Nearly one in FIVE bags going through security at Birmingham Airport failed new 100ml liquid rule today alone – as confusion sparked chaos that’s seen travellers battle hellishly long queues out the door

Nearly one in five bags passed through security Birmingham Airport today failed to comply with the new 100ml liquid rule, leading to chaos with passengers waiting in hellishly long queues.

Many British airline passengers have difficulty understanding the rrules around taking fluids through airport security after a government U-turn on Sunday.

The Department for Transport has quietly reintroduced restrictions preventing people from taking liquids larger than 100ml in hand luggage at UK airports with next-generation scanners.

Birmingham Airport – which has launched the new ‘state-of-the-art’ scanners – has been criticized on social media as passengers have had to wait hours to get through security with huge queues at the terminal doors.

Today, however, the airport hit back, blaming the queues for 18 percent of all bags passing through the state-of-the-art security hall were marked as non-compliant, resulting in a 20-minute wait.

Pictured: Passengers queue at Birmingham Airport on June 6

Many British airline passengers are struggling to understand the rules around taking liquids through airport security after a government U-turn on Sunday

Birmingham Airport – which has launched new ‘state-of-the-art’ scanners – has been criticized on social media as passengers have had to wait hours to get through security

Bosses at Birmingham Airport also dismissed passengers’ claims that queues to enter the terminal exceeded two and a half hours – saying delays were up to 70 minutes.

This is what a spokesperson for the airport said Birmingham Live: ‘At its peak this morning, 18 percent of all bags passing through security were non-compliant, meaning they contained liquids over 100ml.

When a bag is rejected by the scanner due to a liquid, this can typically take up to 20 minutes longer than each passenger’s travel time through security.

‘Our maximum queue time was 70 minutes and certainly not two and a half hours. Our outdoor queues, as we see them today, come from ‘liquid check stations located outside the terminal’.

Confused? We are not surprised. Here we explain everything…

Currently, all UK airports apply the 100ml liquid rule, regardless of the scanners in place.

But airports with new scanners have more flexibility in how carry-on bags pass through security.

Many British airline passengers are struggling to understand the rules around taking liquids in hand luggage through airport security as new scanners are rolled out. Currently, all UK airports have a 100ml liquid rule. This means that liquids may be placed in hand luggage, but must be separated into containers of no more than 100 ml.

Long queues have formed at Birmingham Airport (above) – where the new scanners have been launched – amid confusion over liquid restrictions

London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Zuideinde And Tees side airports, have all installed new 3D CT (computed tomography) based scanners in security halls and scrapped the 100ml rule. Their new technology allowed passengers to carry up to two liters of liquid in any bottle size in carry-on luggage and not remove it at security.

However, on June 9, these airports were ordered to return to the 100ml liquid rule, despite having installed next-generation security checkpoints (NGSC), which create a 3D image of what is in passengers’ luggage which allows them to better identify objects.

Laptops and tablets may remain in hand luggage.

A Department for Transport spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘From Sunday 9 June 2024, the 100ml restrictions on liquids will be temporarily reintroduced for passengers traveling from six regional airports where Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) are fully operational.

‘This temporary step should allow further improvements to the new checkpoint systems and will only affect a small number of passengers.

‘For most passengers, safety measures remain unchanged.

‘Passengers should continue to check security requirements at their departure airport before travelling.’

Travel expert Nicky Kelvin tested the ‘beautiful’ new scanners at London City Airport in May

A passenger is pictured walking past a baggage rules explainer at London City Airport, which has installed new scanners

Passengers packing liquids in bottles over 100ml are subject to manual checks at the airport and risk having these items thrown away.

At airports with new scanners, it will depend on the individual airport whether travelers must pack their liquids in clear plastic bags, remove them from their luggage or pack more than one liter of liquid in multiple containers, the Department for Transport confirmed to MailOnline. Trip.

What should you do if you are traveling from an airport other than the six targeted by the Ministry of Transport?

Some of Britain’s biggest airports have already installed some of the new checkpoints in their security halls, but none have yet changed liquidity rules.

London Stansted, Manchester And Edinburgh all have at least some of the new 3D scanners installed. However, because their new security halls are incomplete and there are still some old scanners in place, no one has changed their fluid rules.

This means you still have to follow the 100ml rule and other liquid restrictions that have been in place at all three airports for the past 18 years.

London Gatwick, East Midlands Airport And London Heathrow have not yet introduced any new scanners so their security halls cannot meet the new restrictions and the 100ml rule will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

So what happened Birmingham Airport?

The airport had the new scanners installed but limited liquids to 100ml ‘due to an outstanding regulatory restriction’, Nick Barton, CEO, told the BBC.

The airport blames passengers for the long queues and accuses them of packing their bags incorrectly.

The problem worsened, a source said The independentbecause the new scanners incorrectly identified innocent items, such as sunscreen, as ‘threats’.

Why was the 100ml rule introduced?

The 100ml rule was introduced in 2006 after a foiled terror plot to blow up planes flying from London to the US with home-made liquid bombs.

The restrictions required passengers to pack a maximum of one liter of liquid or less in bottles no larger than 100ml.

Liquids, it was determined, had to be sealed in a clear plastic bag and removed from the bags before being scanned at security.

Thanks to Nicky Kelvin from The points man for permission to run its scanner image.