Liquid ban on flights could be about to end thanks to new airport scanners

New 3D scanners being trialled could mean the end of the strict rules travellers face when bringing liquids onto flights.

Airports around the world are trialling new 3D scanners that could spell the end of passengers removing toiletries from their hand luggage.

The new technology, which could lead to the removal of the 100ml limit, has been tested at London’s Heathrow, Amsterdam’s Schiphol and New York’s JFK airports.

The new scanners produce a 3D x-ray image of passengers’ bags without the need to place the liquid items in a clear plastic bag.

A failed bomb plot in 2006 saw a blanket ban on travellers bringing more than 100ml bottles of liquids in their hand luggage.

The British Department for Transport said it would deploy the new scanners at a small number of security lanes in Heathrow for trials of six to 12 months along with automatic explosive detection technology.