to further hold ups.”
The delays could be down to the weight of the scanners, as well as the cost, according to aviation expert Sally Gethin.
She told BBC News that “sometimes the floors in the actual terminal have to be reinforced” and that the price is high as “it’s the latest technology”.
Heathrow has 146 security lanes, more than all the other UK airports combined, meaning the installation is a complex operation – especially when taking steps to avoid disruptions to current passengers making their way through security.
Some of Heathrow’s terminals – T2, T3 and T5 – already have some new scanners, with T4 expected to have some by the summer. The UK’s largest airport declined to comment when approached by The Independent.
A spokesperson…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…