Disgruntled passengers at Birmingham Airport have taken to social media this morning to condemn long waits at the terminal. Some claimed to have waited over two hours.
Photos shared on X, formerly Twitter, show long queues outside the terminal. Airport bosses have previously told BirminghamLive passengers have to wait outside the terminal because building work inside means the space is small and cramped.
And while new scanners are in place to allow passengers to carry two liters of water in hand luggage, last-minute government rules mean fliers are still limited to just 100ml bottles.
READ MORE: Birmingham Airport confirms fate of escalators, construction work nearing completion
The change, bosses say, means the new kit cannot operate at maximum efficiency and bag checks are in place. Both add to the delay, they say.
Those who have flown through the center in recent weeks rioted at the scene of the massacre and called for his resignation. Many also called for the return of escalators, as the new procedures now allow elevators to enter the security lobby.
Long queues were seen to peak during the early morning hours before dying down before lunchtime.
This is a live blog. We’ll be bringing you the latest from the airport throughout the days.
09:44Matt Lloyd
More travel news
In other travel news, you may be grilled by AI at the borders of some European countries in the future when you go through the queues.
“Lie detectors” will scrutinize those entering the countries as part of the restrictions, according to The Mail On Sunday border security reports.
Full details here.
09:39Matt Lloyd
Airport consultancy
Birmingham Airport has issued posters and videos on social media to help passengers. It didn’t seem to help much. However, it’s here because it might help
09:08Matt Lloyd
What did Birmingham Airport bosses say?
BirminghamLive reporter Naomi DeSouza had some time with airport CEO Nick Barton earlier this week. In a short interview, we asked about queues, construction work, the new security kit and when this whole situation will be resolved.
The airport boss told how the new equipment was crippled by last-minute government regulations. But he outlined steps that could be taken in the meantime to deal with the queues.
You can read what he said here.
09:05Matt Lloyd
What are passengers saying at Birmingham Airport?
Again, very similar sentiments to what we have seen in recent days/weeks. Below are some tweets from passengers this morning.
This passenger said they had been waiting for over two hours and added that they felt sorry for the staff.
Eric Hagen said he stood in lines for two hours and said the new security scanners were too slow.
08:54Matt Lloyd
What’s going on at Birmingham Airport?
The scenes we saw today really mirror what we’ve seen in the last few days and weeks; dozens of passengers queuing outside the terminal as they embarked on their morning flights.
This early period proved to be a pivotal point in the travel hub. It seems that issues with construction work and fluid controls are really holding back operations.
The airport told BirminghamLive liquid consultants will be on hand at every entry point to try to get people faster and into the lifts and through security.
But passengers are complaining that the capacity of the lifts is not enough and are calling for the return of the escalators (more on that in a minute). Meanwhile, as the new scanners are equipped to check larger volumes of liquids, they run at a lower capacity, causing further delays.
08:50Matt Lloyd
Good morning…
…or not if you found yourself at the back of the line at BHX. We bring you the latest updates and advice we can give as scenes of chaos continued at Birmingham Airport this morning.
Passengers described long queues and over two-hour waits to get into the terminal as new rules on liquids and construction work continue to take their toll.