The situation has prompted Tui to advise passengers flying from BHX to arrive at least three hours before their flight is due to depart owing to the delays, which have been exacerbated by a government U-turn on the rules at airport security – one that has been criticised by the UK’s trade body for airports.
BHX was one of the first UK airports to complete its upgrade to new generation security scanners, which will – in future – allow passengers to carry liquids in excess of 100ml in their hand luggage and to leave them in their bags, along with laptops and other devices.
However, the 100ml rule has remained in place at BHX despite the upgrade while it awaits regulatory approval to fully utilise its new equipment. The airport, though, has said it is "continually" seeing non-compliant bags, causing delays of up to 20 minutes per passenger to their journey through security.
The government had set airports a 1 June deadline to complete their upgrades, but it became clear earlier this year most major UK airports – including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester – would miss the deadline, creating an uneven landscape for passengers.
Late on Friday (7 June), the Department for Transport (DfT) said that from Sunday 9 June, the old 100ml liquid rule would come back into effect at six UK airports that had installed and brought into use their new scanners – Aberdeen, Leeds-Bradford, London City, Newcastle, Southend and Teesside – to bring clarity.
The DfT said the move was a temporary measure "to enable further improvements to be made to new checkpoint systems", adding the decision was "a routine measure" and did not come in response to a specific threat.
Airports ’in a challenging position’
Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, this week said: "These latest changes announced on Friday, [and] instigated with very little notice, have created uncertainty for passengers just as airports enter their busiest periods of the year.
"It has also put airport operators in a challenging position, with very limited time to prepare for the additional staffing and wider resources that this will require, and no clear idea of when this issue will be resolved."
Earlier this year, Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said warned that with travellers facing different rules at different departure airports, there was a risk of "significant delays" at security "unless they receive the necessary guidance beforehand".
Abta, meanwhile, urged passengers "not to bank" on the UK’s hand luggage rules changing this summer and advised they stuck to the existing 100ml liquid rule due to the "lack of consistency" across UK airports.
Midlands agent Simon Oram from The Travel Shop went to examine the issue for himself on Thursday morning (13 June) and captured footage showing the severity of the queuing shortly after 6am, which he posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with passengers snaking through the terminal and out onto the concourse.
"I am at Birmingham airport, it’s just after 6am and I’m going to take you on a journey along the line of security," he said. The video then proceeds for a full minute-and-a-half as he follows the queue through the terminal, out of the building and continues under a temporary canopy.
https://twitter.com/TheRealSiOram77/status/1801149214899966075
In a post to its website earlier this week, Tui said: "Birmingham airport is getting a face lift, with a new £50 million security area being built to improve the airport experience.
"We’d like to remind you to arrive at the airport with sufficient time before your flight. At the moment, we’re recommending giving yourself three hours for flights to Europe and Africa, and four hours for long-haul flights.
"That way, you’ll have plenty of time to check in your luggage and make your way through the security queues."
Compliance ’imperative’
Birmingham airport has addressed the issue in a lengthy update for passengers, reminding them the same rules they’ve been used to for the past nearly 20 years continue to apply.
Chief executive Nick Barton said: “The rules that we have been adhering to since March are now very clear in that only liquids, pastes and gels up to 100ml can be carried through in hand luggage.
"Since opening our new security area, and despite being one of the first UK airports to comply, we have been limited on the use of our multi-million-pound equipment due to an outstanding regulatory restriction meaning we had to limit liquids to 100ml. This rule has now been implemented nationwide."
Barton continued: "Despite the 100ml rule still being in place, we continually have non-compliant bags with liquids over the allowance which have led to inefficiencies of our equipment and resulted in extended queuing time for customers.
"It is now imperative that all customers comply with the nationwide rule to ensure a smoother and simpler transition through the airport. A non-compliant bag with liquids over 100ml can add up to 20 minutes to each passenger’s journey through security.
"All travelling customers should check their hand luggage to ensure it complies with this restriction.”
TTG has approached Birmingham airport for further comment.
