When will airports in Spain scrap the 100ml liquids rule?

The 100ml liquid rule has been in force since 2006, when British authorities foiled a terrorist plot where liquid explosives were hidden in a drink.

The restriction applies to liquids such as drinks, but also gels, pastes, creams, lotions and other cosmetic products.

The rule means that you can only take liquid containers of up to 100ml of each item in your hand luggage, typically carried in a small clear plastic bag for airport security to check easily.

However, several years ago numerous countries around the world (as well as the EU and Spain) announced they would scrap the 100ml liquid restriction, thanks to the introduction of new technology.

New advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners can now accurately detect everything in greater detail inside your bag, and plans were in place to roll them out to airports across the world.

As a result, the limit was due to be scrapped in summer 2024, but the European Commission delayed it, and the ruling was ultimately kept in place.

Some airports even briefly trialled the new scanners and lifted restrictions in the summer of 2024, such as London City, Southend and Newcastle in the UK, but then decided to keep the rule in place.

Currently, airports equipped with the technology in the EU include major hubs such as Milan, Rome, Berlin and Amsterdam, where you can travel from with liquids greater than 100ml. In the UK, only Birmingham and Edinburgh airports have scrapped the 100ml rule so far.

READ ALSO: Five major Italian airports scrap 100ml liquid limit for hand baggage

So, what about Spain?

Spain's state-owned airport operator Aena has said that many of these 3D scanners have already been installed at airports in the country, but they’re not yet fully operational.

"The European Commission has recently authorised the use of state-of-the-art scanners at European airports," Aena told news site El Confidencial Digital.

However, they confirmed that Aena-run airports will maintain the restriction on liquids until the deployment is complete and "the appropriate conditions exist for its implementation without affecting operations”.

Furthermore, the rise in air traffic during the busy summer season means that Aena deems it too risky to partially lift the 100ml rule at some airports without generating confusion among passengers, and such a soft launch would inevitably lead to holdups at a time when they cannot afford operations to run slowly.

So we don’t know exactly when the scanners will be in operation in Spain and when the rule will be scrapped, although the impression is that Aena will wait until the measure is more widespread across Europe and when travel has slowed down slightly in Spain (if that is ever the case anymore).

What we do know is which Spanish airports will drop the regulation first.

Palma de Mallorca, Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El-Prat are set to be the first Spanish airports where you’ll be able to travel with liquids that are more than 100ml in your hand luggage, meaning you could finally be able to take your favourite bottle of Spanish wine or olive oil with you back home or to take to friends and family.

Palma de Mallorca Airport already has 18 inspection lanes equipped with these systems, which was part of a big renovation ongoing since 2023.

Madrid airport has installed state-of-the-art 3D X-ray scanners in its four terminals that detect explosives with great precision.

Already this summer, passengers at Barajas Airport no longer had to remove liquids or electronic devices from their bags at security checkpoints, even though the 100ml rule was still in place.

Aena hopes to roll out the technology next to airports in Málaga, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Menorca, Bilbao, Alicante-Elche, Valencia and Ibiza. These airports all have high passenger traffic and so have been given priority.

The scanners are expected to be rolled out fully in 2026 as part of a €1.17 billion investment plan to modernise security across the entire network, which will last until 2028.

Aena has also hinted that the current 100-millilitre restrictions will remain in place and will not be lifted until all high-volume airports have the new technology, meaning that passengers in Spain may still need to wait a year.

"Any changes will be made once the appropriate conditions for their implementation are in place" they state.