Some of the UK's biggest airports quietly started letting passengers carry up to 2 litres of liquid through security a while back. Others still stop you at 100ml. Here's exactly where each major airport stands right now, and the catches that trip people up even when their own airport has the new rules.
Fly from Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, or either Belfast airport, and you can currently carry liquids in containers up to 2 litres through security, with no need to bag them separately or take them out of your hand luggage.
Fly from Manchester, Luton, Stansted, Liverpool, or Glasgow, and it's still the rule you already know: containers of 100ml or less, all fitting into a single clear resealable bag.
The rule now depends entirely on which airport you're flying from, not on you, your airline, or how big your bag is. Always check the specific airport rather than assuming, especially if you haven't flown in a while.
This is the current picture at the UK's busiest airports. It's changing airport by airport rather than all at once, so treat it as a starting point and confirm on your own airport's website close to your travel date.
| Airport | Current liquid allowance |
|---|---|
| Heathrow | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Gatwick | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Edinburgh | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Birmingham | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Bristol | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Belfast International | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Belfast City | Up to 2 litres per container |
| Manchester | 100ml rule still applies |
| Luton | 100ml rule still applies |
| Stansted | 100ml rule still applies |
| Liverpool | 100ml rule still applies |
| Glasgow | 100ml rule still applies |
Accurate as of when this was written. Smaller regional airports not listed here are generally still running the 100ml rule, and further airports are expected to move onto the 2-litre allowance over time as their own scanners are installed and approved.
If your airport isn't on the list above, assume the 100ml rule until you've checked otherwise. It's a much easier mistake to overpack a clear bag than to lose a bottle you were relying on.
The 100ml rule dates back to 2006, after a foiled plot to smuggle liquid explosives disguised as ordinary drinks onto transatlantic flights departing Heathrow. It's been standard at airports worldwide ever since, and for a long time there was no way around it.
New CT scanners, the same type used for hospital body scans, can now image the contents of a bag in 3D, which is detailed enough to clear liquids and laptops without removing them at all. Every UK airport was originally set a government deadline to have these installed. That deadline was pushed back in 2024 over concerns about the reliability of the rollout, and since then each airport has moved onto the new allowance at its own pace, as its own scanners are installed, tested, and formally approved, rather than on one fixed nationwide date. That's why the list above is patchy rather than complete, and why it's worth checking again even if you last flew a year or two ago.
Don't assume a huge airport automatically has the newest kit. Some of the country's busiest regional airports are still on the old rule while smaller ones have already moved across, it really does come down to each airport's own rollout, not its size.
If any leg of your trip, outbound, connecting or the way home, touches an airport still on the 100ml rule, plan your whole trip around that one, not the most generous airport in the chain.
Packing to the old 100ml rule still works everywhere. It's the one standard that's guaranteed to clear security at every UK airport, and at most airports abroad too, so it's still the safest default if you're not certain about every airport on your route.
If you are flying from one of the airports with the new 2-litre allowance and you know your return leg or connection goes through an airport still on the old rule, it's usually simplest to just pack to 100ml for the whole trip, rather than buying something abroad you then can't bring home.
If you do want to make the most of a 2-litre allowance on the way out, keep anything oversized to things you're happy to use up or bin before you fly home, rather than full new bottles you were planning to bring back.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, and both Belfast International and Belfast City currently allow containers up to 2 litres through security, with no need to bag them separately. This is being rolled out airport by airport rather than all at once, so it's worth checking your specific airport before you fly.
Manchester, Luton, Stansted, Liverpool and Glasgow were still running the old 100ml limit, in a single clear resealable bag, at the time of writing. More airports are expected to move onto the new allowance over time as their own scanners are approved.
Only if your return airport has adopted the new 2-litre rule too. If either your transfer airport or your arrival airport still enforces the 100ml limit, a larger bottle can be confiscated at that point, regardless of what you were allowed to carry when you set off.
The change depends on each airport installing and getting formal approval for new CT scanners capable of imaging liquids in 3D. A 2024 government deadline for every UK airport to have this done was pushed back over concerns about the reliability of the rollout, so it's happened at each airport's own pace ever since rather than on one fixed date.
I always flag anything like this that matters for your specific trip when I'm putting your holiday together. Message me if you want a hand double checking before you fly.