The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to relax current restrictions on carrying liquids through airport screening checkpoints within a year, said TSA chief Kip Hawley in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal.“We are within a year of having the ability to differentiate threat liquids through the screening process,” said Hawley. Although several X-Ray machines are available to detect such liquids, the software to evaluate detected liquids is still being tested.
TSA has not said specifically how the anticipated ease of restrictions will benefit travelers. One possibility is larger volumes of liquids, such as a full water bottle, may be initially permitted through checkpoints, as long as it is scanned separately from bags. Later, the hope is passengers will not need to remove liquids from bags, a common frustration for air travelers.