US set to relax ban on liquids on planes

The US government is relaxing its ban against carrying liquids and gels onto airliners, instituted after a plot to bomb jets flying into the United States from the UK was foiled, an administration official said today.

A Homeland Security Department official said that most liquids and gels that air travellers purchased in secure areas of airports would now be allowed on planes.

That means that after passengers go through airport security checkpoints, they can purchase liquids at airport stores and take them onto their planes, said the official.

Announcement of the new rules was being made at an 11am EDT (4pm Irish time) news conference at Reagan National Airport, Virginia.

The tougher airport screening procedures were put in place in August after British police broke up an alleged terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs using liquid explosives on airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to the US.

At the time, the Homeland Security Department briefly raised the threat level to “red,” the highest level, for flights bound to the United States from Britain. All other flights were at “orange” and would remain at orange, the second-highest level, for now.

New procedures also were being announced for products such lip gloss and hand lotion that passengers took to airports. Previously, those liquids have been confiscated at security checkpoints. Now, the official said, those products would be put in clear plastic bags at the checkpoint, screened and returned to the passenger if they passed screening.