More travel hell at Birmingham Airport, fueled by the 100ml liquid rule



Travel chaos continues at Birmingham Airport today amid confusion over the rules for 100ml liquids, as passengers fear this could last all summer.

Frustrated holidaymakers are still facing hours-long queues to go through security checks as early morning flights appear to be the worst affected.

One passenger shared a photo of the queue, which was in a straight line out of the terminal, around 6am this morning.

It comes amid confusion over the rules for 100ml liquids, as the government temporarily reversed plans to scrap the measure.

The government had initially allowed some airports to allow passengers to carry up to two liters of liquid in their hand luggage after the installation of new CT scanners.

But it has not temporarily reintroduced the 100ml restriction until further notice.

Travel agency Tui recently told passengers on long-haul flights to check in three to four hours before their expected departure time.

And there are fears among passengers that the chaos could continue for months, as insiders claim the airport is ‘understaffed’ and staff are ‘overworked’.

One passenger shared a photo of the queue at around 6am this morning, making a straight line out of the terminal (photo: the security line today)
Airline passengers faced huge queues at Birmingham Airport, UK on June 14

Tui has told its passengers that check-in desks at Birmingham airport will open between two and three hours before departure for normal flights and between three and four hours before departure for long-haul flights.

It comes after EasyJet passengers were advised to arrive three hours earlier for their Birmingham flight.

In a post on with possible delays and Check in.’

Click here to change the format of this module

The airline has insisted the advice is not related to the 100ml liquid limit, according to The Telegraph.

Airports have criticized the government over its 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 the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that six UK airports will temporarily reintroduce the ban.

Currently, all UK airports have a 100ml liquid rule. This means that liquids may be placed in hand luggage, but must be separated into containers of no more than 100 ml.
Irate passengers waited outside in the rain earlier this week as they spent hours getting through security on June 6
Huge lines were seen outside the terminal snaking around the side of the building on June 6

The change affects passengers traveling from London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Southend and Teesside airports.

Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) are in use at all airports, allowing them to scrap the 100ml rule.

The high-tech CT scanners create a 3D image of what is in passengers’ luggage and are being introduced at a number of UK airports in a bid to speed up security checks.

Birmingham Airport had already been told to enforce the 100ml ban as it waited for regulatory approval after installing the new £60 million security checkpoint hall, which included the new high-tech scanners.

It has previously been claimed by insiders that queues at the airport can last for months and that the airport is ‘understaffed’, leaving employees ‘overworked’ and ‘struggling’.

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.

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”.

UK AIRPORT FLUID RULES

UK airports and scanner status:

  • Birmingham – new scanners / 100 ml rule
  • Leeds Bradford – new scanners / 100ml rule
  • London City – new scanners / 100ml rule
  • Aberdeen – new scanners / 100 ml rule
  • Southend – new scanners / 100ml rule
  • Teesside – new scanners / 100ml line
  • Newcastle – new scanners / 100ml rule
  • Gatwick – old scanners / 100ml rule
  • Stansted – new scanners / 100 ml rule
  • East Midlands – old scanners / 100ml rule
  • Manchester – new scanners / 100 ml rule
  • Heathrow – old scanners / 100 ml rule
  • Edinburgh – new scanners / 100ml rule

Current liquid rules for airports with new scanners:

Bottles must not exceed 100 ml

Airports determine the total amount of liquid (up to two litres) and whether it should be removed from bags or kept in clear bags

UK airports without new scanners using liquid rules dating back to 2006:

Bottles/containers must not exceed 100 ml

Liquids must total less than one liter

Passengers must remove liquids from their hand luggage at security checkpoints

Liquids should be stored in clear plastic bags

New style liquid rules (to be introduced in the future):

Liquids may be left in luggage at security

Bottles can be any size and can be loose in bags

Liquids can hold a maximum of two liters in total

Leave a Comment