US to relax air travel restrictions

WASHINGTON: The US government is partially lifting its ban against carrying liquids and gels on to airliners, instituted after a plot to bomb jets flying into the US was foiled, an administration official said on Monday.

A homeland security department official said that most liquids and gels that air travellers purchase in secure areas of airports will now be allowed on planes.

That means that after passengers go through airport security checkpoints, they can purchase liquids at airport stores and take them on to their planes, said the official.

The tougher airport screening procedures were put in place in August after British police broke up a terrorist plot to assemble and detonate bombs using liquid explosives on airliners crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to the US.

At the time, the homeland security department briefly raised the threat level to ‘red’, the highest level, for flights bound to the US from Britain. All other flights were at ‘orange’ and will remain at orange, the second-highest level, for now.

New procedures also were being announced for products like lip gloss and hand lotion that passengers bring to the airport. Previously, those liquids have been confiscated at security checkpoints. Now, the official said, those products will be put in clear plastic bags at the checkpoint, screened and returned to the passenger if they pass screening.