Final 3 Greens
Politically unacceptable is not the same as unstainable.
There are 2 causes of this issue, one you, and no one else have mentioned, which is the additional search requirements. The second is the ban on hand baggage.
The hand baggage ban reduces the time taken for searches, along with the staffing needs. BUT, the additional search of people requirement increases that staffing need again, to beyond the previous situation. That, is where the delays are being caused, not through a ban on hand baggage!
At some point, one, or both of these requirements will be relaxed. I think it will be the search of people one. The ban on liquids will probably remain for a lot longer, look, for example at the ban on sissors resulting from 9/11. That to the BAA is sustainable, It's not something that will bother airlines, and as no one is being prevented from taking items such as laptops etc, buisness leaders arn't in a position to lobby against it either.