What Liquids Can You Bring on a Plane

If you are a frequent flyer, you are probably quite familiar with the staple of all air passengers: tiny toiletry.

For almost two decades now, we’ve been practising the same drill. Try to squeeze in your set of travel-size beauty products into a transparent, resealable bag. Keep it ready to go into the tray at security screening. Join the endless queue, and fight all bad thoughts (will I be asked to kindly step aside and wait, did I remove all banned items?).

All the hassle, queueing, waiting and stress are coming to an end. The liquid limit is expected to be lifted with the introduction of new state-of-the-art scanners at airports around the world.

But, how much liquid can you bring on a plane? Are there any exceptions? Which airports are installing the new tech and removing the ban? Let's find out!

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How much liquid can you bring on a plane?

There are several rules you need to follow to be able to bring liquids on the plane. And if you want to take them with you wherever you're going, you need to respect these rules. From putting your liquids into transparent plastic bags to buying everything in travel size.

The 100-ml limit on liquids or the 3-1-1 rule

Liquids on a plane must follow specific guidelines, especially those you take in your carry-on luggage. Generally, the rule of thumb when packing and boarding a plane is the following:

allowed liquids label

What is considered a liquid?

Before we break down the restrictions for hand- and check-in luggage, let's see what's actually considered a liquid. Aside from the obvious like water and perfume, there are some other which you might not immediately consider a liquid. How about your hairspray or toothpaste? What about bringing food items like peanut butter on the plane? The liquids on plane rule covers:

Toiletries/Cosmetics – You can bring cosmetics, such as shampoo, perfumes, lotions, lip gloss, etc
Toothpaste
Solutions and medicine– You can bring liquids like medication and contact lens solution.
Aerosols – You can bring aerosols on the plane, like deodorant, hairspray, shaving foam, etc.
Gels – You can bring cosmetics like hair and shower gel, etc.
Food – You can take semi-liquid foods (salad dressing, honey, syrup, jam), etc. in your carry-on if they're below 100 ml.

Yes, peanut butter (or anything with a similar consistency) is considered part of the LAGs (liquids, aerosols, and gels).

When in doubt, always check with your airline or the airport (make sure you know the rules at all airports you are going through – departure, transfer and arrival, just in case).

Hand luggage

Generally, carry on luggage restrictions allow you to bring a single 1-litre bag (approx. 20×20 cm) of liquids, aerosols, gels, pastes, and creams in your hand luggage. All containers must be travel-sized, i.e. up to 100 ml (3.4 oz) and must fit comfortably in the 1-litre transparent resealable bag.

So, 3.4 ounces (0.13 kg) or smaller containers that must fit in 1 zip-lock bag, 1 bag per person (3-1-1 rule).

Checked luggage

All containers larger than 100ml must go into your checked luggage, regardless of the number of liquids inside.

So, if you are carrying a 300ml shampoo bottle, even if it is only partially full (definitely less than 100ml of liquid inside), place it in your checked luggage.

There are virtually no limits on the liquids, aerosols, and gels in your checked luggage. Therefore, all your hair sprays and perfumes, your gift wine bottles, precious exotic jams or salsa can safely go in your checked bag. Just remember to wrap them safely in bubble-wrap (or your socks/T-shirt).

How much liquid can you bring on a plane: Exceptions

Like all other rules, there are exceptions to how much liquid you're allowed to take on a plane. Liquid containers larger than 100ml can be taken on board and through security in the following cases:

Baby food

You can bring baby food on the plane as long as it compiles with the following guidelines:

Baby milk, baby food and sterilised water — if you are travelling with an infant, you may take as much baby formula/ food and water as you need for the journey (including purées, soy milk, cow’s milk, even cooling gel packs).
Breast milk is also allowed on the plane in quantities larger than 100ml even if your baby is not travelling with you; liquid containers are limited to less than 2000ml in this case, and they may be opened and screened separately (if you prefer the bottles not to go through the x-ray scanner, they will undergo alternative testing). Note however that frozen breast milk will not be allowed through security.

Medication

Essential medical purposes — liquid medication you will need for your journey, hypodermic syringes and tablets;
Inhalers and other types of medical equipment that are essential for the trip;
Special dietary requirements — you are allowed to bring liquid food if you are on a special diet.

Note that in these cases, security staff may require a doctor’s note or prescription to verify that the name on the prescription matches the name on the boarding pass. Containers may also be opened and screened for security purposes. Check our guide on taking medicine on a plane to learn about the specific guidelines for taking pills with you.

Duty-free liquids

You can bring liquids larger than 100ml in the cabin, such as alcohol, your favourite perfume, soft drinks, etc. if:

They were bought at the airport or on the plane (duty-free)
They are sealed inside a security bag (this is done for you at the shop when you buy the product)
The receipt is inside the security bag and is clearly visible (ICAO recommendation).

Note! Open the security bag only once you have reached your final destination. Meanwhile, airport security may open the bag to screen the liquids and then reseal it so that its safety is guaranteed.

What to do at airport security?

Once you have safely packed all containers larger than 100ml in your suitcase and checked your bag, you may head to the x-ray scanners with your hand luggage.

