Ban on liquids for air passengers to be lifted

Air passengers will be able to carry liquids in their hand luggage once again, but not for up to three years.

The European Union has announced that it is moving towards lifting the ban imposed in 2006 after it was discovered that al-Qaeda terrorists were plotting to blow up planes with liquids in soft drink bottles.

European airports have been told to invest in technology that can detect liquid explosives, so that a total ban on all other liquids can be ended. However, it is expected to take up to three years for all airports to have the technology in place.

The ban means that passengers cannot carry any liquid containers larger than 100ml, including water, baby milk and medicines. Containers of creams larger than 100ml are also included in the ban.

The ban in particularly inconvenient for passengers who would like to travel without check-in luggage as it means that they must carry cosmetics such as toothpaste, deodorant and aftershave in small containers. Items bought from duty-free outlets in larger containers are usually permitted, but these tend to be expensive.

Another frustration for air passengers is that not all countries apply the same restrictions; some do not permit liquids in containers larger than 100ml bought by passengers in duty-free shops, even when the seal is still in place.

European Commision vice-president Siim Kalla said: A lot has been learned since the first EU-wide rules on aviation security standards were put in place after September 11.

"This is about building on the experience of recent years and streamlining procedures so that security measures are easier for the industry to implement."

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