Airport Security Procedures, Region by Region

Priya Raghunathan · March 8, 2026 · 8 min read

Security screening is standardised in principle and inconsistent in practice. The underlying international standards come from ICAO Annex 17, but each country implements them, and each airport interprets that implementation. The result is a traveler who takes a laptop out in Frankfurt, leaves it in at Amsterdam, removes shoes in Chicago and keeps them on in Tokyo.

What changed with CT scanners

The significant development of the last few years is computed tomography screening for cabin baggage. A CT scanner builds a three dimensional image, which means officers can rotate and inspect contents without unpacking. Where these are installed, liquids and electronics can usually stay in the bag.

Rollout has been uneven. Amsterdam Schiphol, Helsinki, Dublin, Rome Fiumicino, Milan and Shannon have all operated relaxed liquid rules at various points. London Heathrow and Gatwick installed scanners but reverted to the 100 ml limit while the systems were validated. The honest advice for 2026 is to pack as though the old rule applies and treat any relaxation as a bonus.

The regional picture

Trusted traveler and fast track programmes

• TSA PreCheck, United States. Shoes, belt, light jacket and laptop stay on and liquids stay in the bag. Five years, modest fee, requires an in person appointment.
• Global Entry, United States. Includes PreCheck and speeds up arrival immigration. Available to citizens of several partner countries.
• Nexus, US and Canada. The best value of the North American programmes if you qualify.
• Registered Traveller, United Kingdom. Speeds up arrival rather than departure security.
• Airport specific fast track. Sold per use or bundled with premium tickets and some credit cards. Buys you a shorter queue, not lighter rules.
• Smart security lanes at Schiphol, Munich and Zurich, which use parallel loading stations and are usually faster even without a programme.

What consistently gets flagged

1. Power banks and spare lithium batteries. They must be in cabin baggage, and above 100 watt hours they need airline approval.
2. Food with high water content. Cheese, hummus, yoghurt and jam read as liquids on the machine.
3. Camera tripods and selfie sticks. Some airports treat them as potential weapons, particularly in the Gulf.
4. Umbrellas with a metal spike, which are refused at a handful of Asian airports.
5. Powders over 350 ml on US bound flights, which trigger secondary screening.
6. Tightly packed bags, because a dense image is more likely to require a manual search.

Medical items, children and special cases

Medication in liquid form is exempt from the 100 ml limit in essentially every jurisdiction, in quantities reasonable for the trip. Carry a prescription or a pharmacy label. The same exemption covers baby milk, formula and food, and officers may ask you to taste it, which is a permitted and normal request.

Medical devices including insulin pumps, CPAP machines and continuous glucose monitors can be screened by hand if X-ray is not advised by the manufacturer. Say so before the bag goes on the belt rather than after.

Passengers with reduced mobility can request assistance in advance, which includes a separate screening route at most large airports. In the European Union this is a legal entitlement under Regulation 1107/2006, and the request should go through the airline at least 48 hours before departure.

A short pre security checklist

• Liquids bag at the top of the cabin bag, not buried.
• Laptop and tablet in an outer sleeve for quick removal.
• Power banks in the cabin bag, never in the hold.
• Empty water bottle, refilled airside, which most large airports now support.
• Boarding pass accessible without unlocking three apps.
• Nothing in your pockets by the time you reach the belt.