Lifting of airline liquids ban ‘should be delayed’

Siim Kallas says ban should remain in place ‘to avoid confusion’.

The European Commission has called on member states to delay lifting a ban on carrying liquids on to planes.

Member states were today supposed to lift restrictions on passengers carrying duty-free liquids in hand luggage on flights coming into the EU or transiting through the EU. But more than half of member states, including France and the UK, have decided to keep the bans in place, citing security concerns.

Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for transport, said that because of this, he has recommended that all EU countries keep in place the ban, to avoid confusion among passengers.

“It is clear that a situation at European airports which leads to confusion for air passengers as to whether they can travel or not with ‘duty-free liquids’, in particular for connecting flights to the United States, should be avoided,” said Kallas.

The Commission said it would review the security situation with member states and the United States, and work toward lifting all restrictions on liquids in hand luggage by April 2013. The aim is to replace the bans with enhanced screening.

Carrying more than 100 millilitres of liquid on flights has been banned since 2006, after UK authorities uncovered plans by terrorists to blow up transatlantic flights using liquid explosives.

The rules have, however, been eased in some countries. Passengers are already allowed to carry liquid products bought in duty-free shops from all international airports in the US and Canada, from Changi Airport in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and from six airports in Croatia. They can also transfer to other flights within the EU with those liquids.

Passengers who purchase liquids at EU airports or onboard EU air carriers can also transfer at European airports without restriction.