Birmingham Airport passengers left frustrated over delays and long queues

Holidaymakers were hit with delays at Birmingham Airport with long queues which snaked from outside of the building and wrapped around the check-in areas. Travellers also reported escalators being out of service, forcing many to be crammed into lifts to get to their desired terminal.

Airport bosses said they were carrying out building works to help create a "more streamlined" security area, reports the MEN, with the long queues reported on Friday, May 18.

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson said: “Due to our on-going constructions works to build our new security search area, customers will find themselves queuing in unfamiliar areas. With the sunny morning we experienced today, we took the decision to queue our customers outside to ease congestion around the construction works.

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"Whilst this looks unusual to our customers, and for this we apologise, we do make operational decisions daily to ensure the flow of customers through security.”

Ryanair issued a warning to passengers, urging them to arrive earlier than usual to avoid delays. A spokesperson said: "Due to the increased number of passengers travelling over the summer period, and expected congestion at security control, we advise all passengers to arrive three hours prior to departure and proceed through security control as soon as possible.

"The Ryanair check-in counters will be open from three hours prior to your departure time. Please prepare your hand baggage in accordance with the advice found here before arriving at security as failure to do so may cause delays for yourself and other passengers.

"We also advise all passengers to monitor the Ryanair App for the latest information on your flight."

Some passengers have been complaining extensively over the delays. Aimee Franciso, who was due to fly at 8.25am, told Birmingham Live: "We arrived just before 6am. We were queuing at security for approx two hours.

"There were people at security just ahead of us whose flights were due to leave 10 minutes later."

Another passenger, Charlotte Deakin, said on social media that she was stuck in the queue despite arriving two-and-half hours before her flight was due. She wrote on X: "What a joke. Probably going to miss our flight."