The EU Has New Carry-On Luggage Rules. Here’s What to Know Before You Fly

In the event you’re taking a flight to any nation that’s a member of the European Union—and there are 27 of them—then there are some up to date carry-on baggage guidelines you might want to make your self conscious of earlier than you flip up on the airport. If you move by way of safety, brokers will ask you to take away liquids and electronics out of your carry-on to allow them to be scanned.

In principle, these rule adjustments are solely non permanent: They are a stopgap answer whereas we anticipate the following era of safety scanners to go absolutely stay. The implementation of those C3 scanners, which might correctly analyze liquids and electronics so they do not must be taken out of your hand baggage, has been delayed past the unique June 2024 deadline.

The official implementation date for these new carry-on baggage guidelines is September 1, 2024, so they’re already in impact. There is not any mounted date as to when they are going to be relaxed, as a result of there are numerous elements at play. It’s doubtless the principles will probably be in place till not less than the center of 2025.

Which Airports Are Affected?

To be clear, these aren’t brand-new guidelines on your carry-on baggage. What’s taking place is that EU airports are reverting to the earlier algorithm about what kinds of issues should be taken out of your carry-on for inspection whenever you move by way of safety.

All airports in EU nations are affected, as are some airports within the UK (together with Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Manchester) and airports in Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Strictly talking, solely airports which have C3 scanners put in needs to be rolling again their guidelines; different airports that by no means put in the C3 scanners have continued to observe the outdated procedures. The rollout of the brand new tech has been costlier and brought longer than anticipated, and there are nonetheless bugs within the system—so the outdated safety guidelines are as soon as once more required.

Formally, it is a “tech issue” with the brand new tools: Though the machines have been put in in quite a few airports, it appears their scanning capabilities aren’t fairly as much as the excessive stage required. Whereas that will get sorted out, the scanners cannot be relied upon to identify harmful contents in baggage.

Contemplating getting gadgets out and in of luggage at all times takes time, and allowing for that some passengers aren’t going to know precisely what they’re purported to be doing, you would possibly need to go away some additional time in your schedule to permit for queues and delays.

What Are the Guidelines?

To protect towards the specter of explosives, all liquids and electronics will should be taken out of luggage and scanned individually. As well as, liquids needs to be inside containers no larger than 100 milliliters (3.4 liquid ounces) and are to be positioned in a transparent plastic bag of round 20 x 20 cm (7.9 x 7.9 inches).

This “100 ml rule” applies to all liquids, together with (however not restricted to) drinks, semiliquid meals like soups, cosmetics and toiletries, sprays, toothpaste, bathe gel, hair gel, and speak to lens answer. As normal, these liquids and typical electronics will be put in your checked baggage with no subject.

Exceptions to the 100-ml rule are typically made for these touring with small infants and for these with particular dietary and well being necessities (together with individuals who want to hold treatment). In the event you match into these classes, you could test prematurely with the airport, and in the event you’re taking treatment with you then you could want a health care provider’s word.

For seasoned vacationers, that is all going to be fairly familiar—however hopefully, as the brand new baggage scanners begin to come on-line, the safety checkpoint course of at airports ought to turn out to be extra streamlined and sooner general. In the event you’re in any doubt in regards to the guidelines, test along with your airline and the airport concerned near the time you have touring.

Lastly, a word on one thing that is not altering, not less than not but: Whereas there have been rumors that the EU goes to use guidelines on standardized case sizes for carry-on baggage, nothing has been determined. The thought has been mentioned, however in the meanwhile there is not any single dimension customary.