What are the 2026 French airport rules on liquids, as Heathrow scraps 100ml limit?

London Heathrow Airport may have ended its limitations on liquid containers in hand luggage, but what are the rules for airports in France?

London Heathrow last week became the latest airport to allow passengers to leave liquids in containers up to a total of two litres in hand luggage when going through security, after its new CT scanners became operational.

Previously, passengers had to limit liquids to 100ml containers or less, and keep them in a small plastic bag, which they needed to remove from their luggage when passing through security. This rule was introduced around 20 years ago as a means to combat terrorism, and is now found in most airports worldwide.

After several trials with the new scanners, Heathrow has joined other UK airports (including Gatwick, Edinburgh, and Birmingham) to update its rules on liquids. In a statement, the airport said that the new scanners provide better images of cabin bags and offer “significantly greater efficiency while maintaining high safety and security standards”.

Has France followed suit? The short answer is no. Not yet.

Liquids in luggage rules in France

At the time of writing in January 2026, the rules in France still remain unchanged. As stated on government website Service Public, they are:

• In hand luggage, containers containing liquids (including gels, pastes, and aerosols) must be of 100ml maximum each

• They must be placed in a transparent, resealable plastic bag with a maximum capacity of 1 litre (approximately 20 x 20 cm).

• Only one liquid bag is allowed per passenger, even if your airline allows you to carry more than one luggage item with you on board

• Liquids purchased at a duty-free shop after the security check (e.g. bottles of wine) must be placed in a sealed bag with the receipt visible, before you can take them on board the plane.

There are exceptions; for example, baby milk in baby bottles, or prescription medication. To take this through, you must show proof of your need for this, such as carrying the baby with you, or presenting a doctor’s prescription. 

Different airports may have different requirements; for example, some security staff ask that you remove your liquids bag and put it in a separate plastic tray, others do not. 

Of course, you are always advised to follow instructions from airport security staff whenever directed, even if they are not what you are used to or have experienced before.

Will the rules change in France soon?

The European Union has gone back and forth on whether to change the 100ml rule. It announced a Union-wide reversion to the 100ml rule in July 2024, after some airports had already rolled out the new system. This was due to a “temporary technical issue” with the new scanners, it said.

However, France is expected to follow Heathrow’s example when it comes to liquids in the next couple of years. 

Some airports in the country have already installed the new scanners. This includes Paris Orly and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, which currently have around 10 of the new devices. In 2023, Orly trialled the new system for a time, and both airports began changing the rule in 2024 before the EU walk-back.

However, currently the airports do not have enough scanners to completely cover security operations.

The supplier, Smiths Detection, has said it is aiming to equip them with sufficient scanners within two years, with the operation done gradually to prevent unnecessary disruption to travellers.

“Operations will continue, passengers will continue to pass through [as we roll out the scanners],” said Guillaume Humbert of Smiths Detection, to FranceInfo. “We can't close an entire terminal, and we can't [roll the scanners out] overnight.”

As the EU has relaxed its revision of the rule change, airports in Europe are gradually introducing the new type of scanner – including in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, and Sweden, according to the Europe branch of the Airports Council International (ACI).

However, travellers will still likely be required to conform with contradictory rules for some time yet, as the old system is slowly phased out. It is expected that the change will be effective in most EU airports within five years.