European plans to lift a ban on carrying duty-free liquids in hand luggage through airports have descended into farce after several states opted to keep the restrictions in place.
As a result, the ban on liquids purchased in third countries, originally scheduled to be lifted on 29 April, will remain for the time being, said European transport commissioner Siim Kallas. The move was a preliminary step towards removing all restrictions on liquids in cabin baggage, set for 29 April 2013.
Kallas said the decision was to avoid confusion for passengers that would result from a failure to lift the restrictions simultaneously across all states. Raising the ban will be deferred "for a limited period", likely to be at least weeks and possibly months.
While the EC has not identified the countries that influenced the decision, a source close to the discussions said: "It's been a moving target."
Some states have resisted for a long period while others have changed their minds, the source said. But France, Italy and the UK, all with major transit hubs, have been unprepared to lift the ban, while the major airports in Germany and Scandinavia were ready.
Kallas said: "My main objective is to make life easier for air travellers. However, it is clear that a situation at European airports which leads to confusion for air passengers as to whether they can travel or not with duty-free liquids - in particular for connecting flights to the USA - should be avoided."
Just two days before the deadline European carriers had expressed strong concerns over a partial lifting of the restrictions, imposed in 2006 after the emergence of liquid explosives as a potential threat to aircraft.
"Under the circumstances this deferral is the 'least worst' solution," said Association of European Airlines secretary general Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus.
But he added that the decision "should not have been a last-minute issue". The association said it is "unclear" how US authorities would react to the rules, and whether US-bound passengers would have required re-screening.
"We fully support the relaxation of liquids restrictions but we need a harmonised approach, not a fragmented patchwork of national policies," said Schulte-Strathaus.
The EC will consult US representatives and review the situation, he said. In the meantime, the ban will stay until passengers "can travel with certainty".
Lifting of the ban on duty-free liquids is part of a longer-term plan to use screening technology and other security strategies to remove all restrictions on liquid transport in hand luggage in two years' time. Schulte-Strathaus said this deadline "must not be compromised".
Passengers transferring from third countries, through European airports, normally have to discard duty-free liquids at security checkpoints, although there are separate arrangements for passengers from Canada and the USA, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and certain Croatian airports.
Source: Flight International
