EU officials have warned that all member state airports must simultaneously lift current bans on flying with carry-on liquids in 2013.

The news comes as the UK has refused to give the green light to the loosening of current restrictions set to go into effect this week. In response, the EU has said that if all airports do not act in unison that passengers could see disastrous consequences.

Beginning Friday, passengers transferring onto flights headed outside of the European Union should be able to carry on liquid duty-free items such as perfumes and alcohol onto all flights. However, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has told British airport operators that the move would not be going into effect in the UK.

Meanwhile, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said despite this having a marginal effect on travellers that all airports must lift the ban completely in April 2013 or travel could be seriously disrupted. The fear is that massive queues of uninformed passengers could form at airports in which the ban hasn’t been lifted.

The possibility for confusion and misunderstanding has already taken shape, as from Friday onward a passenger connecting via Frankfurt would be able to carry duty-free liquids onto a second flight whilst those connecting via Heathrow would be barred from doing so.