Passengers no longer required to remove liquids during security screening at Belfast City Airport
October 14, 2024
Following a £3m investment in security screening equipment, passengers travelling through Belfast City no longer need to remove 100ml liquids and laptops from hand baggage during security checks.
The unveiling of Belfast’s new technology follows the government’s announcement in 2022 for all major airports (+1 million passengers) to install high-tech security body and baggage scanning equipment.
While the 100ml liquid rule was lifted earlier this year, the UK and EU governments had reinstated the rule over the summer to allow for further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems following security concerns. Belfast City is one of a handful of airports that has now introduced new scanning technology, enabling passengers to proceed through security checks without removing liquids or electrical items from their hand luggage.
Belfast’s new security screening technology will enable passengers to keep liquids and gels, including toiletries and cosmetics up to 100ml and large electronic devices such as laptops and iPads in their cabin baggage when passing through security checks.
“This is a significant change to how passengers will move through security with cabin baggage,” said Mark Beattie, chief operating officer at Belfast City Airport. By eliminating the headache of queueing during the security screening process, which frequently results in pinch points for passengers, the new equipment will streamline the process while ensuring passengers can move through the terminal quickly and efficiently.
“At Belfast City Airport, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional passenger experience and the new security screening technology will further support this commitment,” Beattie added.
Handful of airports
According to the UK Department for Transport, the reintroduction of the restrictions only affects passengers travelling from six regional airports where next generation security checkpoints were in full operation. Bournemouth Airport also declared over the weekend that following its investment in new scanning technology passengers travelling through its terminal will also no longer need to remove liquids or large electrical items from hand luggage during security checks.
However, it also warned that passengers can only carry liquids in containers up to 100ml and that restrictions at other airports should be checked as only a handful of airports have introduced the necessary technology.
