Zurich Airport Increases Liquid Limits in Carry-on Baggage: What Changes for Passengers from June 26

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
28.07.2026 02:14

Zurich Airport Increases Liquid Limits in Carry-on Baggage: What Changes for Passengers from June 26

Starting June 26, 2026, passengers beginning their journey at Zurich Airport will be able to pass through security with liquid containers up to 2 liters in their carry-on baggage. At the same time, the new rule is not universal for all scenarios: for transfer passengers and some special procedures at ZRH, the classic 100 ml limit in a transparent bag up to 1 liter remains in effect.

This is one of the most practical pieces of news for travelers through Switzerland during the summer season. The change does not cancel aviation security and does not mean that any liquid will automatically be allowed on board. However, it significantly simplifies one of the most irritating stages of the journey: passengers no longer need to remove liquids and electronics from their bags at the main security lines in the Security Control Building if they are departing from Zurich as local passengers.

For tourists, this means less rushing at the trays, less risk of forgetting a laptop or cosmetics after the check, and more flexibility during packing. For the airport, this is a signal that investments in new CT scanners are gradually moving from a technical project to a visible change in the passenger experience. Before traveling through ZRH, it is also worth checking basic information about Zurich Airport (ZRH), especially if the flight falls during the peak hours of the summer season.

What Exactly Changes from June 26

The official announcement from Zurich Airport specifies that starting Friday, June 26, 2026, local passengers beginning their journey in Zurich and passing through the check in the Security Control Building will be able to have liquid containers up to 2 liters in their carry-on baggage. Previously, the standard rule in European aviation security limited liquids to individual containers up to 100 ml, which had to be placed in a transparent bag with a volume up to 1 liter.

The new procedure in Zurich became possible thanks to the final phase of security line modernization. CT scanners create a three-dimensional image of carry-on baggage and allow for the inspection of both liquids and electronic devices without the mandatory removal from the bag. According to airport data, as of June 26, no old equipment should remain on the regular lines of the Security Control Building, and all 26 security lines will be equipped with the new technology.

In practice, this means three main changes for the passenger. First, the allowed size of an individual liquid container for the corresponding category of passengers increases to 2 liters. Second, liquids do not need to be separately placed in a plastic bag for inspection. Third, laptops, tablets, and other large electronics can remain in the luggage during scanning on these lines.

Who the New Rule Applies To

The most important detail: the change applies to passengers beginning their journey in Zurich. If a traveler arrives at ZRH, checks in or drops off baggage in Zurich, and then goes to security control in the main control building, the new rules will be most noticeable for them.

A different situation exists for transfer passengers. Zurich Airport explicitly states that the security check zones for transfers and certain special processes are not yet equipped with the new CT technology. Therefore, in these zones, the old rule remains: liquids can only be transported in containers up to 100 ml, and the containers themselves must be in a transparent bag with a maximum capacity of 1 liter.

This is especially important for those flying complex routes through Zurich or having a self-transfer. If a passenger passes through security again in the transit zone, the rules may differ from those applicable for local departures. Similarly, for the return journey, one should not automatically rely on Zurich: another airport may maintain the 100 ml limit, even if the departure from ZRH was significantly simpler.

Why Zurich Does Not Simply Cancel the Old Rule for Everyone

Restrictions on liquids in carry-on baggage are not the whim of a single airport. European security rules traditionally proceed from the fact that liquid explosives can be disguised as ordinary household products: cosmetics, gels, pastes, drinks, creams, or jams. That is why the basic mode provides for containers up to 100 ml, a transparent bag, and separate scanning.

New CT scanners change the technical capabilities of control, but do not cancel the principle of inspection. If the contents of a container raise questions, security staff may conduct an additional inspection or not allow the item to be transported. That is, 2 liters in Zurich is not a permit to carry dangerous, prohibited, or suspicious substances. This is an update of the procedure for ordinary allowed liquids that pass inspection on the new equipment.

The airport pays special attention to thermos bottles and other double-walled bottles. They can only be taken through security if they are empty, because the multi-layer construction can interfere with the reliable scanning of the contents. For tourists, this is a simple rule: if you take a metal thermos or a double-walled bottle, empty it before security and fill it after the check, if such an opportunity exists in the terminal.

