June 16, 2024, 2:13 PM | Updated: June 16, 2024, 3:15 PM
Queues at Birmingham Airport.
Photo: Ronald Villers/Getty
Travel chaos hit Birmingham airport on Sunday, leaving hundreds of people stranded outside.
Huge queues at the entrance to West Midlands Airport occurred just a week after the 100ml hand baggage rules were abolished.
Holidaymakers were told to arrive early as confusion over U-turn safety rules caused travelers to be held up.
By 5 a.m., passengers were stuck outside as more and more lines piled up around the parking lot.
The queue means another difficult morning for flyers who do not understand whether they will get through security on time.
According to departure screens at the airport, “final call” warning messages were showing for flights as people rushed to catch their planes.
One person who tried to escape gray Britain on Sunday said it took two hours to get through security.
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Neil Houselander tweeted: “Birmingham Airport today… two hours of security queues. Get here early.”
Another expressed anger at the chaos in the terminal, which forced him to buy a fast track security pass.
Douglas Bagley said: “In the departure lounge at Birmingham Airport.
“I had Fast Track so it wasn’t too bad at 35 minutes for safety, but for non-Fast Track the queues are huge all over the car park.
“When you walk in, it’s like the Olympics, with people running to catch flights. Come on, England!”
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport previously posted the issues on flyers arriving with more than 100ml of liquid in their bags.
They said: “Our new safety zone has been designed and resourced to accommodate the increase to two liters carried in hand luggage. This cannot currently be exploited with the temporary restriction.
“In order to fully comply with this new guideline, we have further adjusted our business process.
“We now have ‘liquid check stations’ at all terminal entrances where colleagues directly assist passengers to ensure liquid containers over 100ml are removed.
“With these extra checks we have seen that a large proportion of customers are still arriving with liquids over 100ml in their bag and these unfortunately need to be removed and thrown away.
“Containers with a capacity of more than 100 ml are permitted, but must be completely empty.
“Our security flow has been continuous today, aided by these additional checks, and we welcome and appreciate our passengers’ cooperation in eliminating excessive liquids from their carry-on luggage.
“The outside queues we are seeing today are from ‘liquid check stations’.
“Since the opening of our new security zone in May, we have consistently seen substandard baggage passing through, causing unnecessary queues and delays to customers’ journeys.
“This new step in the process is intended to resolve the issue before customers move forward.” Now more than ever, it is imperative that customers adhere to the 100ml rule.
“This additional layer of control risks slowing down the safety process without the support of passengers.
“For customers who are less able to stand for long periods of time, we recommend that they book the guided travel service.
“However, if a customer is queuing during our peak periods and feels like they need help, our customer ambassadors are nearby and can help them without losing their place in line.”