EU lifts restrictions on Smiths Detection C3 technology scanners – timeline for other suppliers still unknown
On 25 July 2025, the EU lifted the 100ml restriction to carriage of Liquids, Aerosols and Gels in cabin bags for all flights departing from EU airports equipped with advanced security screening equipment (C3 technology) developed by Smiths Detection. While the recertification was welcomed by ACI EUROPE as good news for passengers and airports alike, the move comes after months of delay and lack of transparency, with the UK having recertified the equipment back in April.
In September 2024, the European Commission suspended its approval for the use of C3 scanners to their fullest potential due to concerns associated with existing testing and certification protocols. This change retroactively affected equipment that had already been certified and deployed under previously agreed conditions. As a result, previously certified equipment lost its ability to be used to its full capability under the original certification – wreaking havoc on heavy investments made by European airports to deploy this advanced technology to the benefit of passengers and aviation stakeholders.
The fallout was immediate. Airports faced operational disruptions, legal uncertainty, and barriers to long-term planning, including weakening of the business case to invest in advanced aviation security equipment. Despite the progress now made with Smiths Detection, there is still no timeline for the re-certification of equipment supplied by other providers, leaving both airports that have deployed their scanners and manufacturers uncertain about the future of their investments.
In addition, the process to recertify the technology was mired with a number of issues, exposing structural shortcomings in the EU testing and certification system for aviation security equipment. For the past two years, ACI EUROPE has called for the development of a fully integrated EU system – in cooperation with the UK and the US. This could only be achieved with the European Commission taking full ownership and responsibility over the overhaul of the current setup.
Until a clear and reliable path is established, the risk remains that Europe’s ambitions to modernise airport security will be stalled – to the detriment of passengers, airport operators, and Europe’s very own strategic autonomy agenda and competitiveness.
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