2006 Transatlantic Aircraft Plot

Date: August 9, 2006 • Location: London, United Kingdom

British police arrested 24 people for conspiring to detonate liquid explosives carried on board airliners travelling from the UK to the US and Canada.

The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives, carried aboard airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada, disguised as soft drinks. The plot was discovered by British Metropolitan Police during an extensive surveillance operation. As a result of the plot, unprecedented security measures were initially implemented at airports. The measures were gradually relaxed during the following weeks, but as of 2026, passengers are still not allowed to carry liquid containers larger than 100 ml (3.4 US fl oz) onto commercial aircraft at most airports around the world.