Passengers at Birmingham Airport say ‘stop blaming us’ amid ‘frustrating’ queues

Fed-up passengers at Birmingham Airport have said ‘stop blaming us’ amid queues branded ‘disappointment’. Today, Friday June 21, long waits were again reported at the busy travel hub, although many tourists said they got through checks in 75 minutes at peak times.

Airport bosses have revealed that security staff are removing 1.5 tonnes of liquids, pastes and gels from passengers every day to ensure they comply with government regulations which allow no more than 100ml limits in hand luggage. The airport launched a new liquid screening area in a bid to help passengers get through security “faster” from Wednesday 19 June.

The carry-on rule has caused disruption in recent days and added to the length of time passengers have been queuing amid frustration and confusion. But many travelers said they believed the problems extended further than the liquid limit.

READ MORE: Birmingham Airport travel updates live as measures are taken to manage queues

READ MORE: Birmingham Airport launches new zone to help passengers get through security ‘faster’

Passengers cited elevator-only access to security and understaffing, as well as an overscheduling of flights between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. as other potential causes of queue delays. BirminghamLive’s Nick Horner, who traveled from Birmingham to Germany to watch England at Euro 2024 early on June 16 and June 20, said an extra security scanner in operation meant his second trip through the terminal was with 38 minutes faster.

One passenger summed up many of the frustrations from last week’s hold-ups. He posted on X: “If you fly after 8am then no queues. However, these queues occur every day – and still were before the May half term – for everyone flying between 6am and 8am. Elevator-only access to security and overscheduling of flights between 6 and 8 are the cause.”

Another posted on X today, June 21: “Three elevators to get to security… then not enough security lanes. Stop blaming the passengers, it’s been like this for months. Absolute crashes.. why don’t the other airports have the same problems. Did they have the same fluid changes?”

Another passenger said: “Checked in at 5.45am and went through security at 7am. I moved yes, but it shouldn’t be like this. And not knowing how long it takes to get through security means I left home very early. And they blame the queue passengers????

Another passenger posted on social media: “You need to open more security lanes. You can blame the passengers all you want, but this problem will not be solved until you realize that you are causing it. It’s not even summer school holidays. can you imagine the chaos though?” Another passenger said how he would be using different airports over the next two years. He posted: “Birmingham airport can’t cope at the moment and I will be using other airports until 2025/2026.”

Other tourists were a bit more optimistic today. One posted on X: “Joined at 6.15 and was in the departure hall by 7. Queues long but moving steadily and staff calling people for earlier flights. I thought he was calm, organized and efficient. The long queues are not ideal but the staff were working hard”. Another added: “About an hour this morning. Not the lifts but the security is pretty slow. Seems like a long time but an hour isn’t too bad I guess. It can only get better!”

Discussing the benefits of the new liquid screening structure, Nick Barton, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said: “These new measures are designed to give passengers a smoother and smoother experience through security. Our extended teams will be on hand to explain the new clearance rules, which we all need to follow, and to help passengers prepare for security. The more we can do together to reduce the number of bags that do not comply with these rules, the more we can reduce queues at security.

“Our additional teams aim to help customers travel through the airport with minimal inconvenience arising from these restrictions this summer. As always, our advice is to only present when your airline advises and remember that only containers of 100ml or less of liquids, pastes and gels can be carried in hand luggage.”

The airport previously revealed that its first peak time for customers arriving at the airport was between 4am and 8am. Typically, half of the total number of passengers due to leave the city on a given day take their flights in the morning. .

Low-cost carriers that cater mainly to leisure customers try to fly at least three rotations – to a destination and back. This happens with each aircraft on a given day. To achieve this, he must go out first thing in the morning. Airlines serving business travelers also schedule their busiest times in line with demand, as many business customers want to fly in the morning and return in the evening. The airport previously posted on X: “Peak times tend to be first thing, 4am to 8am and then 1pm to 4pm, although this can vary from day to day.”

A spokeswoman for the airport told BirminghamLive: “As previously stated, we not only understand the frustration of passengers over the past few weeks, we share it. In response to this, the airport has worked hard and introduced a whole range of measures to help passengers on their journey. These include 100 extra staff and increased liquid stations, which will help passengers prepare to go through security following the new liquid rules.”

“Of course the airport will experience peak periods as dictated by passenger demand. Passengers are reminded to follow airline arrival advice. Passengers who arrive unnecessarily early may have to wait for check-ins to open, adding frustration and unnecessary queues. To reassure passengers, the usual queuing time today was around 30 minutes in the morning peak and no one missed a flight out of 3.^st June.”

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