Birmingham Airport addresses 4am queue carnage as larger liquid check facility due next week

Birmingham Airport has addressed the ongoing queue carnage after passengers reported 'chaotic' scenes outside the terminal building at 4am today. A larger liquid check facility is coming to the site next week.

The airport said holidaymakers passed liquid check stations, predominantly in the outside facility, with staff speaking with them to ensure no liquids were in bags or exceeded 100ml in hand luggage. Next week will see the arrival of a larger temporary facility to further accommodate this process, which could help speed up queuing times.

A new Government directive was issued nationwide across all ports from last Sunday with a late change restricting passengers to 100ml in liquids, gels and pastes and hand-luggage. That limit was already in place at Birmingham Airport but the restriction was said to be hampering the venue's ability to use new security machines, which were set up to cater for larger amounts.

READ MORE: Birmingham Airport queues live after passengers report 'carnage at 4am'

It added to problems which have generated queues at the airport for a number of weeks. Some irate passengers branded early morning queues today, Friday, June 14, as "carnage" and "embarrassing." But others said the "queue moves quicker than you think".

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one passenger wrote: "Carnage at Birmingham airport, three lanes of queuing at 4am @bhx_official #bhx #birminghamairport." A different passenger said: "Absolutely embarrassing from @bhx_official with this queue to even get inside the building at 4am." A third added: "Get to Birmingham Airport early. It’s chaos. 4am. @bhx_official #bhx"

One passenger told BirminghamLive: "It’s queue after queue. It’s so stressful at the start of a holiday." After taking footage of the long queues, she praised staff for their handling of the situation and said it took around two-hours to clear all the checks.

Holidaymaker Joe Walshe joined the queue at 6.15am for his flight at 9.15am. Joe said the "queue moves quick." He told BirminghamLive: "From when I started to when I got through security was roughly just over an hour. And it helps you don't have to take anything out of your bag. I got here just over three-hours before my flight."

A spokeswoman for Birmingham Airport told BirminghamLive: “As we enter into summer season, we see some of our busiest days. Customers will now see our new ‘liquid check stations’ outside in our marquee where colleagues are checking with passengers to ensure that their hand baggage does not contain liquids over 100ml.

"Our security process now has two elements to it to help our customer transition through security with compliant bags. As ever we remind all customers to arrive in line with your check in opening time and not before, details on booking documents, and to only bring liquids under 100ml in hand baggage.”

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