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Local Airlines Ban Alcohol in Hand Luggage

Airline passengers in China are no longer allowed to carry alcohol in their hand luggage, a rule being enforced by security officials who now check all beverages before they are allowed aboard. "Passengers should store their bottles of alcohol in the baggage compartment. All they can carry on board are 500 milliliters of soft drinks, or roughly two small bottles,"said Yi Jiwu, an official with Shanghai Airport Authority.

Officials say the new rule is meant to improve security on planes in China, but were unable to explain how the alcohol ban made the aircraft safer. Some travelers believe the ban stems from an attempted hijacking during the Spring Festival, when a Beijing-Fuzhou passenger declared such intention before being detained by onboard security staff.
Civil Aviation Administration officials said the incident is still under investigation. Passengers on the flight said the man was drunk.