EU security rules at airports

The new rules apply from 8 August 2008 at all airports in the EU.

To protect you against the new threat of liquid explosives, the European Union (EU) has adopted new security rules that restrict the amount of liquids that you can take through security checkpoints. They apply to all passengers departing from airports in the EU whatever their destination.

This means that, at security checkpoints, you and your hand luggage must be checked for liquids in addition to other prohibited articles. However, the new rules do not limit the liquids that you can buy at shops located beyond the point where you show your boarding pass or on board an aircraft operated by an EU airline.

Passengers and cabin baggage list of prohibited articles

Without prejudice to applicable safety rules, passengers are not permitted to carry ther following articles into security restricted areas and on board an aircraft:

a) guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles - devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, including:

- firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns,
- toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons,
- component parts of firearms, excluding telescopic sights,
- compressed air and CO 2 guns, such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns,
- signal flare pistols and starter pistols,
- bows, cross bows and arrows,
- harpoon guns and spear guns,
- slingshots and catapults.

b) stunning devices - devices designed specifically to stun or immobilise, including:

- devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons,
- animal stunners and animal killers,
- disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays.

c) objects with a sharp point or sharp edge - objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:

- items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers,
- ice axes and ice picks,
- razor blades,
- box cutters,
- knives with blades of more than 6 cm,
- scissors with blades of more than 6 cm as measured from the fulcrum,
- martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge,
- swords and sabres.

d) workmen's tools - tools capable of being used either to cause serious injury or to threaten the safety of aircraft, including:

- crowbars,
- drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills,
- tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cm capable of use as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels,
- saws, including cordless portable power saws,
- blowtorches,
- bolt guns and nail guns.

e) blunt instruments - objects capable of being used to cause serious injury when used to hit, including:

- baseball and softball bats,
- clubs and batons, such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks,
- martial arts equipment.

f) explosives and incendiary substances and devices - explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:

- ammunition,
- blasting caps,
- detonators and fuses,
- replica or imitation explosive devices,
- mines, grenades and other explosive military stores,
- fireworks and other pyrotechnics,
- smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges,
-dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives.

g) liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) shall include pastes, lotions, liquid/solid mixtures and the contents of pressurised containers, such as toothpaste, hair gel, drinks, soups, syrups, perfume, shaving foam and other items with similar consistencies. LAGs carried by passengers may be exempted from screening if the LAG is:

1) in individual containers with a capacity not greater than 100 millilitres or equivalent in one transparent re- sealable plastic bag of a capacity not exceeding 1 litre, whereby the contents of the plastic bag fit comfortably and the bag is completely closed; or
2) to be used during the trip and is either required for medical purposes or a special dietary requirement, including baby food. When requested to do so the passenger shall provide proof of authenticity of the exempted LAG; or
3) obtained airside beyond the point where boarding passes are controlled from outlets that are subject to approved security procedures as part of the airport security programme, on condition that the LAG is packed in a STEB inside which satisfactory proof of purchase at airside at that airport on that day is displayed; or
4) obtained in the security restricted area from outlets that are subject to approved security procedures as part of the airport security programme; or
5) obtained at another Union airport, on condition that the LAG is packed in a STEB inside which satisfactory proof of purchase at airside at that airport on that day is displayed; or
6) obtained on board an aircraft of a Community air carrier, on condition that the LAG is packed in a STEB inside which satisfactory proof of purchase on board that aircraft on that day is displayed; or
7) obtained at an airport situated in a third country listed in Attachment 4-D, on condition that the LAG is packed in a STEB inside which satisfactory proof of purchase at airside at that airport within the preceding 36 hours is displayed. The exemptions provided for in this point shall expire on 29 April 2011.

Airport(s) from which flights depart to Union airports (extract from attachment 4-D):

Canada:
- all international airports (CAN)
Republic of Croatia:
- Dubrovnik (DBV) airport
- Pula (PUY) airport
- Rijeka (RJK) airport
- Split (SPU) airport
- Zadar (ZAD) airport
- Zagreb (ZAG) airport
Malaysia:
- Kuala Lumpur International (KUL) airport
Republic of Singapore:
- Changi (SIN) airport
United States of America:
- all international airports (USA)

Hold baggage list of prohibited articles

Passengers are not permitted to carry the following articles in their hold baggage:

Explosives and incendiary substances and devices - explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:

- ammunition,
- blasting caps,
- detonators and fuses,
- mines, grenades and other explosive military stores,
- fireworks and other pyrotechnics,
- smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges,
- dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives.

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