Hand luggage restrictions lifted at Gatwick

[31st March 2008]

From today passengers travelling from Gatwick airport will be able to carry more than one item of cabin baggage through airport security.

Gatwick airport is the last of airport operator BAA’s seven UK airports – others include Heathrow airport, Stansted airport, Glasgow airport and Edinburgh airport – to have the hand baggage restriction lifted. It was lifted at all BAA’s other airports on 7 January.

The Department for Transport granted Gatwick airport an extension of the one bag restriction while new x-ray and archway technology was installed at airport security. This work has now been completed, enabling passengers to carry more than one item of cabin baggage.

However, passengers still need to check with their airline as some airlines have decided to continue with the one hand bag only rule. For example, Monarch is keeping the one bag restriction on all its flights. Passengers on scheduled flights with Monarch can have one piece of hand baggage up to 10kg, while on charter flights the weight limit is 5kg.

Restrictions on the size of cabin baggage still remain in place at airports across the UK and these are being strictly enforced by airlines. The maximum permitted size for an item of hand luggage is 56cm high by 45cm wide by 25cm deep.

The rules on liquids in cabin baggage are also still being strictly enforced. Liquids can be carried in separate containers up to 100ml in size. These have to presented for examination at airport security in a single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag with a capacity of no more than 1 litre.

From 30 March all flights operated by low cost airline easyJet with flight numbers starting with 8 are departing from Gatwick North Terminal. All easyJet flights starting with 5 and all easyJet UK flights continue to depart from Gatwick South Terminal.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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