If you're flying around Europe this year, the liquids rule at security is suddenly less predictable than it's been in years — and that's worth knowing before you pack.
Here's the short version. A wave of European airports installed new CT security scanners that can detect liquids and electronics inside bags, meaning travellers no longer have to dig out toiletries or laptops at the tray. Airports including London City, Teesside, Amsterdam Schiphol, Rome Fiumicino and others rolled the technology out, and for a while it looked like the old 100ml rule was on its way out across the continent.
Then it got messy. The UK's Department for Transport temporarily reinstated the 100ml limit at several British airports — including some that had already relaxed it — while the scanners' rollout was reviewed, pushing full implementation back to mid-2025 and beyond. Meanwhile, EU-wide rules have been on their own timeline, with the standard deadline for airports to adopt the new tech extended to 2026. The practical upshot: whether you can leave your liquids in your bag depends on which airport you're flying from, and the answer can change from one month to the next.
The safest move for travellers is simple. Assume the 100ml liquids limit and the laptop-out rule still apply everywhere, pack accordingly, and treat any airport advertising 'leave it in your bag' screening as a bonus rather than a promise. If you show up with a full-size bottle of water or a jumbo sunscreen because your departure airport had relaxed its rules, a connection through a stricter one can still cost you the bottle — confiscations don't come with refunds.
A few practical notes: the 100ml limit has always applied to containers, not total volume, so a half-empty 200ml bottle is still a no. Prescription medicines and baby food are generally exempt but expect to declare them. And budget airlines' own cabin bag policies — sizes, weight limits and whether a 'personal item' is free — are a separate battlefield entirely from security screening, so check both before you fly.
Who does this matter to? Essentially anyone with a European flight booked in the next year: city-breakers, cruise passengers flying to embarkation ports, and anyone hopping between countries on low-cost carriers. The one-airport-fits-all era is over for now, and a two-minute check of your specific departure airport's security rules the week you travel will save you more hassle than any packing hack.
The long-term direction of travel is clear — fewer trays, fewer plastic bags, faster security lines. Until the rollout settles, though, a little flexibility in your liquids bag goes a long way.
