Spain is following in the footsteps of the UK when it comes to liquids in hand luggage.
Brits visiting Spain won't have to separate their liquids from their hand luggage starting from the end of 2023 in selected airports.
All of the country's airports will eventually get sophisticated 3D XD which will eliminate the need to carry liquids, aerosols and gels separately in plastic bags.
The scanners will first be installed at the airports of Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat at the end of this year, travel news site Hosteltur.com has reported, with installation at Palma de Mallorca after that.
These airports have the highest traffic in Spain and deal with close to 40% of passengers who enter or leave the country.
The airports of Palma de Mallorca and Malaga-Costa del Sol will have the new scanners in 2025 before Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Alicante, Ibiza, Menorca, Valencia and Bilbao in 2026.
In the UK a very similar scheme was announced in November last year, to come into force from the summer of 2024.
A pilot is currently underway at London Heathrow and Gatwick.
Air passengers will be allowed to carry two litre bottles of liquid from June 2024 onwards - the current limit is 100ml.
Liquids will no longer have to be in plastic bags, nor will laptops and tablets have to be removed from luggage when you go through airport security.
“By 2024, major airports across the UK will have the latest security tech installed, reducing queuing times, improving the passenger experience, and most importantly detecting potential threats," UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said at the time.
"This won’t happen straight away - this is going to take two years to be fully implemented. Until then, passengers must continue following the existing rules and check before travelling.”
UK airports will be installing 3D scanners to ensure that bags are checked properly.
These allow security staff to zoom in on items in travellers’ luggage and rotate the images for detailed inspection.
When the new rules do come into force, you'll be able to take plenty more liquids in your hand luggage, without restrictions.
These will include:
- all drinks, including water
- liquid or semi-liquid foods, for example soup, jam, honey and syrups
- cosmetics and toiletries, including creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lip gloss
- sprays, including shaving foam, hairspray and spray deodorants
- pastes, including toothpaste
- gels, including hair and shower gel
- contact lens solution
- any other solutions and items of similar consistency
It's worth noting that other hand luggage rules will remain in place.
Items that will still be banned - as they are now - will include corkscrews, knives, scissors longer than 6cm, non-safety matches, more than one lighter, fireworks and flares.
Unsurprisingly, the ban on sharp, long objects and explosives will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
