Technology to lift liquid restrictions at UK Airports

[Erja]

Good news!!! If the technology to lift liquid restrictions at UK Airports is installed, from next April life will get easier again with just a hand luggage travellers:

Restrictions on liquids being carried in hand luggage by passengers on flights across Europe are to set to end, thanks to successful tests on an anti-terror bottle scanner at Manchester Airport.

The multi-million pound machines,which were trialed last year,  can tell the difference between water and liquid explosives, and have been approved by the European Union.The Kromek scanners scan the barcodes of bottles, and by employing x ray methods, identify what contents should be inside.

If the roll out is a success, they could be introduced into every airport across the EU early next year.

Restrictions on passengers carrying liquids, gels and pastes in hand luggage will hopefully be lifted around April 2011, as long as the scanners are in place.

At present, holidaymakers can only carry liquids in containers with a 100ml maximum capacity in their hand luggage. The restrictions were introduced in August 2006 following failed bomb plots.

Three Britons were jailed for life last year for their part in the plan to attack at least seven planes using exposive liquids which were carried in drinks bottles.

Kromek was developed by British scientists. Its chief executive Arnab Basu said: "To be named by EU regulators as an authorised provider of a revolutionary solution to one of the greatest threats to civil aviation currently is a major moment in Kromek's history.

A spokesperson for Kromek stated that it was a major step towards fighting terrorism where liquid is an increasingly common tool for terrorist use.It is not the first time that Manchester has led the way in international aviation security.


Last November, Manchester Airport were the first to employ a  'naked' full-body scanner, which uses X-ray technology to show up hidden explosives. It was trialed in Terminal Two and proved so successful , that the machines are now being installed on Airports all over the world.

[Sandy x]

That would be good.....

[kevin.g]

fantastic news erja ,,,thanx ..x

[TerryW]

I hope the new scanning kit is installed because the rules for liquid restriction seem very complicated and its easy to forget not to put things in your hand luggage.

This year, when we were at check-in, Helen realised that she had some antiseptic hand gel in her bag and threw it away. Then when her hand luggage  was scanned her bottle of perfume was highlighted. Luckily the security lady who searched the bag liked the perfume and let Helen keep it. The lady also told us that we could have put the antiseptic gel into a clear bottle and it would have been OK.

[Alan and Jan]

A little puzzled by this part of the statement

The Kromek scanners scan the barcodes of bottles, and by employing x ray methods, identify what contents should be inside.

If the liquid is in a clear bottle with no barcode how can it tell what should be in the bottle.
Or am I being a numpty.

[Erja]

If the liquid is in a clear bottle with no barcode how can it tell what should be in the bottle.

I believe that the xray can determine the density of the liquid thus "recognizing" it.

But one thing came to my mind...will there be one of these machines at the Corfu airport or do you have to have a hold luggage on the home journey?

Must find out about this...

[katerina]

It would be brilliant if they could resolve this problem..but 'multi-million pound machines' sounds a little daunting. Who will bear the cost I wonder