Passengers at Birmingham Airport fuming over morning ‘carnage’ as queue snakes outside front door

A huge queue snaked outside the front door of Birmingham Airport this morning, leaving holidaymakers furious. Anxious passengers queued in the early morning sun outside departure check-in areas.

The long queue to arrive and eventually get through security was deemed “disgraceful” by one online reviewer. Another described this morning’s scenes as “carnage”.

Our reporter, who flew out of the airport this morning, revealed how long it took him to get through security. From the line outside the front doors at BHX, to upstairs security and to departures, she said it took her an hour and 17 minutes.

READ MORE: Queues at Birmingham Airport come to life as ‘bushy’ passengers wait outside departures

It comes after weeks of chaos and delays at the airport, where passengers have reported missing flights. Passenger Kevin Brown, traveling from the airport this morning, described the scenes as “absolutely disgraceful”.

Sharing a picture of the long queue outside the airport’s front doors, he added: ‘Arrive at 5.30am for a 7.45am departure and I encountered this. Shy”. Tourist Alison Woolhouse said she was told to join the huge queue outside the airport after checking in her bags. She described the scenes as “carnage”.

Line times to get through security dropped around 8 a.m., according to a passenger at the airport. John O’Brien told us at 7.55 this morning: “Here now and not bad at all.

“Forty minutes to stand in line outside to get to security. The tail didn’t stop moving. Very helpful staff.”

The airport completed its £60m “state-of-the-art” security hall upgrade in May after months of building work. Finally, it will allow passengers to carry liquids of up to two liters in hand luggage. But despite the work being completed, the airport said that “until further notice” passengers would be able to carry liquids of up to 100ml as there were “partial regulatory restrictions”.

Giving an update on the new security hall, a spokesman for Birmingham Airport said yesterday: “Birmingham Airport is one of the first airports in the UK to meet the government’s deadline of 1 June to implement the new screening standards security for passengers and hand luggage. However, certain liquid restrictions will remain in place.

“In time, this new equipment will allow liquids of up to two liters to be carried in hand luggage, however some restrictions remain temporarily in place. Until further notice, passengers are advised that they can only carry liquids up to 100ml, although this can fit in hand luggage and no longer needs to be in a plastic bag when departing Birmingham Airport.

“The airport has invested £60 million in its new, larger security area. This area is purpose-built with simpler and more streamlined equipment and will future-proof Birmingham Airport from the current 12 million passengers per year in 2024 to accommodate 18 million passengers per year by 2033.”

We have reached out to BHX for an update on today’s travel times.