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Mobility and Transport

Information for air travellers

When flying from an EU airport, you should keep in mind certain security requirements while packing your luggage for your trip and when going to the airport to board your flight:

  • You are not allowed to carry certain things on your person past security checkpoints at airports,
  • You are not allowed to carry, even in your checked luggage, certain things onto an aeroplane,
  • You and your baggage will be subject to security controls before boarding your flight.

Preparing your luggage

For security reasons, the European Union has drawn up a list of prohibited articles that may not be taken aboard aircraft. The list contains obvious dangers for flight security, such as explosives and weapons, but also articles that could cause serious injuries, such as baseball bats or be mistaken as real weapons, such as toy guns.

When packing, you should bear in mind that certain articles, that may appear harmless, are not allowed in your hand luggage for security reasons. Such articles would include: gases and sprays such as pepper sprays; sharp objects such as knives or razor blades; drills or saws; baseball bats or clubs. Such items will either have to be surrender at the security checkpoint or will have to be packed into your hold luggage.

Moreover, there are certain things you are not allowed to carry at all on board aircraft, regardless as to whether they are carried in your hand luggage or your checked luggage. Such articles include obvious things like explosives, but also fireworks and ammunition.

To protect you against the threat of liquid explosives, the EU has also adopted security rules that restrict the amount of liquids that you can take in your hand luggage through security checkpoints. This is because liquid explosives can be disguised as everyday looking items, such as hair gel, toothpaste, and jams.

Under the current rules, you can carry as hand luggage, liquids in individual containers with a capacity not greater than 100 ml and contained in one transparent re-sealable plastic bag of a capacity not exceeding one liter. Liquids cover gels, aerosols, pastes, lotions, liquid/solid mixtures and other items of similar consistency, such as drinks, toothpaste, soups, syrups, perfumes, shaving foam, etc.

Essential medicines, as well as babyfood and milk are permitted in quantities larger than 100 ml, but only for use during the trip and you may be requested to prove its authenticity.

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Duty free liquids can be carried as hand luggage provided the item and the receipt remains sealed inside the security bag provided at the time of purchase.

Preparing for the security checkpoint

At the security checkpoint you will be screened by walk-through metal detection equipment or/and by a hand search. To ensure smooth passing through the security check you will need to:

  • Put all liquids carried in a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag into a tray for screening,
  • Take-off your jacket and/or coat for a separate screening,
  • Remove all metal items on your person, like keys and coins from your pockets, and other items with metal, possibly watch, belt, jewelry and mobile phone and place them into a tray for separate screening,
  • Remove your laptop and other large electrical devices from you hand luggage and put it into a tray for separate screening,
  • Go through the security checkpoint when asked to do so by one of the security officers.

Further information

All information on this website has been posted for general reference. More information on security controls can be find on the airline or airport's website or on the website of your national authority responsible for civil aviation security: Austria, Belgium: nl fr, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

See also

Passenger rights

Travelling in Europe