Baggage restrictions at UK airports will be relaxed in the New Year, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly is expected to announce later today.
According to the Financial Times, Kelly will announce at a speech to the Airport Operators Association that travellers will be allowed to take two items of baggage on board from next year.
Since August 2006, passengers boarding at British airports have been limited to one item of hand luggage each. The measures were introduced after the discovery of a suspected plot to use liquid explosives to launch an attack.
The EU-wide restrictions on carrying liquids on board are, however, expected to remain in place.
In the immediate weeks after detectives said they had foiled the plot, all hand luggage had to be checked into the hold, with only passports and travel documents allowed on board.
The delays resulted in hundreds of cancelled flights which cost the aviation industry millions of pounds. Eventually, the restrictions were eased to include the current allowance of one small item of hand luggage.
However, it has taken airport operators and business leaders many months to convince the government to consider scrapping the one-bag rule. Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, told the FT the rules are damaging Britain's business reputation.
