A survey by flight comparison site Skyscanner has revealed that 28 per cent of travellers have attempted to carry liquids past airport security checkpoints, both accidently and deliberately.
This is despite the longstanding ban of passengers carrying liquid containers bigger than 100 millilitres.
A thousand people were surveyed as part of the poll, where only four per cent of those questioned admitted to purposely placing liquids in their hand luggage breaking the rules. However 42 per cent believe that the current legislation is too severe.
Of those surveyed, eighteen per cent complained that airports have an inconsistent approach when it comes to enforcing the regulations.
These harsher laws came into force in August 2006, following a terrorist plot where liquid explosives were smuggled aboard in hand luggage in attempt to blow up at least 10 transatlantic flights.
This introduced an immediate ban on carrying liquids onto aircrafts, since then the ban has been subsequently relaxed allowing passengers to carry liquids in containers no larger than 100ml, and five years on the rules remain largely in force.
European Union transport commissioner Siim Kallas confirmed the ban will be lifted in April 2013. This comes after trialling new advanced X-ray scanners that can identify liquid explosives.
Kallas told The Guardian: “Some airports are questioning the rationality of lifting the ban because life is easier as it is. Politically, that is unacceptable. I would like airports to make (the) necessary investments so we can lift the ban as agreed for transfer passengers”.
He added, “If some countries lift the band and some do not, it will be disastrous”.
By Charlotte Greenhalgh
