Ministers were seeking an agreement with European partners on levels of security that were needed, they added.
Technology
But the security experts were also trying to find technology that might help baggage screeners to spot liquid bombs in hand baggage.
There were a wide range of liquid explosives available and equipment at some airports could not detect all of them, said the officials.
Scientists were trying to come up with new methods, but there was a big step from a concept that worked in a laboratory to one which could be introduced in a busy airport, the officials said.
Certain liquids could be used as part of an explosive device and some of these were very difficult to distinguish from ordinary, drinkable liquids.
Also, it was far easier to detect possibly dangerous items in the type of smaller bag now being allowed to be carried on to aircraft by passengers than larger ones.
Officials showed reporters X-ray pictures of items in a large bag and items in a smaller one.
In the current enhanced security regime, the larger bag - which contained difficult-to-see hand cream, aftershave and shower gel - would have had to be rejected and a time-consuming hand search would have had to be conducted.
The officials said the aim of the current security regime was to meet the threat but to minimise the inconvenience.
Airport shops
They said they were happy with security arrangements which allowed liquid items to be bought in airside airport shops after the passenger ha passed through security.
The officials also said they were happy with the security arrangements for airside passholders and added that background checks on airport staff were the same as those in place before the current security regime was introduced.
The threat of liquid explosives would remain, as it was not possible to "uninvent" a threat, but the ways in which it was dealt with could change, officials said.
- Dow Jones
News
