Aviation Security
Created on 16th of August 2007 Last Modified on the 15th of November 2011
Stringent new security requirements were introduced at all airports following the UK terrorist plot of 10 August 2006, and the current rules were first introduced on Monday 6 November 2006. However the situation is subject to frequent change and hence the latest information on aviation security is provided by the links at the foot of this page to the websites of the key organisations involved. A brief resumé of developments is given here, but for the latest information, visitors to this site are strongly recommended to use one or more of the links provided.
The current security rules were introduced on 6 November 2006 for travellers taking a flight from EU, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swiss airports, regardless of destination. These rules allow airport retailing after security checks to be business as usual with no new restrictions, except for travellers transferring at another EU airport. Their purchases of liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) will be placed in sealed tamper evident bags (STEBs), as will purchases at airports with retailing situated airside but before security checks.
However, it is important to note that, currently, travellers arriving in the EU / EEA from a third country airport and transferring to another flight, (unless arriving from an approved airport - see Third Country Recognition below) will not be allowed to carry larger quantities than the permitted personal allowances (max. 100 ml. containers) on board their next flight and these liquids, gels, etc. will be confiscated at security points, including duty free purchases made at their originating airport, even if they are sealed in a tamper evident bag.
Many countries outside Europe have also now implemented the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations on the security of liquids on board of aircraft and the supply chain for LAGs and STEBs at airports.
Third Country Recognition.
On 31 July 2007, the European Commission formally adopted a new regulation that allows for the recognition of liquids bought in selected third country airports; the European Union will now be able to agree to accept duty free liquids from “recognised” countries as being secure, thereby allowing transfer passengers to continue their journeys without having to surrender their goods.
If the Commission considers the security measures applied in third countries in relation to liquids meet ICAO's standards, and the country also applies satisfactory overall standards of aviation security, the Commission can decide to grant exemptions. The first country to be approved under this process was Singapore; the new arrangements for Singapore came into effect on 3 January 2008.
On 8 August 2008 Croatia became the second country to be approved by the European Commission and from 20 August 2008, travellers from six Croatian airports (Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Pula, Split, Zadar and Zagreb) were able to carry their duty-free liquids, aerosols and gels on to connecting flights when transferring at an EU airport.
An agreement was finally reached with the US in January 2009, but the arrangement is only one-way - limited to those passengers travelling from the United States into the EU. For outbound passengers from the EU to the United States, current restrictions on liquid purchases will continue to apply. The new arrangement for EU bound travellers from international airports in the US came into effect on 19 February 2010. Negotiations were also finalised between the EU and Transport Canada in early 2010 and travellers to the EU from Canadian Airports transferring to another flight are free to carry their duty free LAGs with them from the same date.
The agreement with Canada is progressively reciprocal - travellers from the EU will be able to transfer freely with their LAGs when arriving at Toronto (from 30 April 2010) and Montreal (31 May). Other Canadian airports are scheduled to follow suit later this year.
As from 25 May, travellers from Malaysia's Kuala Lumpa Airport will also be allowed to transfer freely at EU airports as it became the final third country to have its airport approved by the Commission. No further countries will have their airports approved before the entry into force of Regulation 297/2010 (see below).
Latest regulatory developments
The EU's Aviation Security Regulatory Committee (AVSEC) reached a political agreement during its meeting on 18-19 November 2009 to lift all liquid restrictions at EU airports by 29 April 2013. It was also agreed to lift restrictions on transfer passengers carrying liquids, aerosols and gels arriving in the EU from any departure country from April 29, 2011.
However, while approval was given by the European Parliament and the formal Regulation 297/2010 was published in the Official Journal on 10 April 2010, the restrictions could not be lifted as screening technology is not yet widely available and the earliest date of implementation is now likely to be 2014.
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