LONDON – The UK government has once again delayed the deadline for airports to implement security scanners which had to be installed to facilitate passengers.
The scanners had to be installed to allow passengers to keep liquids inside their hand luggage; however, the installation has been delayed due to challenges faced by major airports in fitting the technology.
Originally, the Department for Transport had set a deadline for all large British airports to install the advanced scanners by June of this year. However, the deadline has now been extended by up to 12 months.
These new scanners, similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, generate three-dimensional images of bags, aiming to reduce security queues by permitting travelers to keep miniature toiletries and liquids, as well as laptops, inside their cabin bags.
Currently, passengers are required to remove laptops, tablets, and liquids from their cabin bags, with only liquids of 100ml or less allowed.
Some airports, such as London City, have already implemented these scanners, with the government estimating that around 50 percent of passengers will utilize the new machines during this summer’s security checks.
The extension to the deadline means that all passengers departing from the UK should have access to the new security processes by June 2025 at the latest.
Airports failing to install the new equipment by this deadline will face severe fines from then onwards, according to the Department for Transport.
Commenting on the development, Transport Secretary Mark Harper emphasized the importance of giving airports additional time to meet the deadline, acknowledging the UK’s leading role in rolling out this technology.
It bears mentioning that the UK government has been trying to install the latest scanners. The original deadline was the end of 2022, extended to June 2023 due to the pandemic.
Despite the extension, major airports cited the need for more time to install the scanners across busy departure halls, facing obstacles such as building reconfigurations and staff retraining.
The restrictions on carrying liquids were introduced in the UK in 2006 in response to a terrorist threat, as part of broader security measures in aviation following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. The restriction is in place at major airports across the world though the rule leaves many passengers in despair as they are unable to carry perfumes and other liquids in their hand carry luggage.
