TRAVELLERS flying from London to Aberdeen could be among the first in the UK to enjoy security restrictions being eased.
London City Airport will no longer require people to take liquids out of their hand luggage from April, ahead of an expected ripping up of curbs on the size of bottles that Britons can take on planes.
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The airport said it was replacing its X-ray machines with new CT scanners which will mean travellers will no longer have to take liquids out of their hand luggage, making it quicker for people to pass through security.
The £12million upgrade, expected to be completed by next summer, will see London City among the first to install hi-tech CT scanners, amid reports airports have been given until the middle of 2024 to make the changes to their security technology.
Last week, it emerged that the UK Government was considering ripping up all security restrictions on liquids and laptops, thanks to the new scanners which can differentiate between materials.
This would mean people would no longer be limited to 100ml bottles of liquids when they travel by plane.
The Telegraph says a formal announcement, stating that the restrictions will go within two years, could come within weeks.
London City chief operating officer Alison FitzGerald said the plans to upgrade across the airport came after a successful one-year trial, and meant “the journey through the airport in 2023 will be slicker than ever”.
British Airways provides services between London City and Aberdeen.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that BA is planning to double its operations at Gatwick as a long-running row with Heathrow sours relations with bosses at Britain’s busiest airport.
The UK flag carrier is to increase flights from the Sussex airport instead of expanding operations at Heathrow.
BA is understood to be planning to increase the number of aircraft based at Gatwick from 14 to between 24 and 28 in the coming years.
The plans come amid discontentment among airlines operating out of Heathrow. The airport was forced to cap passenger numbers during the summer to prevent a repeat of the chaos that blighted many airports since the Easter holidays.
Heathrow bosses are also lobbying the aviation regulator to increase landing charges – fees that are passed on to customers.
One senior source told the Telegraph: “Our growth will be at Gatwick rather than Heathrow for now.”
