TRAVEL chaos has hit Birmingham Airport again as hundreds of people are forced to queue outside ‘like cattle’ after a week of ‘total carnage’.
New video taken this morning shows long queues outside security as the sun begins to rise.
The line meant another stressful morning for fliers who didn’t know if they would get through security in time.
The new clip was posted on the X social network, formerly Twitter, by entrepreneurs Wes and Pete, who were first in line for a 7.20am flight to Cyprus.
At 4am, they posted a video of the queue already forming outside the airport, saying: “Looks like another day of chaos”.
They said: “It’s 5:18am – let’s see how fast we can get through. Don’t have a fast track. I’ll do the work @bhx_official comms team won’t do.”
“Terrible for anyone elderly, disabled, children or if it rains.”
First, they show a long line standing outside the terminal in the morning light and even doubling up.
At 6:00 a.m. the pair made their way along the line to a tent covered area of ​​the queue “which is slow to walk through”.
Five minutes later they write again and say the line has only grown since they were in line.
“And – once you’re in the building, there’s another long line.
At 6:18 a.m., an hour after joining the line, the pair are still in line waiting to get to the elevators that will take them to the baggage claim area.
At 6.58 they said they were “almost there” and passed security, with the boards showing their flight status as ‘Final Call’.
“Absolute chaos and a terrible, stressful, exhausting start to the holiday.
“We definitely felt like cattle today!
“There’s no time to buy anything, eat, go to the bathroom, use the lounge I paid for, or sit down after we’ve been on our feet for more than two hours.
“When bag drop doesn’t open until two hours before departure and security takes an hour and 45 minutes, it’s just the absolute most stressful start to a holiday.
“My advice to everyone is, get here three hours early, drop your bag off as soon as you can, pack up, make sure you have drinks and food lined up – and swear you’ll never fly out of this dump until they sort their shit out.” out.
Wes and Pete have repeatedly attacked Birmingham Airport’s poor communication with leaflets that “don’t tell people what to expect”.
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They said: “Appalling failure of communication. They parrot their old arrival infographic when the airline tells you to. If we hadn’t dropped our bags before we were officially allowed to, we would have missed our flight.”
“There is no excuse for their appalling news or lack of acknowledgment of the issues.
“No advice to people what to expect, how to prepare, no apology for the terrible start to the holidays. Appalling.”
Birmingham Airport has been approached for comment.
We definitely felt like cattle today!
Wes and Pete
The airport was also hit by long queues on Thursday and Friday.
But despite what passengers reported on social media, a spokesman said lines were “moving quickly”.
They said: “We had the usual busy morning at Birmingham Airport with customers queuing in unfamiliar areas.
“The line was long and thin in parts, but it moved quickly through the terminal.
Flyers described the queues in those days as “massacre” and “disgraceful”.
One said: “Travelling from Birmingham airport is absolute shit. There is the longest queue at security I have ever seen in my 49 years.”
“And the check-in counters are open 2 hours in advance, even though the tickets recommend 3 hours. If you’re booking your holiday now, avoid it like the plague.”
Why are there long queues at Birmingham Airport?
Birmingham Airport recently opened a new £60m ‘state-of-the-art’ security hall in May after months of building work.
The hall is part of a wider £300 million upgrade of the airport, which is expected to handle 18 million flyers a year by 2033.
The modernization will eventually allow passengers to carry liquids of up to two liters in cabin baggage.
However, regulatory approval has not yet been granted for the increased liquid limits in Birmingham.
A spokesman previously said work on the hall was continuing.
“Although our new security hall is operational, construction work is still ongoing on site and we are awaiting regulatory approval to allow up to two liters of liquids to be carried in cabin baggage.
“This construction work will continue for the foreseeable future as we redevelop the airport as part of our planned and previously announced £300m investment.”
“Until further notice, passengers are advised to only carry liquids of up to 100ml on departure from Birmingham Airport, although they may remain in hand luggage and no longer need to be in a plastic bag.”