Carry-on liquid limit to be scrapped?
 

Found this article while googling for something else entirely.

Gist of it is (to save you having to read it all) that airline passengers will be able to carry unrestricted amounts of liquid in hand luggage after the upgrade of airport X-ray machines.

The screening technology is undergoing tests at laboratories in Germany, where scientists are checking that it can detect "hydrogen peroxide and other liquids that can be turned into bombs."

I won't feel any safer if it comes about - one day suicide bombers are going to realise that checked baggage exists.

UFO

And you think the airports won't pass the checked baggage through the same type of machine?

It's all a bit crazy anyaway. EU law says I can't take a billiard cue as hand baggage (why would I want to?) but I can still take my walking stick - just as well at the moment, the way the sciatica is playing up.

UniFoxOs
Where have you been? 100% Hold Baggage Screening was progressively introduced after the Lockerbie bombing way back in the 80's! every checked in bag is screened by some of the most sophisticated equipment available which can detect more than you'd believe possible.
The next attack is likely to be biological, just think a 'carrier' gets onboard an aircraft as a normal passenger and spreads whatever they have to their 100 or more fellow passengers. When that aircraft gets to its destination everyone gets off, looking OK, and disperse far and wide. Within a day or so they all become ill and pass whatever they are carrying onto neighbours, work mates etc...
Remember SARS? not a deliberate attempt to spread a virus but look what it did to air travel when it surfaced.

Now where did I put that surgical mask can't fly without it!

Bladepilot,

Many thanks for astute observation and comment.

Perhaps we coould have this thread renamed Terrorism 101?

Next time you get a good idea, keep it to yourself.

Wake up Shady it's already out there:\

I agree Blade.

Lets face it there are so many ways you could think within a couple of minutes that the idea that someone posting on here could be seen as giving people ideas is laughable.

Can you pot into the corner pocket with it?

That's the question :)

If so, you could be in big trouble

Yes, but any amount of liquid is allowed, and presumably the current technology can't tell if it is explosive, otherwise it would already be in use for hand baggage.

The issue with restricting liquids in the cabin is because its the actual act of a terrorist taking on board whatever chemical potion they've made up, and using other items, like another liquid, or a phone battery, to start a reaction to generate an explosion. The terrorists haven't yet worked out how to do this without intervention to place in checked baggage

Britain to lift liquid restrictions.
 

From todays Sydney Morning Herald.

Britain scraps liquid bans for airline passengers

March 13, 2009
Bans limiting the amount of liquid airline passengers can carry as they fly in and out of Britain are expected to be lifted at some airports by the end of the year.
The British government is preparing to relax its ban on liquids, which limits passengers to carrying 100 millilitre bottles, as it introduces improved X-ray machines at airports.
Scientists in Germany have been carrying out secret tests on new screening technology designed to detect bottles of potentially explosive liquids that could be used to make bombs.
A government source told The Times newspaper on Thursday that the new technology would allow the liquid ban to be lifted at a limited number of airports before the end of the year.
"The restrictions will start to be removed in six months to a year's time and passengers will be allowed to carry any size bottle they like inside their hand luggage, just as they were before the summer of 2006," the source told the newspaper.
The bans were introduced after police uncovered an alleged British terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic flights in August 2006.
Eight men accused of planning to detonate suicide bombs on seven flights out of London's Heathrow airport are currently on trial in England.
The ban has meant millions of bottles of duty free alcohol, toiletries and perfume bottles have been confiscated amid confusion among passengers about what they are allowed to carry on board.
AAP

Duty Free confiscated......
 

"The ban has meant millions of bottles of duty free alcohol, toiletries and perfume bottles have been confiscated amid confusion among passengers about what they are allowed to carry on board."

errr I don't think so. You can't get to the Duty Free until you've passed through all the security checks.

If there's something in it, it's a case of 'here we go again' with the whole "limited number of airports" - if the restriction is lifted, then it is lifted as a standard, no depending on which airports can be arsed to lift it!!

All this is going to do is confuse the pax even more

*sigh*

Not really, it's going to come down to which airports can afford to invest in the latest x-ray machines. Last time it was over £150K per unit, if memory serves... not sure small regional airports are going to want to jump at that.

eerrrr maxpaxfax - you heard of transit passengers:rolleyes:

Plus passengers returning having bought duty free on the outbound leg and trying to return with it.

Transit passengers, through booked with a single carrier or codeshare partner, when transiting from international to international or international to domestic remain 'airside' and any duty free can be carried through as long as it is still supported by a receipt.

If you clear immigration, collect luggage and then re-check for the next flight or a domestic then you are no longer a transit passenger therefore the full security check applies.

There are no plans to introduce this at our crew search area thus our passengers will be carrying their larger LCG allowance but their crew will still be restricted............

rafele:
I can think of a few possible ways, so I'm sure they can. Of course, some of them are highly visible to security scanners, but whether they'd notice or not is another matter.

On my last flight, coming back to where the family was sitting and finding a couple of packets of chocolate milk, I asked "how did that get through security?" We'd forgotten they were in my son's bag (he was supposed to have drunk them on the trip to the airport) and security didn't spot them either. I guess this ties up with the tests that show that when objects are deliberately planted in baggage, a significant number get through.

Aargh!! Bl**dy "Security". I despair of the whole mess! :rolleyes:

I can think of plenty of substances I could easily carry onto an aircraft of which 100ml would do one Hell of a lot of damage, let alone 4 bottles of the stuff in a lovely little John Lewis carry-on toiletries bag. Use the right chemicals and you don't even need any fancy improvised detonators either. And I have nothing more than secondary-school qualifications in chemistry. God only knows what a qualified scientist could come up with given a bit of thought.
Who decides on this stuff, or do they just pull random rules out of a 'peaked' hat?? :ugh:

There are far, far easier and more reliable ways to bring down an aircraft than by smuggling explosives or whatnot on board. And before anyone else gets eggy about our friend on the forum earlier who believes that the next attack will be biological: He's right. And it's a very well know theory already in the public domain. So much so that Tom Clancy used it as a central theme in one of his 'Jack Ryan' novels.

Tell you what else makes me wonder:
I went out of STN a while back, and went through security, spotting the clear plastic "Sharps" box full of tiny penknives, Swiss Cards and such.
I then go into the restaurant in Departures and have some dinner. What comes with it? A metal knife and fork! Order a steak and you get a really useful looking one. :rolleyes:

What's next? Someone tries to attack the crew with a pair of underpants and everyone has to leave their shreddies at security? :}
I don't think "Security" will be satisfied until everyone is boarding naked except for wearing a set of disposable paper overalls. Where will it end?