Brussels, 21/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) on aeroplane flights are expected to gradually disappear from January 2014. Restrictions are expected to be totally removed two years later. An amendment to Regulation 85/2010 was published in the EU Official Journal on 19 March. Airports will undoubtedly pass on the bill from his change to the airlines and passengers.
Removing restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels is expected to take place in two stages and ultimately will be replaced by scanner controls of all these products instead of confiscating them, which is currently the case for containers of more than 100 ml. In January 2014, passengers transferring from non-European destinations will be allowed to bring on board the LAGS they have purchased at a non-EU airport or on a previous flight. Monitoring during the transition period will check how well airports succeed in making the necessary changes because all of these products will have to be checked through a LEDS (liquid explosive detection systems) type of scanner. European airports will have two years to acquire this apparatus because two years later, in January 2016, all LAGS will be allowed on board and therefore subject to preliminary scans.
This timetable has not come as any surprise to airport representatives because they have been involved in this European decision making process. Olivier Jankovec, the director-general of the Airports Council International Europe informed Europe that he was “reasonably confident that we can meet this deadline without negatively impacting the European airlines operations as well as passenger service”. Nonetheless, he does acknowledge that this is going to come at a price to the airports for which security already accounts for almost a third of their operational costs. Jankovec said that not only would it be necessary to purchase new equipment but they will also need to train staff and adapt security systems. He admitted that “it will increase the bill further for the airports; ultimately they will have to pass these costs on airlines and consumer”. Airlines will obviously pass on their contribution to ticket prices but how much will travellers ultimately have to pay? According to Jankovec: “It's too difficult to say, the final price has not yet been confirmed and the airports are only at the call for tenders stage”. The only LEDs scanners that have already been used in Europe were used in pilot tests and no European airport has actually acquired them yet. (MD/transl.fl)