Airlines have told holidaymakers to show up at Birmingham Airport three hours early for their flights as huge queues continue to cause chaos.
EasyJet passengers have been advised to arrive an hour later than if they were traveling from another UK airport following the disruption that started a week ago.
It saw long queues snaking all the way outside the airport amid the confusion over a U-turn over the rules for 100ml liquids.
Furious passengers waited outside in the rain this week as they spent hours getting through security.
The government has temporarily reintroduced rules preventing people from traveling with liquids over 100ml in their hand luggage until further notice.
Nick Barton, the airport’s £700,000-a-year boss, came under fire this week for blaming the chaos on passengers failing to adhere to baggage rules.
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Airlines today told holidaymakers to show up at Birmingham Airport three hours early for their flights as huge queues continue to cause chaos
EasyJet passengers have been advised to arrive an hour more before their departure time after disruption began a week ago when long queues snaked all the way outside the airport
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The airline has insisted the advice is not related to the 100ml liquid limit, The Telegraph reported.
It comes as airports criticized the government over the liquid U-turn rules after some airports – including Birmingham – installed new 3D scanners.
It should have meant that the rules were changed on June 1 to allow passengers to carry liquids up to two liters in their hand luggage.
But companies including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester were allowed to miss the latest deadline for their installation after several logistical challenges.
Some airports that had installed the new technology had already dropped the 100ml liquid rule.
But last Friday the Department for Transport (DfT) unexpectedly announced that airports would have to comply again.
Birmingham Airport had already been told to keep it while it waited for regulatory approval, which had been installed on the new £60 million security control hall.
Nick Barton, the airport’s £700,000-a-year boss, came under fire this week for blaming the chaos on passengers not adhering to baggage rules
Furious passengers waited outside in the rain this week as they spent hours getting through security
Huge queues at Birmingham Airport are still causing chaos for passengers on Monday morning
Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators’ Association, said DfT’s “surprise announcement” had “past our time to respond”.
She said this created “uncertainty for passengers just as airports enter their busiest period.”
“It has also left airport operators in a challenging position, with very limited time to prepare for the additional staff and wider resources this will require, and there is no clear idea of when this issue will be resolved,” she added to it.
‘All airports are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to deliver this massive program of technology and program upgrades, mandated by the government, with equipment and processes that meet their requirements.
‘We ask all passengers to please bear with us and ensure liquids are carried in containers no larger than 100ml until advised otherwise.’
Birmingham Airport CEO Mr Barton appeared to blame passengers for the delays by not adhering to baggage rules.
“A non-compliant bag containing liquids over 100ml could add up to 20 minutes to any passenger’s journey through security,” he said.
Mr Barton said the situation was ‘not what we had planned’ and that a pre-screening facility would be set up next week to ease the queues.
He said there were “embedding issues” following the opening of the multi-million pound security hall, with passengers forced to wait in queues that snaked out of the terminal to go through security.
Mr Barton told the BBC: ‘Since the opening of our new security area, and despite being one of the first UK airports to comply, we have been restricted from using our multi-million pound equipment due to an outstanding legal restriction , which means we have to limit liquids to 100 ml.
‘Despite the 100ml rule still being in place, we continue to have non-compliant bags of liquids that exceed the permitted quantity, which has led to inefficiencies in our equipment and longer queues for customers.
‘It is now imperative that all customers adhere to the national rule to ensure a smoother and easier transition through the airport.’
It was claimed by insiders on Sunday that the queues currently seen at the airport could last for months and that the airport is ‘understaffed’, leaving employees ‘overworked’ and ‘struggling’.
Long queues outside Birmingham Airport are seen in a video posted on X on Sunday
Furious passengers have waited hours to get through security after the government temporarily reintroduced rules banning people from traveling with liquids over 100ml in their hand luggage until further notice
Huge queues have been seen outside the terminal, snaking around the side of the building
The disruptions began on Thursday when long queues formed due to confusion over new rules for 100ml liquids and 3D baggage scanners
It was originally believed that the problem stemmed from staff shortages and the time it took to complete the upgrade of the new security hall, with the source adding that the airport should have deployed additional security staff to combat these issues.
In response, airport bosses said there is an “ongoing recruitment campaign for security officers” and added that missed or delayed flights are “not necessarily” their fault.
The problems started on Thursday, with long queues as new rules on carrying liquids caused confusion among passengers.
The chaos continued as people showed up three hours early for their flights on Friday and over the weekend, but still waited in long lines at security checkpoints.
Birmingham Airport said in a statement that in addition to security delays with the new technology, “ongoing construction work on site” contributed to the “usually busy morning” as customers waited in “long and skinny queues”.
Are YOU stuck in the queue? Email matt.strudwick@mailonline.co.uk