Finally! London's Heathrow ditches carry-on liquids rules. Could the US be next?
Europe's busiest airport is finally ditching one of the most cumbersome requirements at security checkpoints.
London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Friday announced it officially scrapped its limits on carry-on liquids.
That means you can now pass through Heathrow security with a full-size bottle of shampoo, water or sunscreen — and you don't need to remove it from your bag, either.
Passengers had previously been limited to 100 milliliters per container for any fluids they wanted to bring through checkpoints. (That's roughly equivalent to the 3.4-ounce limitation the Transportation Security Administration continues to enforce here in the U.S.)
Count this as one hassle removed for travelers connecting in London, flying onward to another global destination — or preparing to make the trek home to the U.S.
The relaxed rules apply to all of the airport's terminals. Flyers no longer have to remove large electronic devices from their bags, either.
Read more: TSA to charge travelers $45 if they don't have Real ID
Moving toward the end of 100-milliliter liquids limitations
The end of the liquids limitations at London's main global hub has been a long time coming.
It's been years since the U.K.'s Department for Transport ordered airports to start preparing to remove this security checkpoint rule, owing to upgrades in screening technology.
But while a number of individual airports have relaxed liquids rules (both in the U.K. and European Union), rolling back this decades-old policy has encountered plenty of delays.
Friday's announcement that Heathrow has done away with liquids limitations, though, is a major milestone in making airport security in Europe more seamless for travelers.
"Every Heathrow passenger can now leave their liquids and laptops in their bags at security as we become the largest airport in the world to roll out the latest security scanning technology," Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye said in a statement Friday. "That means less time preparing for security and more time enjoying their journey – and millions fewer single-use plastic bags."
To Woldbye's point, airport leaders expect they'll save 16 million plastic bags by ditching this regulation — since passengers previously had to corral all of their liquid product containers in baggies before passing through security.
Security gets smoother for millions of travelers
Heathrow is a major hub for travel between the U.S. and Europe.
Airlines operated 41,000 flights from LHR to the U.S. in 2025, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
TSA liquids rule: Is it next to go after the shoes policy ended?
The looming question now: Will the U.S. follow suit and ditch its decades-old 3-1-1 liquids policy?
Last summer, the Trump administration signaled it was open to exploring a similar change, though TSA officials have long told me that the end to the agency's liquids, gels and aerosols limitations was likely years away.
"I'm hoping it will be earlier rather than later. But it's not around the corner," former TSA Administrator David Pekoske told me in late 2024.
Airports around the world implemented size restrictions on carry-on liquids amid terrorism concerns in the mid-2000s.
But improved bag-screening tech in recent years has led security officials in many parts of the world to begin rethinking these policies.
In the U.S., the TSA in July 2025 ended another longtime security requirement: The agency stopped requiring most passengers to remove their shoes at checkpoints.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations