Travelers in line at TSA checkpoint at airport (photo by Eric Bowman)
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is weighing whether to allow TSA PreCheck passengers to carry full water bottles through security checkpoints at select airports over the next several months.
According to senior administration officials who spoke to CBS News, the allowance would begin at airports with “newer CT screening technology automated detection capabilities that can distinguish water from other liquids and identify potential threats.”
News of the DOT weighing on travelers bringing water bottles through security checkpoints follows on the heels of TSA’s new program – Gateside by TSA PreCheck – which enables people without airline tickets to pass through secure terminal areas at 13 U.S. airports.
“The TSA is not presently prepared to eliminate restrictions on all liquids, and the existing 3-1-1 rule, which says carry-on liquids generally must be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less, is still in effect,” the CBS News report said.
“While the technology to scan full bottles of liquid exists, the TSA has not yet acquired it at the scale needed to roll out nationwide, even just for PreCheck users,” as no funding is currently available for the project.
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