Kenya mulls scrapping 100ml airport security liquid rule

By Business A.M. 

Kenya will become first in East Africa to relax the restrictions in place since 2006.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has announced that passengers at airports throughout the country will no longer need to remove liquids and electronic items from their hand luggage as they pass through security. The current 100 ml limit on liquids will also be upped to two litres.

Security restrictions, in particular the 100 ml liquid limit, have been a cause of frustration and delays for passengers since they were introduced in the summer of 2006. Now, thanks to advanced C3 scanners boasting the latest in computer tomography (CT) technology, the restrictions may soon be a thing of the past.

The KCAA did not confirm exactly when the new measures would be implemented, but Kenya is likely to become the first country in East Africa to do so. The organisation’s director general, Emile Arao, said:

“It is something that we are keen on working with the Kenya Airports Authority so that we have a seamless process for passengers because the current system wastes a lot of time. I will need to check with my team whether it is processes, equipment, or procedure that needs to be amended. Europe is the first to do it, and it’s something that’s taking foot. I was aware it was coming.”

Removing restrictions around the world

Kenya is not the only country to be toying with the idea of updating its security procedures in light of recent technological developments. Teesside Airport (MME) will soon become the UK’s first airport to remove the restrictions, followed shortly after by London City Airport (LCY).

London’s two largest gateways, Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW), as well as airports throughout the rest of the country, have been given a deadline of June 2024 by the UK Government to implement the required technology. Many European nations are set to follow a similar timescale.

The impact on travellers in Kenya

When implemented in Kenya, the changes will make travel that little bit easier for the millions of passengers who take to the skies in the country each year. Pre-pandemic, Kenya’s largest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), welcomed over nine million passengers per year. The second-largest, Moi International Airport (MBA) in the coastal city of Mombasa, regularly saw annual passenger figures of more than 1.5 million.

The nation’s flag carrier, Kenya Airways, is based at the airport, and boasts a fleet of eight Boeing 737-800s, 15 Embraer E190s, and nine Boeing 787-8s. The airline’s flagship Dreamliner aircraft each seat a total of 234 passengers in a two-class configuration – 30 in business class and 204 in economy class.

Kenya Airways operates an extensive domestic and regional network, as well as a limited number of intercontinental routes, serving London (LHR), Paris (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), New York (JFK), and Guangzhou (CAN).