EU to end airline ban on liquids in carry-ons

[kiwitripper64]

updated 12:12 p.m. ET Oct. 9, 2009
BRUSSELS - The European Union's top transport official said Friday that restrictions on airline passengers carrying liquids in carry-on luggage will end when new screening technology is introduced.

So no more stories of people being told they cannot take their duty free litre of vodka on board, at which point they drink it at the gate.

 

[simongr]

Great - if the rest of the world (that isn't America) catches on I might be able to use my wash bag again...

All we need now is metal knives on QF flights and we will be back to normality!

 

[Dave Noble]

It doesn't seem that much of an announcement. How many years before the screening technology is in place?

Dave

 

[straitman]

It doesn't seem that much of an announcement. How many years before the screening technology is in place?

Dave

For ever the cynic there Dave.

 

[MelUser]

I agree with Dave - when when when will this take place.

I have endured 2 secondary TSA screens for having declared infant formula and they aren't much fun.

 

[Dave Noble]

For ever the cynic there Dave.

Not really a cynic. The statement was "when new technology is introduced" and no indication of a timescale for it being implemented. If it was expected to be soon, I would have expected it to have said so

All sorts of things in many areas will chage as new technology is introduced

Dave

 

[straitman]

Not really a cynic. The statement was "when new technology is introduced" and no indication of a timescale for it being implemented. If it was expected to be soon, I would have expected it to have said so

All sorts of things in many areas will chage as new technology is introduced

Dave

Dave,

No worries, just that my approach would have been to say that in my answer.

ie the new technology will be a great (dare I say it) enhancement though unfortunately there is no time line to indicate when this may occur.

 

[samh004]

I thought this might be more to do with the Taliban saying they weren't a threat to Europe when I read the title, not new invasive screening technologies.

 

[Mal]

I've heard that the England will not be joining the EU in dropping liquid bans at the same time...

So things are still going to be a mess (esp if flying BA/Qantas etc)

 

[Commuter]

At one point, they were supposed to be easing the ban in June this year. Now I read 2012. Hmmm, will it ever happen?

 

[samh004]

At one point, they were supposed to be easing the ban in June this year. Now I read 2012. Hmmm, will it ever happen?

Well, when the western world leaved the Middle East alone, I'd expect them to leave us alone... but that's not likely to happen anytime soon, huh!

 

[simongr]

Well, when the western world leaved the Middle East alone, I'd expect them to leave us alone... but that's not likely to happen anytime soon, huh!

Glad you can distill this down to some glib Western intervention in the Middle Easy argument given that parts of these conflicts have historical bases thousands of years old.

 

[medhead]

Well, when the western world leaved the Middle East alone, I'd expect them to leave us alone... but that's not likely to happen anytime soon, huh!

Umm perhaps some history is in order. Please do inform yourself:

Aircraft hijacking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first recorded aircraft hijack took place on February 21, 1931 in Arequipa, Peru. Byron Rickards, flying a Ford Tri-Motor, was approached on the ground by armed revolutionaries.

Between 1948 and 1957, there were 15 hijackings all over the world, an average of a little more than one per annum. Between 1958 and 1967, this climbed to 48—an annual average of about five. There was an explosive increase to 38 in 1968 and 82 in 1969, the largest number in a single year in the history of civil aviation. During the third 10-year period between 1968 and 1977, there were 414 hijackings—an annual average of 41.

The increase since 1958 could be attributed to the following factors:

• The use by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of inspired hijackings as a weapon of destabilisation against the Fidel Castro regime

• The retaliatory hijackings inspired or instigated by the Cuban intelligence, involving either U.S. or non-U.S. aircraft carrying a large number of U.S. nationals.

• The emulation of the CIA's covert action technique by the Taiwanese intelligence in its psychological warfare against People's Republic of China

• The beginning of the extensive use of hijackings as a weapon of national liberation or ideological struggle by the various Palestinian organisations and ideological groups supporting the Palestinian cause such as the Red Army Faction of West Germany and Japanese Red Army after the Arab-Israeli war of July, 1967.

• The use of hijackings as a weapon of struggle by other political, religious or ideological organisations or political dissident groups in the rest of the world. Some of these were supported by foreign intelligence agencies such as the support of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan to various anti-Indian groups since 1971, while others were not.

Last time I checked PERU, the CIA, Cuba and Taiwan were not in the middle east . We see that the Middle east angle started in 1967. IF we look at notable hijackings we see:

1 out of 6 hijackings in the 50 and 60s related to the middle east
3 out of 20 in the 70s related to the middle east. Note I consider pakistan/india to be a difference issue.

And I'll let you read on for the rest. But there are very few related to the middle east, compared to the majority of incidents.

List of aircraft hijackings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[JohnK]

Can't wait for the liquid ban in carry-on luggage to be scrapped.

Almost lost 2 bottles of Vodka and 2 bottles of Scotch at ATH airport for a domestic flight ATH-SKG. I had moved the duty free bottles to our checked luggage at LAX but had forgotten about the liquid ban on all flights as I tried to lighten the load of our already overweight checked luggage at ATH.

The lovely security person allowed me to keep the duty free alcohol as I said I was not aware of the rules and they were presents for relatives. Who said all airport security personnel had to be nasty. GOD bless her....