Brussels is Preparing for the 2-Liter Carry-on Era: What Does This Mean for Hungarian Travelers?

Another major European airport is preparing to make security checks significantly simpler within a few years: Brussels Airport plans to put new generation CT scanners and body scanners into operation from 2028, and plans the complete renovation of the departing passenger security area by the summer of 2029. The change is not immediate, but it is already an important signal for Hungarian travelers: in more and more places in Europe, the carry-on routine regarding liquids and electronic devices may loosen, while rules may still differ from airport to airport for a good while.

The announcement from Brussels is interesting because it is not about a simple convenience detail. One of the slowest and most annoying parts of the current European travel routine is that before the security check, the passenger must take out the laptop, tablet, and often larger electronic devices, and arrange liquids in 100-milliliter containers in a transparent bag of at most 1 liter. The essence of the more advanced CT technology is that it provides a more detailed, three-dimensional image of the carry-on contents, allowing the airport to handle certain security processes faster and with less unpacking.

What is Changing in Brussels?

According to reports from the Belgian News Agency, Anadolu Agency, and several professional aviation sources, Brussels Airport would begin preparing the new system in 2027, the first new scanners could enter operation in 2028, and the complete renovation of the 19 departing passenger security lanes is planned for the summer of 2029. The airport will first launch a test of a body scanner in June, then create a temporary security platform equipped with new technology so that capacity does not decrease during the reconstruction.

After the introduction of the new system, departing passengers are planned not to have to separately take out laptops, tablets, and liquids from their carry-on luggage. The restriction on liquids may also ease: according to reports, liquids in containers of up to 2 liters may pass through the modernized lanes, while the current general European rule is still based on 100-milliliter containers and a 1-liter bag. It is important, however, that this is not an immediate relief in 2026, but a multi-year transition plan.

The Current Rule is Still 100 ml

From the perspective of Hungarian travelers, the most important practical message is that the news of the Brussels development does not mean the general end of the 100 ml rule. The European Union's travel information currently still states that when departing from EU airports, liquids, aerosols, and gels carried into the cabin must be in containers of at most 100 milliliters in a 1-liter, transparent, resealable bag. Exceptions may include medicines, special dietary needs, and baby food, as well as properly sealed duty-free purchases.

Therefore, anyone departing from Budapest, Brussels, Berlin, or other European airports in the summer or autumn of 2026 should not assume that the same is allowed everywhere. Carry-on rules always count at the security check of the departing airport, and another check may occur during a transfer. If someone picks up a larger liquid at an airport where the system is already looser, but later has to pass through a traditional lane, it can easily happen that the larger bottle is not allowed through.

Why is This Important for Hungarian Travelers?

Brussels is not just a city-visit destination for Hungarian travelers. Due to EU institutions, business trips, conferences, Belgian sightseeing, and connecting flights, Brussels Airport appears in the itineraries of many Hungarian passengers. The airport's development is therefore interesting even if someone will not feel the change right now: in the coming years, one of the important elements of competition between major European hubs may be how fast and predictable the security check is.

The convenience effect could be particularly significant for those who travel with carry-on luggage only. For a long weekend, a business trip, or a low-cost city visit, many passengers directly avoid checked luggage because it is faster, cheaper, and there is a lower risk of luggage loss. If CT lanes handling 2-liter liquids appear at more airports in the future, it will be easier to carry full-size cosmetics, sunscreen, drinks, or other liquids. At the same time, until the network is uniform, the safest strategy remains the old one: 100 ml packaging, transparent bag, and checked airport information.

Berlin is Already Closer, Brussels is Still Before Transition

The Brussels plan should be seen as part of a broader European process. According to information from Berlin Brandenburg Airport at the end of May, more and more security lanes are operating with modern CT technology, and the airport is already adjusting its own procedures accordingly. In Berlin, up to 2 liters of liquid can be carried per person on CT lanes, and electronic devices and liquids do not need to be unpacked. However, on lanes operating with traditional X-ray technology, the 100 ml liquid rule still applies.

This shows why the transition period will be confusing for passengers. On the same continent, and sometimes even within the same country, the practice may differ depending on which terminal, which security lane, and what technology is used for the check. For those flying to Berlin from Budapest, it is worth checking not only the ticket price and schedule when planning Budapest-Berlin flights, but also the current carry-on rules of the departing and returning airports.

It Does Not Speed Up Border Control

In the Brussels development, it is particularly important to distinguish between the security check and passport or border control. The new CT scanners serve to speed up the carry-on and passenger security process. They do not automatically solve the passport control congestion occurring at non-Schengen flights, nor do they replace the processes related to the introduction of new European border information systems.

This is significant because during the peak summer season, passengers often only perceive that there is a long line at the airport. In practice, however, different advice applies to a security check line, a border control line, and again different for waiting for airline check-in or luggage drop-off. Therefore, the development in Brussels is good news, but it does not mean that all airport waiting times will disappear.

How Should One Prepare in 2026?

Hungarian travelers should still follow conservative packing rules in 2026. Liquids intended for carry-on should be filled into 100 ml containers and kept in a separate transparent bag, even if the traveler has heard of airports where the practice is looser. Larger sunscreen, shampoo, perfume, cream, or drinks should rather go into checked luggage, unless the official information of the given departing airport says otherwise.

For connecting flights, caution is especially important. If someone flies further via Brussels, check the flight status on the Brussels Airport online board before departure, and allow enough time for possible security or border control steps. For city visits, it is also worth planning the entry from the airport in advance; the Brussels Airport transfer and taxi guide can be useful for this. For departures from Budapest, the BUD live flight information can help the passenger not to arrive at the airport too late.

What Does All This Mean for the Airport Market?

The spread of CT scanners is not just a matter of passenger convenience, but also a matter of capacity and competitiveness. Airports struggle simultaneously with increasing passenger numbers, labor shortages, stricter security and border management requirements, and the fact that passengers tolerate unpredictable waiting times less and less during the peak summer period. If an airport can offer faster security checks, it can improve the transfer experience and reduce the risk of missed flights.

In the case of Brussels, the development is particularly symbolic because the airport is simultaneously a business, EU institutional, and leisure gateway. The complete replacement of 19 lanes indicates that the operator is counting on the growth of passenger traffic in the long term, and is preparing not with temporary fixes, but with system-level modernization. This will be directly perceptible for Hungarian travelers when the technology actually appears on the route of departing and transferring passengers.

The Essence

The news from Brussels points in a good direction: Europe's major airports are slowly moving toward less inconvenient, faster security checks. However, Hungarian travelers should not let go of the old carry-on rules in 2026. Until the technology and local procedures of airports are uniform, the most practical decision is for the passenger to separately check the rules of the departing and transferring airport before every trip, and to pack liquids as if the 100 ml limit were still in effect. The change is coming, but the next few years will still be a transition period.