What to Do with Photo Film, Medicines, and Baby Food

New scanners provide more freedom, but not all items handle CT inspection equally well. Zurich Airport advises passengers with analog photo film to show it to staff in advance and request a separate manual inspection. This is an important detail for travelers who shoot on film or carry valuable shots from a trip: it is better not to wait until the bag is already in the scanner.

Regarding medicines, baby food, and special nutrition for the trip, the general European approach previously allowed exceptions over 100 ml if they were needed during the journey. However, a passenger may be asked to confirm the purpose or authenticity of such items. In Zurich, after the transition to new equipment, many familiar situations will become simpler, but documents for prescription medicines, original packaging, and clear labeling still remain a healthy practice.

For families with children, the update may be particularly convenient. Fewer separate bags, less need to transfer bottles, creams, or baby products into small containers, and less stress during security. But if the route involves a transfer or return from another airport, families should still check the rules of each point on the route, not just the rules of ZRH.

How This Will Affect Travel Time

Theoretically, the new technology should speed up the process, as passengers remove fewer items from carry-on baggage, and the lines operate with more modern equipment. In a December announcement about the launch of CT scanners, Zurich Airport explained that the goal of modernization is to increase comfort, throughput, and efficiency of control without reducing the level of security. Now passengers are beginning to see the practical result of this project.

However, the airport does not advise arriving later than before. The recommended arrival time at the airport remains unchanged. This is a sensible position: even with new scanners, queues are influenced by seasonal demand, the number of flights, check-in, baggage, passport control, weather delays, ground service operations, and the behavior of the passengers themselves.

For summer flights through Zurich, the best strategy is not to treat the new rule as a reason to shorten the time buffer. It rather reduces the number of small inconveniences at security than guarantees a fast passage on any given day. If the departure is in the morning, the route is international, or the trip includes baggage and children, a time buffer is still needed.

Why This Is Important for Tourism and European Airports

The change in Zurich is important not only for one airport. It shows how large European hubs are gradually moving from old carry-on baggage rules to a more technological control model. For the passenger, it looks like a small detail - being able to leave water, cosmetics, or electronics in the bag. For the airport, it is a major infrastructural work: new scanners, redesigning lines, staff training, new work processes, and coordination with regulators.

For the tourism market, such modernization has a direct consumer effect. An airport where security control is clearer and less stressful wins in the eyes of passengers, especially during transfers and short city trips. Zurich is an important hub for flights to Switzerland, Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, therefore even a procedural change affects a large number of tourists and business travelers.

At the same time, this news adds another layer to the already complex map of rules in Europe. One airport allows larger containers, another still maintains 100 ml, a third may have new equipment only on some lines. That is why tourists need to read not general advice from the internet, but the current rules of the specific airport of departure, transit, and return.

Practical Checklist for ZRH Passengers

  • Check whether you are beginning your journey in Zurich or passing through ZRH as a transfer point.
  • For local departures from June 26, rely on the new limit of up to 2 liters for liquid containers in carry-on baggage.
  • For transfers through Zurich, be prepared for the old 100 ml rule and a transparent bag up to 1 liter.
  • Do not fill double-walled thermos bottles before security control: they must be carried through empty.
  • If you are carrying analog photo film, request a manual check before scanning the bag.
  • Do not shorten the recommended arrival time at the airport, even if security has become more convenient.
  • Before the return journey, check the rules of the other airport, as they may be stricter.

Those arriving late in the evening or having an early departure should evaluate the logistics near the terminal in advance. For this, pages with hotels near Zurich Airport (ZRH) and transfers and taxis from Zurich Airport may be useful. Such solutions are not directly related to the new liquid rule, but help reduce the risk of being late if the route is complex or the departure is at an early hour.

Conclusion

Increasing the liquid limit in carry-on baggage at Zurich Airport is not just convenient news about bottles and cosmetics. It is an example of how the modernization of aviation security is gradually changing the usual travel experience: less rearranging of items, fewer plastic bags, less stress at security, and more predictability for passengers departing from ZRH.

The main thing is not to exaggerate the scale of the change. It does not cancel the rules for all airports, does not cover the transfer zones of Zurich, and does not guarantee identical conditions on the return route. But for travelers beginning their trip in Zurich from June 26, 2026, this is a real simplification of summer travels and another argument to carefully check the rules of the specific airport before every international flight.