UK refuses to relax 100 ml liquid rule

The European Union is moving too quickly to lift a 100 ml european rule on airline passengers carrying liquids onto flights, the European airports association said on Wednesday, saying loosening the ban could endanger security.
Carrying more than 100 ml of liquid in hand luggage has been banned in Europe since 2006, after British police uncovered a plot to blow up transatlantic airliners bound for North America using bombs made from liquid explosives.
The measures were not adopted uniformly elsewhere in the EU, with many travellers previously facing much stricter restrictions on carrying liquids out of the UK than they did on their return from an EU country.

In April, EU-bound passengers from non-EU countries will be allowed to take on board any liquids, aerosols and gels purchased at an airport in the preceding 36 hours. The move is a preliminary step for lifting the ban for all passengers in April 2013.
The transport secretary, Philip Hammond, has told UK airport owners that the first phase in lifting 100ml rule restrictions will not go ahead as planned on 29 April. Passengers on long-haul flights from outside the European Union would have been allowed to carry duty-free liquids on to connecting flights at EU airports. Airlines and airport groups have warned that the proposal would lead to severe delays because terminals might not have adequate screening equipment, while some countries such as France and Italy are considering ignoring the 29 April deadline.