Heathrow drops 100ml rule; laptops stay in bags

Heathrow Airport has started removing two of the most time-wasting and irritating steps in airport security: taking laptops out of bags and squeezing liquids into 100ml bottles. The liquid limit has been increased to 2 litres, which will be a boon to those travelling with children or medication, not to mention cosmetics needed for longer trips.

The change comes with the rollout of new CT security scanners that allow passengers to keep electronics inside their hand luggage and carry liquids of up to two litres per container. For travellers, it replaces a familiar bottleneck with a far simpler routine at the belt.

The scanners generate detailed 3D images of cabin baggage, which security staff can rotate and examine on screen. That level of visibility reduces the need for manual bag checks and removes the requirement for passengers to unpack half their carry-on before it even reaches the scanner.

Heathrow says the technology improves both throughput and accuracy. Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow CEO, told The Guardian that the scanners give security teams “a much clearer picture of what is inside bags”, allowing screening to happen without the old restrictions on liquids and electronics.

The rollout is already live in sections of Terminal 3 and Terminal 5, with work continuing across the airport. Heathrow has positioned the project as a full-airport upgrade rather than a permanent mix of old and new lanes.

The liquid restrictions were introduced in 2006 and quickly became embedded in the airport experience, long after personal technology reshaped what travellers carry with them. Laptops, tablets, cameras, battery packs and chargers turned hand luggage into rolling tech cases, while security processes stayed largely unchanged.

The result was predictable: slower queues, and more pressure on passengers trying to repack at speed.

Now, the Heathrow website has formally confirmed the change to liquid rules in its official security and baggage guidance.

“Liquids in containers up to 2 litres can remain in cabin bags and be taken through security in all terminals (T2, T3, T4 and T5),”it says

There is a practical limitation during the transition. Heathrow advises passengers to follow on-site instructions, as not every security lane is upgraded at the same time.

The rules also apply only to departures from Heathrow. Travellers returning through airports that have not deployed similar scanners may still encounter older restrictions elsewhere in their journey.

The plastic bag and the frantic repack were never security features. They were workarounds. Two fundamental things have now changed: how passengers pack, and what they are no longer required to do at the belt.