Stricter hand luggage rules on international flights to the US!

Flying to America just became much stricter as passengers travelling with hand luggage are given new rules over what can be taken, with one material banned over a certain weight being brought into the cabin. The Transportation Security Administration has just announced new restrictions on carrying powders in your carry-on.

TSA will now limit the size of powders in carry-on bags of travellers entering the United States. For travellers flying into the U.S., powdered substances like makeup, protein shake mixes, or baby powder will need to be packed in containers smaller than 12 ounces (350 mL), or about the size of a soda can. The new powder policy goes into effect on June 30.

Powders in carry-on bags are also subject to a secondary search by the TSA, and containers may be opened. While the new security effort isn’t a ban, if TSA officers can’t figure out what a powder in a carry-on bag is, it may be discarded.

If you need to carry larger amounts of a powdered substance, the agency suggests checking in your bag. “For ease of travel, TSA recommends placing larger items in checked baggage prior to arriving at the security checkpoint,” Mike Bilello, a TSA spokesman.

However, this rule isn’t necessarily new for travelers. The TSA began inspecting and limiting containers of powders in fliers’ carry-on bags last summer on domestic flights, and Michael England, another TSA spokesman, told CNN that most international airlines “have been doing this [inspecting powders] voluntarily since last year.”