Vienna Airport scraps 100ml liquid rule with new €25M scanners

Vienna Airport is set to remove the 100-millilitre liquid limit for carry-on baggage by summer. The change follows a €25 million investment in advanced security scanners. Passengers will soon pass through checks without removing liquids or electronics. The new system relies on computed tomography (CT) scanners, which create detailed 3D images of baggage. These machines can analyse containers holding up to two litres, eliminating the need for separate liquid checks. The technology has already been adopted at airports across the UK, Italy, and Germany, including major hubs like Frankfurt, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Munich.

By summer, the rollout in Vienna will extend to the planned southern expansion of Terminal 3. The updated liquid rules will only take full effect once all new scanners are operational. As of last August, around 700 similar CT scanners were either installed or in use at airports in 21 EU countries, with partial or upcoming implementations at locations like Köln/Bonn and several US hubs. The shift means faster security checks and fewer restrictions for travellers. Vienna joins a growing list of airports modernising their screening processes. The full transition will mark the end of the long-standing 100-millilitre liquid rule for carry-on bags.