Passengers miss flights due to long queues at Birmingham Airport

Passengers using one of Britain’s busiest airports have complained of missing their flights due to construction work, which has led to long queues outside the hub.

Disgruntled travelers took to social media to complain about long waits, with reports saying two people were treated for hypothermia on Friday.

Some passengers said they showed up hours before their flight but missed them.

Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines all use the hub. Other airlines, including Jet2, also fly to Middle Eastern destinations from the airport.

“Birmingham Airport today. My daughter missed the flight,” wrote an X passenger this week in a post that was accompanied by a picture of a long queue.

“3.5 hours just waiting outside to get into the airport? This is inhumane! Lots of passengers from tk1970 missed their flights. And no one was there to help. Shame on you all!”

A Turkish Airlines spokesman said National apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers.

“The flights will be delayed until tomorrow. Please bear with us as we try to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” she said.

One passenger wrote: “Arrived at 12.30pm for a 3.55pm flight to Milan with EasyJet. I just took the flight after skipping the security line at the end. I’ve never seen anything like it. Terrible. And I traveled all over the world. Never.”

Another traveler said they had already queued for more than an hour, including 40 minutes outside.

“Signs say everything will be fixed in the summer of 2024. But when in the summer?” he wrote.

National has contacted the airport for comment.

Authorities shared a post on social media in recent days, notifying passengers that construction work on the new security area was continuing.

“This means the security waiting area is mainly on the ground floor,” the post said.

The airport recently introduced new technology, which allows people to travel with up to two liters of liquids, but warned travelers on Wednesday “some restrictions remain temporarily in place”.

It said on its website: “Until further notice, passengers are advised that they can only carry liquids up to 100ml, although they can fit in hand luggage and no longer need to be in a plastic bag, on departure from 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.”

Updated: 07 June 2024, 15:14