How To: pack your carry-on luggage

As of November 6, 2006, there are stricter security regulations for flights departing from EU countries. Those rules also apply to inland flights as well as connections to third countries such as the US. The German Federal Ministry of the Interior points out the new restrictions for liquids carried in hand luggage at the security checkpoints. The European Union has introduced these new security measures as a reaction to the failed terrorist attack at a London airport on August 10, 2006 by means of a liquid explosive.

The bottles or tubes may not hold more than 100ml. They must be carried in a transparent zip-top bag not bigger than 20x20 cm (1 liter) and be presented separately at the security checkpoint. Furthermore, medication and special food items (e.g. baby food) in liquid form that will be needed during the flight may be carried in hand baggage. This does not apply to liquids purchased behind the security checkpoints, e.g. in the duty-free shops.

We would advise you to check with the airports and airlines, e.g. via their websites, prior to departure. In addition, we have compiled for you a list of questions and answer that might have come up already.

QUESTION: What flights are affected by these regulations?

ANSWER: The new regulations apply to all flights departing from an airport within the European Union, irrespective of the destination or the airline's nationality. They are also valid for those passengers who are changing planes on an airport within the European Union.

QUESTION: What does "liquid" mean in this context?

ANSWER: The regulations define "liquid" in a rather broad sense, since many different kinds of liquids can be used as the basic components of liquid explosives. Some items are quite obviously liquids, such as beverages or perfume. With some other items, it is less obvious, e.g. gels, pastes, lotions, mixtures of liquids and solids, and the contents of aerosols. This includes, for example, toothpaste, hair gel, face cream, liquid soap, deodorant and shaving foam.

QUESTION: Why do the new regulations apply to all above mentioned liquids?

ANSWER: This is the case because, as is generally known, liquid explosives can be made from pure liquids as well as from half-liquid gels and thus exists in many different forms.

QUESTION: What about passengers who need medication or special food items in liquid form?

ANSWER: The new regulations do make certain exceptions for liquid medication and special food items in liquid form, e.g. for baby food or for food items needed by people who have to follow a special diet. Passengers may bring those on board in the dosages needed during the flight.
However, as a security measure the security personnel may ask passengers, in case of doubt, to prove that the liquid is indeed a medication or special food item and not a less harmless substance.

QUESTION: What are the regulations for flights going to the US?

ANSWER: Over the past weeks already, security measures concerning liquids have been quite strict for flights to the US. The new EU regulations are modeled according to the US regulations so that you can expect the same security checks on both US and EU airports.

For more information, please refer to www.bmi.bund.de