At Charleroi, baggage allowance, security screening and dangerous-goods rules are separate checks. Use this guide to sort everyday belongings before departure, including liquids, baby food, batteries and items that cannot simply be moved to the hold.
Separate allowance from permission to carry an item
A bag can fit the airline’s measuring frame and still contain something that cannot enter the cabin. Start with three questions: does the bag fit your booking, is each item permitted, and does anything need prior approval or supporting paperwork? Paying for priority boarding changes neither a security restriction nor a dangerous-goods rule. Keep a short inventory of unusual belongings instead of relying on the word travel printed on their packaging. Repeat the check for the return journey, especially when a different airline or airport is involved.
Liquids: the container size matters
The European guidance checked for this guide sets a maximum of 100 ml per ordinary liquid container, within one transparent resealable bag of up to one litre. A nearly empty 150 ml tube is still a 150 ml container. Include creams, gels, toothpaste and comparable mixtures when reviewing your toiletries. Pack them at home so the bag closes comfortably without being forced. Buying several miniature bottles does not create an unlimited total allowance. Ask about an unusual substance before travelling rather than attempting to classify it while holding up the screening queue.
| Item | Cabin preparation | Check before travel |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary cosmetics | Containers of no more than 100 ml in the permitted bag | The capacity marked on the container |
| Necessary milk or medicine | Keep accessible for separate presentation | Journey need and possible screening |
| Power bank | Cabin baggage; protect the contacts | Capacity and airline conditions |
| Sharp item | Do not assume it is permitted | Official restrictions and any hold option |
| Flammable product | Do not automatically move it to the hold | Dangerous-goods status or prohibition |
Essential medicine and baby food
Medicines needed for the journey and baby food have exceptions to the ordinary volume limit, but may still be screened. Keep useful original packaging and documents that explain the need, and make these items easy to present separately. Permission to take medicine through airport security does not establish permission to import it into the destination country. Check that separate issue with the relevant authorities. For essential treatment, ask your clinician how to organise supplies and delays. Avoid putting the entire necessary supply into luggage that could be taken away at the gate or arrive late.
Power banks and spare batteries
EASA guidance places spare batteries and power banks in cabin baggage, protected against short circuit. Identify their watt-hour capacity and check your carrier’s restrictions before packing. A USB socket or a small plastic case does not prove that a battery meets the rules. Do not bring a damaged or swollen battery. If its capacity or identification is unreadable, have its acceptability checked separately before travel. If staff move a cabin trolley into the hold at the gate, take out items that must remain in the cabin. Transport permission and permission to use or charge equipment during the flight are different matters; follow the crew’s instructions.
Tools, sharp accessories and sports equipment
Look through kitchen accessories, repair kits, sports gear and souvenirs with more care than ordinary clothing. European guidance identifies knives, corkscrews and some scissors as examples of objects that can be refused in the cabin. A blade measurement copied from an old discussion is not a universal permit. For a specialised item, describe its function, dimensions and power source when asking the airline. If checked transport is allowed, protect the item appropriately and consider the cost of the necessary baggage option. Avoid arriving with equipment that has no workable alternative if rejected.
The hold is not a solution for every restricted item
Flammable substances, explosives, toxic chemicals and certain pressurised products need a separate check. Moving an aerosol paint can, gas cartridge or chemical into a suitcase does not make it acceptable. Identify the actual product and its transport restrictions before purchasing it abroad. Some articles cannot travel in either cabin or checked baggage. If an item is unsuitable, arrange an authorised alternative or leave it behind. Do not remove labels, disguise the contents or rely on the assumption that an ordinary shop would only sell products suitable for passenger aircraft.
Shopping airside and connecting flights
Purchases after the first security checkpoint may still face screening at a transfer airport. For eligible duty-free liquids, retain the product and receipt in the sealed security bag until the final destination unless security staff need to inspect it. Tell staff about a connection if the bag must be opened so they can advise on resealing. Customs and food-import rules are another separate layer. Before buying a large bottle or food gift, consider the last flight, any additional checkpoint and the allowance attached to the next booking. Keep receipts accessible.
At the checkpoint: organise rather than improvise
Follow the local instructions for electronics and liquids; equipment and procedures can differ between airports and change over time. A video filmed elsewhere is not a reliable description of the Charleroi lane in front of you. If an item is refused, ask what options remain before your flight closes. Giving it to a companion, adding checked baggage or abandoning it may not all be available. Build enough time into the journey to unpack and repack calmly. An organised small pouch is more useful than assuming that staff will find a special exception.
What was checked and what to recheck
During research on 23 October 2026, detailed BSCA pages redirected to an official maintenance notice stating that flights were unaffected. This guide therefore uses European passenger information and EASA guidance, without claiming that Charleroi has introduced a particular scanner exemption. Recheck the airline’s current instructions and available airport information before travelling. Review the return packing list after shopping: replacement batteries, larger toiletries and gifts can change what is inside the same suitcase. Keep permitted cabin essentials in a removable pouch if there is any chance your trolley will be checked at the gate.
Departure checklist
- Read the allowance for every flight, including connections and the return journey.
- Check container capacities and make sure the transparent bag closes normally.
- Keep necessary medicine, baby food and supporting documents accessible.
- Identify batteries and remove cabin-only items before a trolley goes into the hold.
- Resolve unusual tools, chemicals and sports equipment before leaving home.
- Allow time for screening while still respecting the airline’s boarding deadline.
Official sources for checking conditions: European Union, EASA, European Union, Brussels South Charleroi Airport.
Frequently asked questions
Can a half-empty 200 ml bottle pass?
Not under the normal rule: the container capacity matters, not the amount left inside.
Does priority boarding increase the liquid allowance?
No. Airline baggage products do not change security restrictions.
Can a power bank travel in checked luggage?
EASA guidance requires power banks and spare batteries to be carried in the cabin with suitable protection.
Sources and verification
- Luggage restrictions — European Union — 2026-10-23
- Dangerous goods — EASA — 2026-10-23
- Airport security FAQs — European Union — 2026-10-23
- Official airport service notice — Brussels South Charleroi Airport — 2026-10-23