Although airport security scanners are annoyingly important for our safety, the old full-body ones weren’t leaving much to the imagination.
Nowadays, we’re awaiting the launch of Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC), and when they’re finally launched nationwide they should do away with the dreaded 100ml liquids rule.
But previous airport security measure were much more controversial.
On Christmas Day in 2009, airport security changed forever when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to bomb a plane.
He attempted a failed ‘underwear bombing’ after concealing plastic explosives in his boxers on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.
Thanks to heroic actions by passengers and crew, including one who jumped over seats to subdue him, the attack was prevented.
Abdulmutallab, who had connections to Al-Qaeda, was sentenced in 2012 to multiple life sentences without parole.
The aftermath, however, was particularly terrifying when airport security brought in the Rapiscan scanners.
Costing $180,000 each, a whopping 174 scanners were reportedly in installed across 30 US airports.
They were also installed in UK, across 10 of the country’s largest airports, back in 2013.
The rollout itself was pretty smooth-sailing, that was until people found out that the TSA scanners showed everything – and I mean everything.
Instead of your standard scan, the images were more reminiscent of an OnlyFans account, displaying a full ‘nude’ X-ray of each passenger.
By June 2013, TSA had no choice but to remove the tech from airports because of the backlash.
The full body scanners are no longer in operation (X)
Even to this day, people are horrified.
Over on X, one person wrote: “I honestly thought X-ray meant you can only see the bones.”
“Is this why I always get put aside?” another joked.
“Definitely tucking my junk next time through just to see if I get a reaction,” penned a third.
“Imagine the TRAUMA the American TSA staff have to endure,” a fourth said.
Well, TSA did put out a statement at the time, which read: “Due to its inability to deploy non-imaging Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software by the Congressionally mandated June 2013 deadline, TSA has terminated part of its contract with Rapiscan.”
“By June 2013 travellers will only see machines which have ATR that allow for faster throughput.”
UK security update
Thankfully the Rapiscan scanners are no longer a thing, and the UK is in the process of rolling out Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) across its airports.
Once fully implemented, the scanners allow passengers to keep 100ml liquids and electronics like laptops in their hand luggage during security screening.
This will make going through airport security a lot less of a hassle.
Airports with NGSC scanners:
As of 1 June, 2024, the following UK airports have NGSC scanners:
A secret discount code to claim up to £31 off Myprotein products has been revealed as the brand kicks off a huge flash sale.
Renowned for its sell-out range of sports nutrition products and supplements, the British brand is popular with health-conscious shoppers, whether they’re training for the marathon or are new to the gym.
MyProtein
How to get £31 off Myprotein products now
There is a massive sitewide sale taking place at MyProtein, with up to 75% off hundreds of products.
For a limited time only, this bestselling bundle has plummeted from £53.98 to only £25.99.
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MyProtein
So, what’s included in the My Protein bundle everyone is talking about?
One of the brand’s bestselling bundles, the Get Stronger bundle, has rave reviews with one happy shopper calling it the ‘best supplements they have ever used’.
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The Get Stronger Bundle is designed to help you kickstart your fitness goals. Inside the pack, you will find two of the brand’s bestselling products, the Impact Whey Protein and Impact Whey Protein Plus.
MyProtein
Undoubtedly the most popular protein powders out there, you’re sure to have overheard someone talking about them at the gym, with hundreds of rave reviews online.
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Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@myprotein
Hugh Grant’s post-holiday high came to an abrupt end when he landed at Heathrow Airport.
The Love Actually star, 64, has taken to social media to complain about a ‘creepy and insulting’ exchange his kids had with border staff upon returning to London.
He shared a furious post on X on Friday (4 April), explaining that he was left stunned by the ‘intrusive’ line of questioning he claims his offspring were subjected to in the UK’s largest airport.
Grant has five children, but he has kept them out of the spotlight over the years, apart from sharing a few anecdotes here and there about his experience of fatherhood.
He shares Tabitha Xiao Xi Grant, 13, and Felix Chang Hong Grant, 11, with actress Tinglan Hong, as well as John Mungo Grant, 12, Lulu Danger Grant, 9, and Blue Grant, 7,with his now-wife and TV producer, Anna Eberstein.
Although he didn’t specify which children he was travelling with, it appeared as though he was referring to the kids he shares with Eberstein in his exasperated tweet.
Grant slammed the ‘creepy and insulting’ questions in a social media post (Samir Hussein / Contributor / Getty)
Grant wrote: “Just came through Heathrow with wife and children. We all have the same last name (Grant) on our passports.
“Immigration officer engages my children in chit chat then whispers to them ‘Are these your Mum and Dad?’ Intrusive, insulting and creepy.”
It is unclear where Grant and his family were flying back home from, however, what is blatantly obvious is that the Heretic actor isn’t a fan of immigration officers asking his kids to clarify who they are travelling with.
As many people may already be aware, border force staff – who are employed by the Home Office, rather than individual UK airports – sometimes quiz holidaymakers travelling with youngsters.
As Heathrow Airport explains, people who are travelling with a child ‘who has a different last name from yours or who isn’t your own’ can be asked to ‘confirm your relationship’.
It adds: “If you’re travelling with a child who has a different last name from yours or who isn’t your own, you may be asked to confirm your relationship.
“You can speed up this process, by bringing documents that prove your relationship with the child and the reason for your trip.
