Madrid´s Barajas Airport Leads The Way Relaxing Liquid Rules
Spain’s AENA, a public company that manages the country’s main airports, has announced that passengers at Spanish airports will no longer have to put their liquids and electronic devices in security trays later this year or beginning of next.
The restrictions have for long been a bugbear for travellers to endure – causing disruption and delay for many.
At present the rules for going through Spanish airports are that “liquids, perfumes, creams, aerosols, foams, gels, shampoo and toothpaste must be in individual containers not exceeding 100 ml” and that they ” must be carried in a transparent plastic bag that can be resealed, with a capacity of not more than 1 litre”. Each passenger may carry only one such bag (including children) and bags must be must be placed in security checkpoint trays, separate from luggage.
The first two airports in Spain where liquids and electronics rules will be dropped are Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El-Prat.
The announcement comes as the AENA network airports have exceeded pre-pandemic data for the first time, reaching nearly 17 million passengers in January.
Madrid´s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport recorded the highest number of passengers in the first month of the year with 4,433,209, up 1.1% on January 2019, as well as an increase of 64.8% compared to January last year.
From 2024, restrictions on liquids will be removed at some Spanish terminals, airport manager AENA has announced. Passengers will also be able to leave electronics in their luggage after new 3D X-ray technology is installed.
For the first time since the restrictions were introduced following the September 11th attacks, people will no longer be left fumbling at security while they remove items from their bags or have to decant toiletries into 100ml bottles.
The lifting of restrictions will also mean that you can bring other liquids like bottles of wine or olive oil in your hand luggage.
After this, the new 3D X-ray scanners will be installed at Malaga Costa del Sol in 2025 then Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, Fuerteventura, Cesar Manrique Lanzarote, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez, Ibiza, Bilbao, Menorca and Valencia from 2026.
