Chaos continues at Birmingham Airport as huge queues in the pouring rain mass as it is claimed wrongly packed baggage is taking 20 minutes each case to clear

Huge queues Birmingham Airports continue to cause chaos as passengers are accused of causing long waits because they have packed their bags incorrectly.

The airport has faced criticism on social media after the disruption began on Thursday when long queues formed amid confusion over new rules for 100ml liquids and 3D baggage scanners.

Furious passengers have waited hours to get through security after the government temporarily reintroduced rules banning people from traveling with liquids over 100ml in their hand luggage until further notice.

Birmingham Airport said it had already complied with the rule due to an “excellent regulatory approval for its new screening machines,” but claimed it was continually seeing non-compliant bags on a daily basis.

According to Birmingham Airport CEO Nick Barton, it took 20 minutes for these non-compliant bags to get through security.

Mr Barton advised customers to check their hand luggage before arriving at the airport to ensure it complies with the new restrictions and avoid further delays.

Huge queues at Birmingham Airport are still causing chaos for passengers on Monday morning

The disruption began on Thursday when long queues formed amid confusion over new rules on 100ml liquids and 3D baggage scanners

Long queues outside Birmingham Airport are seen in a video posted on X on Sunday

Furious passengers have waited hours to get through security after the government temporarily reintroduced rules banning people from traveling with liquids over 100ml in their hand luggage until further notice

He told the BBC: ‘Since the opening of our new security area, and despite being one of the first UK airports to comply, we have been restricted from using our multi-million pound equipment due to an outstanding legal restriction, meaning we have had to restrict liquids up to 100 ml.

‘Despite the 100ml rule still being in place, we continue to have non-compliant bags of liquids that exceed the permitted quantity, which has led to inefficiencies in our equipment and longer queues for customers.

‘It is now imperative that all customers adhere to the national rule to ensure a smoother and easier transition through the airport.’

It was claimed by insiders on Sunday that the queues currently seen at the airport could last for months and that the airport is ‘understaffed’, leaving employees ‘overworked’ and ‘struggling’.

The rules, which have been reintroduced as part of a government directive, prevent passengers from leaving Birmingham Airport with liquids, pastes and gels over 100ml in their hand luggage until further notice.

It was originally believed that the problem stemmed from staff shortages and the time it took to complete the upgrade of the new security hall, with the source adding that the airport should have deployed additional security staff to combat these issues.

In response, airport bosses said there is an “ongoing recruitment campaign for security officers” and added that missed or delayed flights are “not necessarily” their fault.

The problems started on Thursday, with long queues as new rules on carrying liquids caused confusion among passengers.

The chaos continued as people showed up three hours early for their flights on Friday and over the weekend, but still waited in long lines at security checkpoints.

Frustrated passengers face hours-long queues as they fight their way through airport security

Huge queues have been seen outside the terminal, snaking around the side of the building

The disruptions began on Thursday when long queues formed due to confusion over new rules for 100ml liquids and 3D baggage scanners

Birmingham Airport said in a statement that in addition to security delays with the new technology, “ongoing construction work on site” contributed to the “usually busy morning” as customers waited in “long and skinny queues”.

Birmingham Airport’s latest statement to MailOnline reads: ‘The airport has invested £60 million of privately funded money into its new security research area. An area designed and resourced to accommodate the two-liter increase in cabin baggage cannot currently be operated with the temporary restriction.

‘There are queues every day at peak times, which is normal for any airport. A photo of a queue is subjective, and at that moment, at that moment.

‘Following the new 100ml restriction, we have today installed ‘liquid check stations’ at all terminal entrances, where colleagues will directly assist passengers to ensure liquid containers over 100ml are removed. The outside queues we see today are from “liquid check stations”.

‘With these extra checks we have seen that a large proportion of customers are still arriving with liquids over 100ml in their bag and these unfortunately need to be removed and thrown away. Containers with a capacity of more than 100 ml are permitted, but must be completely empty.

“Our security flow has been continuous today, aided by these additional checks, and we welcome and appreciate our passengers’ cooperation in eliminating excess liquids from their carry-on luggage.

‘It is now more necessary than ever that customers adhere to the 100ml rule. This additional layer of control threatens to slow down the safety process without the support of passengers.

‘We have been continuously planning for this transition from our old security zone to our new one, taking into account the impact of the construction work, new equipment and the unknown queues.

‘About a million passengers use our airport every month, the majority of whom have a good experience despite the ongoing construction work.

‘In addition to the changes we have implemented for our customers, we have also taken our colleagues into account. As part of the construction work, a new colleague wellbeing area has been created with a large break room, dedicated toilets, a prayer room and a quiet area.

“We have worked with our teams from the start of the development work, with colleagues contributing to the design of both the new safety screening hall and their wellbeing area, and we continue to do so.

‘We have an ongoing recruitment campaign for security officers as the process is rightly lengthy, with assessment centers and classrooms scheduled every month throughout the year to support the recruitment and training of new colleagues.’