TUI issues 'three hours' warning to anyone flying from Birmingham Airport before June

TUI has issued a message to all holidaymakers flying from Birmingham Airport due to security works going on until June. The airline has urged passengers to arrive at the airport with 'sufficient time' to get through security in case of queues.

The security hall BHX is undergoing a £60 million remodel to make way for new state-of-the-art scanners that will change hand luggage rules for all passengers catching flights from the city. Once set up, travellers will be able to leave their liquids and electronics in their carry-on bags to pass through security and the current 100ml liquid rule will be scrapped.

The British government had set all airports across the UK a deadline of June 1 to upgrade their systems and Birmingham is one of the few major airports scheduled to be ready in time. Recently, some Birmingham Airport passengers have reported bottleneck queues and long wait times to get through security as buildings press on with the security overhaul.

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TUI issued advice to passengers with flights booked from Birmingham Airport while the works are ongoing. Passengers flying to Europe and Africa are advised to arrive at the airport three hours early, while people travelling on long-haul flights should give themselves four hours to check their luggage and get through security.

The airline said: "We’d like to remind you to arrive at the airport with sufficient time before your flight. At the moment, we’re recommending giving yourself three hours for flights to Europe and Africa, and four hours for long-haul flights. That way, you'll have plenty of time to check in your luggage and make your way through the security queues.

"Arriving any earlier than this won’t mean you can check in or pass through security early. On that note, don't forget that if your flight takes off before noon, you can drop your bags between 2pm and 9pm using our day-before bag drop, making your departure day easier. You can do this for all flights except those to the USA. And, just so you know, if you're driving to the airport to drop your bags, you can use the Premium Set Down Car Park for up to an hour, for the special price of just £4 – just let the customer service booth know you've used the bag drop as you exit the car park."

TUI advised its customers to enter the terminal using the main doors in zones B, C and D to reach its check-in desks, which are on the ground floor. The entrances can be found by passing through the covered walkways in front of the terminal.

The airline added: "Rest assured, our team will be on hand to provide help and support wherever needed. Together with Birmingham Airport, we're doing our best to make sure the facelift has the littlest effect as you pass through the airport. At the same time, we're excited to be working behind the scenes to improve your future experience."

Birmingham Airport's CEO Nick Barton recently said that passengers will 'start to see the benefits' of the new security systems and a 'speedier, simpler pre-flight security screening process' from June 1. He added: "In the meantime, up until the June 1 date, our existing security restrictions remain in place. It is timely to remind all customers that they still need to remove electricals during the search process and only carry liquids, pastes and gels, up to 100ml, in 20 x 20cm in resealable bags in their hand luggage.

"We can confirm that yes we will meet the deadline, and we have already started to introduce the new machines to the customers and, after April 4 we will have three machines available, which we are rolling out and testing as we speak."