ENAC: by summer 2026 liquids on board over the limit at all airports

There is chaos at Italian and European airports over the 100 ml limit for liquids to be carried on board. Knowing before departure whether the airport has installed the Smiths Detection scanners, authorised by the EU commission to allow passengers to carry more than 100 ml of liquids, gels and aerosols in their hand luggage, is not easy.

The airports of Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Bologna and Turin are those already adapted to the new rules, but beware of the terminals. This is a further difficulty because there may be different control systems in the same airport, as in the case of Milan where at Linate and Malpensa Terminal 1 you can carry liquids, aerosols and gels in individual containers with a maximum capacity of 2 litres, without the need to separate them from your hand luggage. While at Malpensa Terminal 2, the previous rules remain in force, according to which liquids may be carried in single containers with a capacity not exceeding 100 ml, inside transparent plastic bags and separated from hand luggage. An exception is made for passengers using the priority, fast track paid passage at Terminal 2, for whom the new rules apply..

The same happens at Turin airport, where the new rules only apply to passengers using priority passage, fast track, also for a fee, while for all other passengers the previous restrictions remain in force.

In this variegated system that applies not only to Italy, but to many European airports, there is a further difficulty for the management companies that have already installed new scanners, but of a different brand from the one authorised by the EU, for which the old rules remain in force. This is explained by ACI Europe's managing director Olivier Jankovec in a note calling on the EU to act quickly to authorise all screening systems: "There are other security equipment manufacturers that have developed similar technology with advanced screening capabilities for hand luggage and are anxiously waiting for the EU to test and recertify their equipment. However, there is absolutely no visibility as to when such testing and recertification will take place'. As a result, airports that have invested in and implemented this other security equipment are forced to maintain the 100 ml limit for carrying liquids.

Alongside these airports, there is also a substantial slice of airports that have not invested in any of these new technologies, so the old rules remain valid. What will happen is explained by the president of Enac, Pierluigi Di Palma, who, interviewed by Adnkronos, guaranteed that 'by the summer of 2026 in all airports it will be possible to carry liquids on board aircraft beyond the current 100 ml ceiling'. Of course, but how will this happen? The problem lies in adapting the systems to the new machines, which are very expensive and not all Italian airports, e.g. medium-sized ones with a less capacious traffic flow, will be able to sustain these investments. Di Palma explains: 'Where the machines are not adequate, it is clear that control is still traditional. The problem is not only with the airports, but 'also with the industries' production of the new machines to carry out the checks. For our part, we will ensure that airports acquire the machinery as quickly as possible to facilitate entry even with liquids over 100 millilitres'.