Published 26 September 2026 | Updated 26 September 2026 by Kate Acaster
Wizz Air liquid rules depend on the airport you fly from, not the airline. Only two of its seven UK departure airports, Birmingham and London Gatwick, now let you carry liquids in containers up to 2 litres. The other five, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool and London Luton, still hold every passenger to 100ml per container. The exemption comes from each airport’s own security scanners, not from Wizz Air, which is why the airline’s own guidance still quotes the old 100ml rule for every flight it operates.
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Liquid limits at each UK airport Wizz Air flies from
Wizz Air’s cabin baggage page tells every passenger to pack liquids in containers of 100ml or less, inside a single transparent, resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm, and to present the bag separately at the security tray. That’s the rule the airline publishes. Whether you actually have to follow it depends on the airport, so we checked the current rule on each of Wizz Air’s seven UK departure airports.
| Departure airport | Container limit | Bag needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Up to 2 litres | Not stated |
| London Gatwick | Up to 2 litres | Not stated |
| Aberdeen | 100ml | No bag needed |
| Glasgow | 100ml | No bag needed |
| Leeds Bradford | 100ml | No plastic bag needed |
| Liverpool | 100ml | No clear bag needed |
| London Luton | 100ml | No bag needed |
Birmingham has no cap on how many 2-litre containers you bring, and Aberdeen and Glasgow don’t cap the number of 100ml ones either. Neither Birmingham nor Gatwick states a bag requirement, so pack a transparent resealable bag anyway; it costs nothing and covers you if that changes. Gatwick also asks for metal or double-walled bottles, such as vacuum flasks, to be empty at screening.
What counts as a liquid at Wizz Air’s UK airports
GOV.UK’s definition of a liquid catches more than water and juice. It includes drinks and soft foods you’d spoon or pour, such as soup, jam, honey and syrup. It also includes cosmetics and toiletries such as creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lip gloss, plus sprays including shaving foam and deodorant, and pastes such as toothpaste. Gels and contact lens solution count too.
At a 100ml airport, a half-empty 200ml tube still fails, because the limit is set by the size of the container, not how much is left inside it.
Packing for a Wizz Air trip when your airports don’t match
The 2-litre allowance only covers the airport you fly out from. Leave the UK from Birmingham or Gatwick with a full-size bottle of sun cream, and the airport you fly home from applies its own rule to that bottle, not the one you started at. Plenty of countries outside the UK still hold to 100ml, and five of Wizz Air’s seven UK airports haven’t upgraded their scanners either, so packing for the stricter end of the trip is the safer bet unless both your flights start at Birmingham or Gatwick.
- Pack for the 100ml airport if either end of your trip uses one.
- If you’ve paid for a checked bag, keep full-size bottles in it rather than gambling on hand luggage both ways.
- Carry a spare transparent resealable bag for the return leg, even if you didn’t need one going out.
- A squeezed, half-used bottle still fails a 100ml check if the bottle itself is bigger than 100ml, so travel-size containers are worth buying before you leave rather than decanting at the airport.
GOV.UK says the rules for carrying liquids in hand luggage have changed at some UK airports and tells passengers to check with the airport before they travel.
“Two airports out of seven isn’t good odds if you’re used to travelling with full-size toiletries. I’d treat the 2-litre allowance as a bonus on the outbound leg from Birmingham or Gatwick, not a plan for the whole trip. Decant into 100ml bottles before you leave, and it won’t matter whether your next Wizz Air flight departs from one of the other five UK airports.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Alcohol, medicine, baby milk and duty-free
- Wizz Air’s restricted items list bans flammable substances from the cabin, but specifically exempts alcoholic beverages, hair spray, perfume and cologne.
- GOV.UK allows liquids over 100ml for essential medical purposes or special dietary requirements at every UK airport, whatever the container size.
- GOV.UK allows enough baby food, baby milk or sterilised water for the journey at any UK airport, and breast milk in containers of up to 2 litres even if you’re travelling without a baby, as long as it isn’t frozen.
- Duty-free liquids bought after security clear the tray if they’re sealed inside a security bag with the receipt visible, and you don’t open the bag until you reach your final destination.
Power banks, e-cigarettes and lighters on Wizz Air
These come from Wizz Air’s own restricted items page and apply on every route, whatever airport you’re flying from.
- Power banks: one per person, rated no more than 100Wh, carried in the cabin only. Keep it under the seat in front or in the seat pocket, not the overhead locker, and don’t charge it or use it to charge anything during the flight.
- Spare batteries: up to 20 per person in total, including that one power bank, each individually protected against short circuits and carried in cabin baggage only.
- E-cigarettes and vapes: cabin baggage only, never checked. Wizz Air doesn’t allow you to recharge them, or use them, on board.
- Lighters: GOV.UK’s rule applies at the airport regardless of which airline you fly. One lighter per person, carried on you in a resealable bag, never in the hold and never back in your hand luggage after screening.
What else Wizz Air won’t let you carry on board
Wizz Air’s restricted items page keeps knives and scissors with blades over 6cm out of the cabin (scissors are measured from the fulcrum), matching the standard UK security rule. Tools with a blade or shaft over 6cm, such as screwdrivers, and anything that could pass for a weapon are hold-luggage only.
More on flying with Wizz Air
- Our Wizz Air hand luggage allowance guide covers the free 40x30x20cm bag your liquids need to fit inside.
- The Wizz Air checked baggage guide covers hold bag costs if the full-size bottles are travelling with you.
- Our Wizz Air travel insurance guide looks at what the airline’s own cover leaves out.
- Flying another airline on part of the trip? The Jet2 liquid rules, TUI liquid rules, easyJet liquid rules and Ryanair liquids rules guides cover their own airports.
Wizz Air liquid rules: FAQs
How much liquid can I take in Wizz Air hand luggage?
Up to 2 litres per container at Birmingham or London Gatwick. Fly from any of Wizz Air’s other five UK airports (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool or London Luton) and the limit drops to 100ml.
Do I need a clear plastic bag for liquids on Wizz Air?
No airport Wizz Air flies from currently requires one. Its own guidance still asks for a transparent, resealable bag, so pack one anyway in case your return airport still uses one.
Is Liverpool still 100ml for Wizz Air flights?
Yes. Liverpool holds every passenger to 100ml per container, though you no longer need a clear bag to carry them.
How many power banks can I take on a Wizz Air flight?
One, rated no more than 100Wh, in your hand luggage only. It counts towards Wizz Air’s 20-spare-battery limit, and you can’t use it to charge anything during the flight.
Can I take medicine over 100ml on a Wizz Air flight?
Yes, if it’s for essential medical or dietary needs. That’s a GOV.UK exemption that applies at every UK airport, not just Wizz Air’s two 2-litre ones.
Can I bring duty-free liquids on a Wizz Air flight?
Yes, if the shop seals them in a security bag with the receipt showing. Keep the bag sealed until you’re at your final destination.
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Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
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