Zurich airport raises hand luggage liquids limit from Friday
From Friday, 26 June 2026, Zurich Airport is introducing a new liquids limit of up to 2 litres per container for hand luggage for passengers departing directly from Zurich. This is made possible by new CT scanners the airport is gradually installing on the security lanes in the Sicherheitskontrollgebäude (SKG).
The new rule applies to passengers starting their journey in Zurich and going through security in the SKG building. According to the airport, it will bring simpler processing and significantly greater comfort when carrying liquids in hand luggage.
The new CT scanners use state-of-the-art technology and allow three-dimensional analysis of hand luggage contents. This means they can reliably check both liquids and electronic devices without needing to remove them from the bag.
- Effective from
- 26 June 2026
- New liquids limit
- containers up to 2 litres
- Location
- Sicherheitskontrollgebäude (SKG)
- Number of security lanes
- 26
From 26 June, liquids and electronic devices can remain in luggage at all security lanes in the SKG. Repacking bottles and liquid containers into a separate bag will no longer be necessary, which should speed up security checks and improve passenger comfort.
Security modernisation
- The change to the liquids limit is linked to an extensive modernisation of the airport's security screening.
- Since late 2025, the airport has been gradually upgrading the SKG security lanes to the new CT technology.
- According to Roman Jung, project lead at Flughafen Zürich AG, the work is in its final phase, and from Friday no old screening equipment will be in use.
- Once the upgrade is complete, all 26 security lanes in the SKG will be equipped with the new technology.
According to the airport, the aim of the project is to make security screening more pleasant for passengers and, thanks to new working procedures, to simplify the work for staff as well.
Important guidance for passengers
- Double-walled bottles, such as thermos flasks, may only be carried on board empty – their multi-layer construction can prevent the scanner from reliably identifying the contents and clearly confirming it is a harmless liquid.
- Analogue photographic film can be damaged by the CT scanner, so the airport recommends presenting it to staff in advance for separate manual inspection.
- Passengers should still allow enough time for security screening, following the recommended check-in times listed on the airport's website.
- Different rules apply for return journeys depending on the specific airport, and the same goes for connections if passengers go through security again at a transit airport – it is recommended to check the applicable conditions in advance.
The new rules do not yet apply to transfer passengers. The screening areas for transfers and certain special processes have not yet been equipped with the new CT technology; their upgrade will take place later. There, the previous limit of 100 ml per container still applies, with liquids required to be carried in a transparent, resealable bag with a maximum capacity of 1 litre.
Passengers planning a flight from Zurich Airport (ZRH) can follow current information on check-in and security screening on map.flights on the airport's profile page.