Why Carrying Water Bottles Beyond Security Checkpoint At Airports Is Banned? Here’s The Reason Why
If you have ever traveled by air, you must have wondered why carrying water bottles beyond the security checkpoint at Airports in banned?
Well, a few people might even have an idea about it but there are many other people who have simply no clue with regard to this important thing. Actually, it is perfectly legal to bring a water bottle through an airport security checkpoint.
But the prohibition is against ‘carrying a filled container that holds more than 100 ml of liquid’ through an airport security checkpoint.
Rather, passengers can keep them in a checked luggage, carry water bottles up to the point before the security check or buy them from the airport stores behind the security checkpoint. One can even carry an empty bottle in hand luggage and fill it later after the security check at the airport but never ever a filled water bottle is allowed to be carried through the security checkpoint.
When asked the grounds behind the rule being followed by the world over, they said it is because bottles carrying more than 3.4 ounces i.e. 100 ml of liquid are a security threat as they may contain explosives in a liquid form.
Also, all your liquids and gels in their containers have to fit into a one-liter plastic bag. This rule was created by the US intelligence in 2006 after a plot was discovered by terrorist group Al-Qaeda to blow up planes by bringing Gatorade bottles filled with various chemicals on board and then combining them on the plane to create an explosive reaction.
Al-Qaeda was planning to use liquid hydrogen bombs for the attack; however, American security agencies got to know about it and they raided the place where the bombs were actually being made. It was found that the terrorist organization was using mineral water bottles to pack those liquid hydrogen bombs.
Consequently, an alert was issued all across the globe to ban the passengers from carrying liquids of any type in the flight and it’s applicable till date. It is believed that had the attack not been averted, it would have been one, even more, worse than the 9/11 attack!