Tallinn Airport simplifies security screening for passengers

Passengers going through security checks at Tallinn Airport no longer need to remove liquids and large electronic devices from their carry-on baggage. Photo: Tairo Lutter

Passengers going through security checks at Tallinn Airport no longer need to remove liquids and large electronic devices from their carry-on baggage, and restrictions on liquids that can be brought in carry-on baggage have also changed.

The replacement, setup, and testing of security screening machines to enable the change took 1.5 months, ending a week earlier than scheduled, and according to Tarvi Pihlakas, the head of the aviation security department at Tallinn Airport, passengers can now go through security more comfortably.

«Passengers no longer need to take out liquids, laptops, and other large electronic devices from their carry-on luggage and place them in a separate bin -- this reduces the time passengers spend in security screening,» Pihlakas said in a press release.

In addition, restrictions on liquids in hand luggage have also changed. Whereas previously all liquids had to be packaged in containers of no more than 100 milliliters each, with a total of one liter of liquids per passenger, which had to be placed in a resealable plastic bag, now passengers can bring liquids in containers up to two liters in size. This means that larger shampoos, sunscreens, toothpaste tubes, as well as soft drinks and liquid foods can be placed in carry-on luggage.

However, passengers must ensure that the weight of their carry-on stays within the airline's weight limit. It should also be considered that the same liquid volume restrictions may not apply at all airports, so it may happen that on the return flight, larger volumes of liquids cannot be placed in hand luggage.

Separate rules still apply to aerosols -- hand luggage can contain aerosols in containers up to 500 milliliters in size, and a total of two liters of aerosols per passenger.

Pihlakas highlighted that no concessions were made to aviation security requirements during the equipment installation period.

«Safety is the most important thing in the aviation sector, and any changes must be made following all the rules. We are very grateful for the passengers' patience during the transition period when wait times at security screening were at times unusually long. Our team has undergone training, and we will do our best to make going through security faster and more comfortable in the future,» he added.

However, passengers are advised to arrive at the airport two hours before their flight departs, as it can sometimes take longer to check in baggage, and during peak hours, when several flights and hundreds of passengers are departing, queues can also form at security screening.