Gatwick eases liquids rule

Gatwick passengers can now leave liquids and large electronics inside their hand luggage at security, ending the old unpack-and-bag routine. (gatwickairport.com) The airport said on March 31, 2025 that the change followed the installation of computed tomography, or CT, scanners across all 19 security lanes. Gatwick said the machines produce 3D images for screeners and let travelers keep laptops and toiletries in their bags. (gatwickairport.com) Gatwick’s current passenger guidance goes further than the early rollout: liquids can now be carried in containers of up to two litres, and they can stay inside cabin bags unless the container is metal or double-walled. Coats, jackets and belts still have to come off for X-ray screening. (gatwickairport.com) That is a bigger shift than the original post-2006 rule, which limited cabin liquids to containers of 100 millilitres and usually required them to be packed in a single clear one-litre bag. The tighter rule was introduced across Europe after a plot involving liquid explosives on transatlantic flights from the United Kingdom was disrupted in August 2006. (which.co.uk) (britannica.com) The new scanners do not mean every airport works the same way. Which? reported in January 2026 that some UK airports, including Luton and Manchester, still required the 100 millilitre limit even after allowing passengers to leave liquids in their bags. (which.co.uk) Gatwick has pitched the new process as a speed play as well as a passenger-convenience change. The airport said more than 95% of passengers were already clearing security in under five minutes when it announced the rollout, and it repeated that benchmark ahead of the 2025 summer peak. (gatwickairport.com 1) (gatwickairport.com 2) The airport is big enough for small rule changes to affect a lot of people. Gatwick said it handles 43 million annual passengers, making it the United Kingdom’s second-largest airport, and served almost 11.6 million passengers in the second quarter of 2025 alone. (gatwickairport.com 1) (gatwickairport.com 2) The practical catch is that the easier trip out of Gatwick may not match the trip home. Gatwick tells passengers that many airports worldwide have not introduced the same technology, so return flights may still enforce the old bag-and-100-millilitre rules. (gatwickairport.com)