June 16, 2024, 2:13 p.m. | Updated: June 16, 2024, 3:15 p.m
Queues at Birmingham Airport.
Image: Ronald Villers/Getty
Travel chaos hit Birmingham Airport on Sunday, leaving hundreds stranded outside.
Huge queues have formed at the entrance to West Midlands Airport just a week after the 100ml hand luggage rule was lifted.
Holidaymakers were told to arrive early as confusion over U-turn safety rules meant travelers were being delayed.
By 5 a.m., passengers were stranded outside and lines were building and developing around the parking lot.
The queue marks another difficult morning for the airmen, who have no idea if they will get through security in time.
According to departure screens at the airport, flights were displaying “final call” warning messages as people ran to catch their plane.
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 queued at security. Get there early.”
Another expressed anger about the chaos in the terminal, which meant he had to buy a fast-track security pass.
Douglas Bagley said: “In the departure hall at Birmingham Airport.
“I had Fast Track so it wasn’t too bad for 35 minutes because of security, but on non-Fast Track the queues are huge all over the car park.
“When you get in it’s like the Olympics with people running to catch flights. Come on England!”
A spokesman for Birmingham Airport previously highlighted problems with flyers arriving with more than 100ml of liquids in their bags.
They said: “Our new security area has been designed and equipped to accommodate the increase to two liters carried in cabin baggage, which cannot currently be operated with a temporary restriction.
“To be fully compliant with this new directive, we have further modified our operational process.
“We now have ‘check stations’ at all entrances to the terminal where colleagues directly assist passengers to ensure that containers of liquids above 100ml are removed.
“Thanks to these additional checks we have seen that a large proportion of customers are still arriving with liquids over 100ml in their bags and unfortunately these have to be removed and disposed of.
“Containers that hold more than 100ml are allowed but must be completely empty.
“Our security flow is continuous today, helped by these extra checks, and we welcome and appreciate the cooperation of our passengers in removing excess liquids from their cabin bags.
“The outdoor fronts we see today come from ‘checkpoints’.
“Since the opening of our new security area in May, we have seen non-conforming bags constantly going through security, causing unnecessary queues and delaying customer journeys.
“This new step in the process is to eliminate the problem before customers move on.” Now more than ever, it is necessary for customers to follow the 100ml rule.
“This additional layer of control risks slowing down the security process without passenger support.
“We recommend that customers who have difficulty standing for long periods book an assisted travel service.
“However, if a customer is queuing during our peak times and feels they need assistance, our customer ambassadors are in the area and can assist them without losing their place in line.”