Air travel passengers in Germany can look forward to not having water bottles, full-sized shampoo bottles and other liquids confiscated by airport security in future following a recently announced EU rule change.
However, exactly when the 100 millilitre (ml) limit on liquids that can be carried on flights will be scrapped at Germany's airports remains uncertain.
The Local asked several major German airports about when the rules for passengers would change.
What's changed?
The European Commission recently changed the EU rules for what passengers are allowed to bring in their carry-on luggage on flights.
Under previous EU rules, passengers were prohibited from carrying more than 100ml of liquids, aerosols or gels with them on aircrafts. (Exceptions are made for baby food and some medications.)
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Regular air travellers will be well aware of this rule, and many have shared in the experience of needing to empty a water bottle in an airport security line, or having shampoo, toothpaste or other liquid products confiscated because they were not in a "travel-sized" container.
New airport security screening equipment allows security officials to better differentiate between explosive materials and harmless liquids, so airports that have new scanners in place will be able to lift the 100ml liquid limit for their passengers.
Several German airports already had new security scanners in place last year, and had begun phasing them in, and scrapping the 100ml limit on liquids when possible. But then the European Commission stepped in to demand that the 100ml remain in place, citing some concerns about the reliability of some of the new security equipment.
Since last summer, the Commission has reportedly worked with the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to resolve the issue. Now a new screening solution has been successfully tested, and the 100ml limit can be scrapped at airports that are using the new, certified tech.
Five airports in Italy have already scrapped the limit, allowing passengers to bring as big of a water bottle as they like on flights.
When will German airports change their rules?
Unfortunately for passengers flying from Germany, the 100ml rule still applies at airports here for now.
The Local contacted airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and Düsseldorf to ask when travellers could expect to see the liquid limit scrapped.
A spokesperson for the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport simply said that they could not provide a date yet by when the rule might be changed. They added that currently liquids carried on flights coming from Berlin must be packed in containers that do not exceed 100ml in volume, and the total combined volume can not exceed one litre (so ten 100ml containers maximum).
A spokesperson for the Government of Upper Bavaria, which is responsible for passenger screening at Munich Airport, told The Local that, "The necessary hardware is already available in many cases at Munich Airport with state-of-the-art CT systems..."
However, they noted that a "change to the software is necessary", and suggested that the relevant aviation authority will implement the software change "as soon as operational processes and requirements permit".
They notably refrained from offering a potential date for when the rule would effectively be changed, adding "the 100 ml limit will therefore remain for the CT systems at Munich Airport for the time being."
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The situation appears similar at the major airports in both Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
A spokesperson for Fraport AG, which operates Frankfurt Airport, told The Local that they "currently have 40 CT scanners with the corresponding technology in operation at the busiest checkpoints at Frankfurt Airport.
"A further 40 devices will be gradually rolled out in the coming months and years."
But don't plan on carrying-on a bottle of local Rhine Valley wine just yet.
The Fraport spokesperson added that "Since passengers do not know which screening device (old or new/CT scanner) they will be screened by upon departure..." the 100 ml limit effectively remains in place for now.
A spokesperson for the Federal Police Inspectorate, which manages security at Düsseldorf Airport effectively had the same news. Seven CT scanners are currently operating there, which they noted allows passengers to leave liquids and electronics in their luggage instead of unpacking.
But they added that the 100 ml rule could not yet be lifted.
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