Chaos over liquids on aircraft, risk of up to 130 euro extra costs

It was supposed to benefit citizens and make life easier for travellers, but in fact, the green light to the possibility of carrying liquids in containers larger than 100 ml in hand luggage has turned into a bone of contention, lending itself to criticism and perplexity. It was the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) that on 25 July last gave the go-ahead to the possibility of carrying liquids in hand luggage in packages larger than 100 ml, up to a maximum of two litres, in those airports equipped with the latest generation of scanners capable of detecting with the utmost precision the presence of hazardous materials inside bags and trolleys.

Protesting today is Assoutenti, which points out that the new rules risk costing passengers who will be flying to holiday destinations this summer. "The new generation scanners are already installed in many European airports: Milan (Malpensa and Linate), Rome Fiumicino, Bologna, Turin, Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Paris (Charles de Gaulle and Orly), London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Southend), Birmingham, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Munich, Prague, Bratislava, Sarajevo, Malta - explains Assoutenti -. However, not all airports have decided to apply the new rule on liquids and, despite being equipped with new-generation scanners, continue to enforce the 100 ml limit in hand luggage.

As a result, 'those arriving at the airport this summer with perfumes, gels, creams, wines, liqueurs and other liquids in packages over 100 ml only find out at the last minute whether they will be able to carry these products in their hand luggage, or whether they will have to leave them at the security checkpoints or board them in the hold, incurring the relevant costs,' denounces president Gabriele Melluso. An expense that for hold luggage purchased at the airport is certainly not insignificant: 'for example, Ryanair charges between 35.99 and 75 euros per flight, while for Vueling the cost ranges between 40 and 75 euros; WizzAir charges 70 euros, Easyjet 65 euros. With Ita (for economy light tickets) one starts from 60 euros flying in Italy, 70 euros for European flights, and goes up to a maximum of 130 euros for some destinations such as Japan, the United States, Brazil, Thailand", Assoutenti notes.

"Precisely in order to avoid unforeseen costs for travellers and to overcome the chaos that is taking place in the air transport sector, we are today asking Enac to publish on its website an updated list of airports that allow liquids over 100 ml to be carried in hand luggage, so that passengers are informed in advance about this possibility and can make informed choices, avoiding nasty surprises at the airports from which they will depart or transit this summer,' Melluso concludes.

Adding to the alarm is Consumerism No Profit, which points out that on the subject of liquids in hand luggage 'the current situation is one of total uncertainty, with passengers not knowing whether or not the airports from which they will be departing, transiting, or returning allow them to carry liquids over 100 ml in their luggage'. Precisely for this reason, president Luigi Gabriele asks 'that the possibility of carrying liquids above 100 ml in hand luggage in each airport from which one flies be clearly indicated on airline tickets purchased by passengers'.