Passengers flying from Birmingham Airport are likely to come across a temporary structure errected to help ease the current queuing issues it has experienced in the past week. Chaos has partly been caused by last-minute changes to the 100ml hand luggage rule and ongoing construction work at BHX seems set to continue.
Holidaymakers have faced queues of up to two hours just to get to security over the past week. This is despite efforts from airport bosses to tackle the delays, which include hiring another 100 workers and constructing “liquid check stations” so that fewer travellers are caught out by the new 100ml rules.
But, yesterday morning many passengers still experienced “shocking” queues, which snaked out of the airport building. However, those who have purchased fast-track tickets ahead of flying have reported skipping these long queues entirely.
This is a live blog, follow below for updates.
07:27Sarah Probert
Flying with Ryanair
Our reporter Emily Chaplin has been flying in and out of Birmingham Airport and noticed a change to Ryanair during her last trip a few weeks ago. You can read about her experience in her article here.
07:19Sarah Probert
New structures
Passengers flying through the airport in the past few days have seen huge new structures put in place to deal with the queues that have delayed people considerably. Here’s a video from one passenger below where you can see the measures in place.
05:13Key Event
Queue length update
People flying from Birmingham Airport have indicated on social media that queues are now around an hour to get through security.
Those who have booked fast-track tickets ahead of flying can skip these queues, but they are in short supply and set to more than double in price.
04:33Key Event
Social media shows growing queues
04:33William Morgan
Reports of long queues forming
One passenger took 50 minutes to get through security at 3am, but pictures on social media show larger queues forming as much of the morning’s travellers arriving for their flights.
The BHX passenger said: “About 50 minutes to get through. The process is quite slow and only half the lanes in operation. Fast track people slows everyone else.”
03:58William Morgan
Birmingham Airport urges passengers to follow new rules
03:01Key Event
What is Birmingham Airport’s 100ml rule?
Despite plans to relax restrictions on the 100ml liquid rule for hand luggage due to improvements in security technology, the failure to install these improvements at every airport caused the Government to change their guidance at the last minute, reverting the change just over a week ago.
You can only carry 100ml containers in your hand luggage. BHX states the rules explicitly on its website:
- Only liquids, pastes and gels in containers up to 100ml can be carried in hand luggage – anything larger needs to be in checked in luggage.
- No liquids above this size.
- Anything above the 100ml will be removed and destroyed.
- There is no limit on the amount of under 100mls containers that can be carried.
- Containers that can carry more than a 100ml, such as insulated bottles, are permitted but need to be completely empty.
- Do not put your liquids, pastes and gels into plastic bags (please leave them loose in hand luggage).
- Do not take them out of your hand luggage when you’re in the security search area.
- Leave all electricals in hand luggage during the security search.
- When going through security please ensure all items are out of pockets including phones, keys, coins and tissues etc. Watches can be left on.