Huge queues outside Birmingham Airport ‘could last for months’ as more passengers wait in the cold after days of chaos.
The disruption began on Thursday when long queues formed amid confusion over new 100ml liquid rules and 3D baggage scanners.
Furious passengers waited hours to go through security after an airport installed new technology that allows people to travel with up to two liters of liquids in their luggage.
Now insiders have claimed queues can last months and the airport is “understaffed”, leaving staff “overworked” and “struggling”.
An anonymous employee told BirminghamLive that passengers regularly complain about missed or delayed flights and said the situation was “really bad”.
The problem appears to stem 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 hired more security staff to combat the issues.
In response, airport bosses said there was an “ongoing recruitment campaign for security officers” and added that missed or delayed flights were “not necessarily” their fault.
The trouble started on Thursday, when long queues formed as new rules for carrying liquids caused confusion among passengers.
The chaos didn’t let up like it did on Friday, and over the weekend people showed up three hours early for their departures, but still found themselves in long lines at security.
Birmingham Airport met the deadline to install new 3D baggage scanners earlier this month, but officials at the West Midlands hub have decided to combine both the old and new rules for carrying liquids “until further notice”.
The airport said the previous 100ml limits still apply, but passengers will be able to carry them in their carry-on bags instead of being brought out for separate screening in transparent bags.
Birmingham Airport said in a statement that as well as security delays with the new technology, “ongoing construction work on site” added to the “usual busy morning” as customers waited in “long and thin queues”.
On Friday, a spokesman for Birmingham Airport said: “With ongoing construction work and fluid restrictions, the airport was naturally busy as you would expect on a Friday flight”.
“There are daily queues at peak times, which is natural for any airport. The image of the queue is subjective and in the moment. We strongly advise customers to follow our advice and only attend in accordance with check-in opening hours.
“We have had no reports of hypothermia or calls to our medical line to help passengers. We had full first aid training on site and none of our staff were called to treat anyone.
“We ask customers to follow our social channels and website to follow our simple instructions to make traveling through Birmingham Airport easier for everyone.”
MailOnline has contacted Birmingham Airport for further comment.