At the security checkpoint:

Make sure all your liquids, cosmetics, etc. (LAGs) come in travel-size containers (less than 100ml) and are packed into a single transparent resealable bag, size 20×20 (approx.1-litre). Note that the bag must be well-sealed (not tied at the top), so, if any of the tiny bottles doesn’t quite fit inside, you may have to let go;
Remove your laptop and any other large electronics (hairdryer, a large camera, etc.) from your carry-on;
Place the transparent bag with your liquids and your large electronics in a tray for scanning;
Remove your jacket and all metal objects, such as coins, keys, belt, etc. and prepare these to go through the scanner too.

At some airports, you may also be asked to take your shoes off.

After the screening, you will have enough time to place your belongings back in your pockets and hand luggage.

Liquids on the plane: Future trends

Long queues at airport security are one of the causes for flight delays or missed flights. To help with that, European airports have tried to speed the process at security with innovative solutions, like state-of-the-art CT scanners. On December 15, 2022, the UK Department for Transport announced that new next-generation security scanners will be introduced at UK airports by July 2024.

The upgrade to the new scanning equipment will put an end to the 100ml rule on liquids. Passengers will be allowed to bring containers of up to, 2000ml (2 litres) in their hand luggage. What is more, liquids and large electronics won’t need to be taken out of your hand luggage and placed in the tray at the security checkpoint.

New security screening for liquids at the airport (2025)

The new CT scanners use 3D x-ray technology, which is paired with advanced explosive-detection features. This makes them faster and more reliable than the currently used 2-D scanners.

2D security scanner at airport

Current 2-D scanners VS the new 3-D scanners

The current 2-D scanners distinguish between organic and inorganic materials. When going through the scanners, items are displayed in different colours: blue for inorganic (potentially dangerous metal tools, like knives, scissors, etc.), green for mixed (silicon, aluminium, but also gunpowder and detonators) and orange for organic materials (food, paper, clothing).

Explosive substances are also organic and displayed in orange (2-d scanners cannot distinguish food from explosives). This is why currently all liquids are limited to 100ml and checked separately.

The new 3-D scanners, however, can differentiate between high-strength alcohol, water, and hydrogen peroxide (the chemical used in common hair bleach as well as bombs).

How do the new CT Scanners work?

The new generation of computed tomography (CT) scanners have numerous advantages in both detecting potential threats and reducing false alarms.

They are similar to CT scanners used in hospitals and provide layered 3-D images of items inside a passenger’s bag. Airport security staff can then zoom in and rotate these 3-D images 360 degrees. This allows for a thorough analysis, compared by experts to digitally unpacking a traveller’s bag.

In addition, the new 3D scanners also use advanced explosive-detection algorithms that signal any suspicious items that may require further inspection.

Airports with New 3D Scanners

A number of airports around the world have successfully implemented CT scanners.

They are available at London City and Teesside Airports. Ireland’s Donegal and Shannon also use the new tech, which has reportedly halved the time for passenger security checks (550 passengers an hour).

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was among the 1st to introduce the CT scanners — trails here started in 2015.

Other airports that have started introducing the new advanced equipment at some terminals or special fast lanes include:

Italy, Rome — Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
Spain — International Airports in Barcelona and Madrid.
The USA — Phoenix and Boston, Hawaii’s Lihue, Atlanta’s Jackson and Chicago’s O’Hare
Australia — Melbourne Airport has special ‘smart lanes’
Japan — Tokyo International Airport Haneda
South Korea — Incheon and Jeju
Qatar — some lanes at Hamad International, and Terminal 2 at Kuwait International Airport

However, at some of these airports, liquid restrictions remain or have been reintroduced.

Airports Soon to Have 3D Scanners

Large UK airports like London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester missed the June 2024 deadline and were granted an extension until June 2025. Manchester intends to meet the June deadline, and the installation of new scanners at Gatwick were installed at the end of Match.

While, Heathrow has introduced 3D scanners on some security lanes, the largest British airport will probably miss the June deadline. And with the projections of Heathrow being Europe's busiest airport this summer, passengers flying through there should plan their trips accordingly.

The reason for the delay is that the new machines are expensive and much bigger and heavier than the old scanners. This means that, in most cases, security areas need to be reconfigured, and the floor needs to be reinforced.

Will the end of the liquid limit make airports less safe?

The expansion of how much liquids you can bring on a plane does not mean that flying will be less safe. On the contrary! According to the UK’s Department for Transport, the new scanners will definitely improve airport security because:

The new machines offer clearer images paired with advanced threat-detection features, meaning improved security and less false alarms
Passengers will also have to spend less time at security checkpoints as they will no longer have to remove their liquids and large electronics from their bags
The new scanners will also reduce plastic waste (less disposable toiletry bottles and resealable bags).
Passengers can also save money as they will no longer have to buy drinks at expensive airport shops but can bring their water or drink bottle — up to 2 litres.

The future

CT scanners are the new standard in airport security and are expected to be gradually installed at European airports. Once this process is over, the liquid limit will probably be phased out within the following two years.

Our best advice is to check with your airlines and the airport before packing your bags, as from September 2024, European airports have reintroduced the 100 ml rule. This comes after the EU Commission ruled that the new scanners cannot effectively detect the liquids in containers larger than 330ml. Currently, passengers in Europe are still required to have only liquids below 100 ml in their carry-on luggage, but the European Commission is optimistic that this will change in the future.

So, pack your liquids in 100ml bottles and seal them safely in a zip-lock plastic bag ready to go through the scanner.

Meanwhile, brush up on your passenger rights and if you've experienced any flight disruption, use our calculator below to claim your compensation!