AIRLINE cabin baggage has probably changed forever in the wake of the foiled British bomb plot and the emergence of more sophisticated explosives.

Tough new restrictions placed on US flights and those out of London to combat new types of liquid explosives are likely to remain, experts say.

While it is unlikely the new rules will be as draconian as Britain’s temporary ban on all hand luggage except the bare essentials, passengers can expect more inconvenience as airport security is tightened.

Experts say the London bomb plot marks a watershed in airport and airline security that moves beyond the traditional screening for weapons and similar items.

Worries have emerged that terrorists could escape detection by taking bomb-making chemicals on planes and mixing them on board.

And some substances are not readily detectable by explosives- scanning technology.

“The level of sophistication of both solid and liquid explosives … since mid-90s has increased significantly,” said associate professor Don Robertson of theAustralian Centre for Security Research.

“There are all these people busily developing explosives that can’t be detected or … they’re simply borrowing technology from legitimate operators, for example miners.”

Temporary restrictions introduced on Thursday mean books, laptop computers, carry-on luggage and all liquids have been banned from flights leaving London’s Heathrow Airport.

And travellers flying to and from the US face an indefinite ban on all liquids in cabin baggage — including beverages, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste and hair gels — as well as screening of all footwear.

Airlines flying to the US must also implement increased checks on services such as meals and baggage handling.

“Hand baggage will probably never be the same again — at least for UK-US flights,” said the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, a Sydney-based aviation think tank. “This promises to be a significant inconvenience for travellers, particularly on long-haul flights.”

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said the new restrictions were a response to a specific threat, and he was hopeful they would be lifted as soon as it was resolved.

“Will it get back to the way it was?” he said. “We hope so, but obviously safety and security comes first, and while there are security concerns this regime must be put in place.”

However, passengers seemed to be taking the inconvenience in their stride yesterday.

Michael and Mary Middleton, heading off from Brisbane airport to the US to visit relatives and have a holiday, approved of the extra security measures.

“I’m not real thrilled with losing my toothpaste — it’s an international flight,” Ms Middleton said. “But when you’re up in the plane you start to think about it all, and I would rather go through a few security measures than be in a plane that is falling out of the sky.”