New rules for carrying liquids in hand luggage came into force at Vienna International Airport (Vienna-Schwechat).
Passengers are no longer required to follow the previous 100 ml limit — they can now carry containers with liquids totaling up to 2 liters. Transparent plastic bags are no longer required.
What Has Changed for Passengers
The updated aviation security rules took effect on Friday, 3 July. Passengers also no longer need to remove laptops, tablets, and smartphones from their bags during security screening — electronic devices can remain inside hand luggage.
Cosmetics, personal care products, and other liquids no longer have to be packed in special transparent bags with a maximum capacity of one liter. They can now be transported in glass or plastic containers.
However, some restrictions remain in place. Metal thermos flasks, bottles, and cans, such as beverage cans, must still be emptied before passing through security control.
The removal of the liquid limit became possible after a major upgrade of the airport’s security screening system. The airport administration invested around €25 million in modernizing security checkpoints across all terminals.
A total of 35 modern computer tomography scanners were installed. The equipment creates detailed three-dimensional images of luggage contents and can automatically analyze items inside bags, identifying potentially dangerous substances, including liquid and solid explosives.
Thanks to the new scanners, security staff no longer need to open packages or ask passengers to remove items for additional inspection.
The new rules represent the most significant update to Austria’s airport security procedures since the introduction of the 100 ml liquid restriction nearly 20 years ago.
The previous strict limits were introduced because older screening technology could not accurately examine the contents of hand luggage. Modern scanning systems have made it possible to simplify security checks while maintaining the required level of safety.
