Will airport chaos last all summer? There’s no end date on new liquid rules – as passengers are told they’ll now have to turn up four hours before flights
Holidaymakers have been told to arrive up to four hours before their flights at Birmingham airport amid confusion over the 100ml liquid rule.
Tui passengers travelling on long haul flights have been advised to check in between three to four hours ahead of their expected departure time after huge queues began forming all the way outside the airport yet again.
Some have been queueing at the airport since as early as 4am in the hopes of catching their flights on time following days of chaos.
Issues with the security checks have coincided with the Government’s decision to reverse the rules concerning the quantity of liquids passengers can carry in their hand luggage when departing from UK airports.
It had originally given approval to some airports to allow passengers to carry up to two litres of liquids in their hand luggage, after the installation of new CT scanners, but it has now temporarily re-introduced the 100ml until further notice.
There are fears the chaos at Birmingham could continue for months as insiders claim the airport is ‘understaffed’ and staff are being ‘overworked’, sparking concerns for thousands of holidaymakers looking to jet off abroad this summer.
Airline passengers faced huge queues at Birmingham airport this morning
Huge snaking queues have formed all the way outside the airport yet again, with some claiming they had been there since as early as 4am today
The problem has now spread to Bristol airport as well, where long lines have also started to form following delays in check-in and border control
Tui has told its passengers that its check in desks at Birmingham airport will open between two and three hours before departure for normal flights and between three and four hours before for long haul flights.
It comes after EasyJet passengers were advised to turn up for their flight three hours early for their flights at Birmingham.
In a post on X/Twitter, responding to a passenger asking why check-in had been disrupted on Sunday, EasyJet said: ‘We recommend arriving at the airport 3 hours or at least 2 hours before your flight to account for potential delays and facilitate check-in.’
The airline has insisted the advice is not linked to the 100ml liquid limit, according to The Telegraph.
Airports have criticised the Government for the liquid rules U-turn after some airports – including Birmingham – had installed new 3D scanners.
It should have meant the rules were changed on June 1 so passengers could carry liquids up to two litres in their hand luggage.
But the likes of Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester were allowed to miss the latest deadline for installing them after various logistical challenges.
Some airports that had installed the new technology had already dropped the 100ml liquid rule.
Holidaymakers took to social media to share their frustrations about huge queues on Friday
Currently, all UK airports are operating a 100ml liquids rule – meaning liquids can be placed in hand luggage but must be split into containers not exceeding 100ml
Airline passengers faced huge queues at Birmingham airport this morning
Chaos and confusion has reigned at Birmingham airport in recent weeks, with scenes of huge queues to reach security from outside the terminal
The queues have been ongoing for over a week with passengers seen queuing at Birmingham Airport on June 6
Furious passengers were earlier this week left waiting outside in the rain as they spent hours getting through security
But last Friday the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that six British airports will temporarily reintroduce the ban.
How 3D scanners are to spell the end for 100ml liquid limits
The current rules on liquids states that flyers are only allowed to carry containers of 100ml in hand luggage.
This year, however, passengers at select airports will be able to carry 330ml containers (2L) through security.
Similar to those used in hospitals, new CT scanners take high-resolution 3D images allowing luggage to be checked precisely without the need to remove items, thus speeding up the security process.
It means travellers will be able to leave liquids, laptops and electronics inside their baggage when they walk through security.
Baggage rules will still vary between different airlines, so passengers are urged to check before travelling.
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The change came into effect from midnight on Sunday, and affects passengers travelling from London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Southend and Teesside airports.
All of the airports have Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) in operation, which had allowed them to scrap the 100ml rule.
The high-tech CT scanners create a 3D image of what is inside passengers’ bags and are being introduced in a number of airports across the UK with the aim of speeding up security checks.
Birmingham airport had already been told to keep the 100ml ban while it waited for regulatory approval after installing its new £60million security screening hall, which included the new high tech scanners.
Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators’ Association, said DfT’s ‘surprise’ announcement ‘was sprung on us with very little time to react’.
She said this ‘created uncertainty for passengers just as airports enter their busiest period’.
‘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,’ she added.
‘All airports are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to deliver this huge programme of technology and programme upgrades mandated by Government with equipment and processes to meet their requirements.
‘We ask that all passengers please bear with us and ensure that liquids are carried in containers no larger than 100ml, until advised otherwise.’
Birmingham airport’s CEO Mr Barton appeared to blame passengers for the delays by not complying with the baggage rules.
‘A non-compliant bag with liquids over 100ml can add up to 20 minutes to each passenger’s journey through security,’ he said.
Mr Barton said the situation was ‘not what we planned’, and a pre-screening facility would next week be set up to ease queues.
He said there had been ‘bedding in’ issues following the opening of the multi-million-pound security hall – with passengers forced to wait in queues snaking out of the terminal to go through security.
Mr Barton told the BBC: ‘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.
‘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.’
Huge queues at Birmingham airport also caused chaos for passengers on Monday morning
Long queues outside Birmingham airport can be seen on Sunday in a video posted to X
Huge lines have been seen outside the terminal, snaking around the side of the building on June 6
Holidaymakers were made to continue to queue for hours outside the terminal on June 6 amid confusion over the new 100ml liquid rules
One customer posted: ‘@bhx_official embarassing state of affairs at #BHX. 2 hours start to finish. People collapsing all around the place
On Sunday, it was claimed by insiders that the queues currently seen at the airport could last for months and the airport is ‘understaffed’, leaving employees ‘overworked’ and ‘struggling’.
The issue was originally believed to have stemmed from a shortage of staff and the time it has taken to complete the new security hall upgrade, with the source adding that the airport should have employed extra security staff to combat these problems.
In response, airport bosses said a ‘continual recruitment campaign for security officers’ is in place and added that missed or delayed flights are ‘not necessarily’ their fault.
The issues started on Thursday, with long queues forming as the new rules for carrying liquids sparked confusion amongst passengers.
The chaos wasn’t eased up as last Friday and over the weekend people turned up three hours early for their flight but still found themselves stuck in long lines at security.
Birmingham Airport said in a statement that alongside the security delays with the new technology, ‘on-going building works on-site’ have added to the ‘usual busy morning’ as customers have waited in ‘long and skinny queues’.
