UK airports given more time to get new scanners in place that will lift liquid restrictions

abcnews.go.com:

The British government says it will grant extensions to several large U.K. airports unable to meet the June 1 deadline to fully install new scanning technology

LONDON — Drink it or bin it: That phrase should have become history this summer at all U.K. airports.

But it's set to persist for at least another year after the British government said it will grant extensions to several large U.K. airports unable to meet the June 1 deadline to fully install new scanning technology. The airports include London’s two biggest, Heathrow and Gatwick.

The new scanners use computed tomography, commonly known as a CT scan, to produce clearer images. They are being rolled out globally, including in the U.S. and across Europe, and will allow passengers to go through security with two liters (70 ounces) of liquid in their hand luggage — rather than the current paltry 100 milliliters (3.5 ounces).

They will also mean laptops and tablets won’t need to be removed from bags — saving even more time.

The restrictions were introduced around the world in 2006 following a foiled terror plot to blow up planes flying from London to the U.S. with homemade liquid bombs. They were not expected to be in place for 18 years and have been cited as one of, if not the, biggest cause of delays at airport security checks.

A deadline for the new technology to be in place at U.K. airports had originally been set for Dec. 2022 but that was delayed to this summer as a result of the huge disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The new deadline comes after airports reported that they were struggling to install the scanners ahead of the busy summer holiday period, largely due to supply chain delays and construction difficulties caused by the weight of the