London Heathrow Airport lifts carry-on liquid restrictions

Europe’s busiest airport has finally ditched one of the most onerous requirements for security checkpoints.

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) announced on Friday that it was officially lifting restrictions on carry-on liquids.

This means you can now carry a full-size bottle of shampoo, water or sunscreen through Heathrow security without having to take it out of your bag.

Previously, the amount of any liquid passengers could bring through checkpoints was limited to 100ml per container. (This is roughly equivalent to the 3.4 ounce limit that the TSA continues to enforce)

This eliminates a hassle for travelers who are connecting in London, flying to another global destination, or preparing to make the long journey back to the United States.

The relaxed rules apply to all terminals at the airport. Passengers also no longer need to remove large electronic devices from their luggage.

Read more: TSA will charge travelers $45 if they don’t have REAL ID

100ml liquid limit coming to an end

The end of liquid restrictions in London, a major global hub, is long overdue.

It has been years since the UK Department for Transport ordered airports to prepare to scrap the security checkpoint rule due to upgrades in security technology.

Although many individual airports (UK and EU) have relaxed liquid rules, the removal of this decades-old policy has been met with numerous delays.

However, Heathrow Airport announced on Friday that liquid restrictions would be lifted, a major milestone in making European airport security checks smoother for passengers.

“Every Heathrow passenger can now leave their liquids and laptop at security as we become the largest airport in the world to roll out the latest security scanning technology,” Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said in a statement on Friday. “This means less time preparing for security and more time enjoying your journey – and saving millions of single-use plastic bags.”

Woldbye said airport leaders estimate they will save 16 million plastic bags by waiving the rule, since passengers previously had to put all containers of liquid products in bags before going through security.

Safety and security for millions of travelers just got smoother

Heathrow Airport is a major travel hub between the United States and Europe.

In 2025, airlines operated 41,000 flights from LHR to the United States, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

TSA liquid rules: Next to go after shoe policy ends?

Now the looming question is: Will the United States follow suit and abandon its decades-long 3-1-1 liquid policy?

Last summer, the Trump administration signaled a willingness to explore similar changes, even though TSA officials had long told me that it would likely be years before the agency’s restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols ended.

“I wish it would be sooner rather than later. But it’s not coming anytime soon,” former Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske told me in late 2024.

In the mid-2000s, airports around the world imposed size restrictions on carry-on liquids due to concerns about terrorism.

But improvements in baggage screening technology in recent years have led security officials in many parts of the world to reconsider these policies.

In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ended another long-standing security requirement in July 2025: The agency no longer requires most passengers to remove their shoes at checkpoints.

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