EU may limit liquids on flights

EU officials are close to agreeing new aviation security rules that would limit the amount of liquids passengers can take on board flights but not ban them outright, the EU transport chief said yesterday.

Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said officials had worked out the basis for new rules that would allow people to board planes with a limited amount of liquids in their hand luggage, such as a bottle of perfume or shampoo.

Such rules would be less strict than the full bans currently in place for flights within and to the US and Britain.

"We believe we found a good balance for the need for more security and the need to keep air transport ... easy and smooth," Mr Barrot said.

Britain said yesterday it expected to announce the easing of air travel regulations next week.

An EU official said the rules in their present form would permit passengers to bring toiletry items on board but would limit the amount of liquids allowed based on calculations by experts of how much would be needed to serve as an explosive.

Limits on the size of carry-on bags would likely be based on existing International Air Transport Association standards.

The rules would also make allowances for "duty free" items purchased after airport security check-points.

Aviation industry officials gave a mixed reaction to the proposals.

Françoise Humbert, spokeswoman for the Association of European Airlines, said a total ban of liquids would be unnecessary and hard on passengers.

"It just makes passengers' lives very, very hard, and we didn't think it would really add anything to the way the risk was addressed," she said.

"The thing to do is to cap it, to make sure people can't travel with too much."

But ACI Europe, a group that represents airports, said a full ban on liquids would be easier to put in place.

"In terms of operations and reducing delays, a complete ban would be easier for us to implement," said ACI spokesman Stephen Hogan, adding that the group would prefer that the rules only applied to international or US-based flights, instead of including domestic and regional ones as currently envisaged.

Mr Hogan urged EU countries to help pay for the measures.