The actor, pictured with wife Anna Eberstein at an LA airport in 2019, has five children in total (Photo by BG022/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
“This can include birth or adoption, marriage or divorce certificates, or even a letter from the child’s parent(s) permitting you to travel and providing their contact information.”
Furthermore, the government website explains that immigration officers ‘sometimes may ask a few questions’ if an ‘adult is not the child’s parent, or has a different family name’.
Explaining why, it states: “Every day thousands of children arrive at the UK border, many return from holiday with their family or with family friends. The safety and welfare of every child is of utmost importance to us.”
These extra checks might be bothersome when you just want to get home, but it’s an important safeguarding measure put in place to try and combat child trafficking and abductions.
It is unclear why Grant’s children were asked the question though, given that they all share the same surname.
It comes just weeks after Heathrow Airport was plunged into chaos after a nearby fire caused a power outage and grounded thousands of flights.
LADbible have contacted the Home Office for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Topics: Celebrity, Travel, Twitter, Social Media, UK News
Rules around 100ml liquid allowances when going through airport security are changing for good, with the United Kingdom’s busiest hub – Heathrow – issues fresh updates on where it lies.
Every UK airport has until the summer of 2025 to bring in new hi-tech CT scanners at security check to replace the current system.
As it stands, the law states that you cannot take containers with more than 100ml through airport security. And on top of that, everything in your hand luggage that is a liquid has to fit in a 20cm by 20cm clear, plastic bag.
It has been a necessary pain for almost two decades now after being first introduced in 2006 when authorities successfully foiled a plot to blow up as many as 10 planes with homemade liquid bombs.
Under new rules brought in by the UK government, by the 2025 summer season all airports must have moved away from the 100ml rule through the introduction of state of the art scanners.
These scanners, which are similar to CT scanners used in hospitals to have 3D imaging, will allow travellers to bring up to two litres in their hand luggage. It’ll also be able to be left in a person’s bag alongside laptops and other devices.
Some of the UK’s major airports have already brought in the new scanners in time for the 2024 summer rush.
It will be a blessing to holiday goers across the country, with the new scanners speeding up the time spent waiting around in long queues at security.
You can’t take liquids larger than 100ml through airport security under current rules (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
Heathrow declined to comment when approached by LADbible on exactly when it will be introducing the scanners to its huge airport.
As it stands, it is understood it will cost the airport around £1 billion to get everything in place with the airport having to reinforce some flooring areas due to how heavy the new scanners are.
It is partly why it said it wouldn’t be able to get the technology fitted and up and running by the summer of 2024.
Heathrow also has a massive 146 security lanes across its four passenger terminals.
That’s more than all other UK airports having to bring in the same technology advances.
Heathrow is expected to meet the deadline of summer 2025 when it comes to getting rid of the 100ml liquid rule (Getty Stock Images)
For the time being, Heathrow passengers should continue to prepare for security as normal under the 100ml rules.
Liquids in containers up to 100ml should be put in a one litre clear plastic bag.
They should be removed from cabin bags, alongside electrical items and placed in the tray to be processed through security.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Hacks, Holiday, London, Travel, UK News, Technology
Search efforts have been launched for missing Brit Jason Taylor, who had been set to return home to the UK from Benidorm on Saturday (29 March) but left Alicante-Elche Airport after an issue with his boarding pass.
The 36-year-old, from Powys, Wales, was last seen wearing a white collared t-shirt, dark shorts and white trainers with a black suitcase, according to an appeal for information from Dyfed-Powys Police.
His friends have been searching for him and said he’d been caught on camera walking out of the airport.
They said: “We tried several times to scan his boarding pass but it was not accepted and the gate would not open, an error message came up saying to contact the airline.
“So Jason went to go and ask for assistance. One member of the group waited behind the gate for him to return but this was the last we saw or heard from him.”
Jason Taylor was last seen leaving Alicante-Elche Airport on Saturday morning (Family handout/PA Wire)
They went on: “It is very unlike Jason and the family is worried sick. Jason was not ill, or drunk or incapable.
“We have several people flying back out today to try to find him and understand what has happened.”
Among those who have flown out to join the search is Jason’s wife Maria, and the Daily Mirror reports that his loved ones have ‘no idea’ why he disappeared after leaving the Alicante-Elche Airport.
She said that footage on the CCTV cameras showed Jason having trouble with his boarding pass and then leaving the queue for the plane.
He did not have a phone on him at the time and became separated from his friends, with his wife suggesting to The Spanish Eye that he could have taken a moment to ‘clear his head’ after trouble with the boarding pass.
He was seen on CCTV in Alicante-Elche Airport, but from then on his movements are unknown (DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Jason’s friend Gaz Edmunds said they’d arrived at Alicante-Elche Airport at around 8:30am on the Saturday with the intention of catching their return flight to Birmingham, for which gates were due to close at 10:30am.
Gaz explained that Jason had lost his phone and needed to get his boarding pass from someone who had already passed through the gate, with one of their number who’d passed through the gate waiting for Jason to return.
But ultimately, he did not and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Anyone who may have information that could help locate Jason is encouraged to get in touch with Dyfed-Powys Police and quote the references 259 of the 29th.
They can be contacted through their website, emailing them on [email protected], getting in touch on social media or calling the non-emergency number 101.