Passengers at Birmingham Airport reported “chaos, confusion and huge queues” today, Sunday 14 April. Holidaymakers said this was mainly due to delays at security checks.
Travellers described the scenes as an “absolute nightmare”, while another said it was “one of the worst airport experiences ever”. Another passenger asked BHX: “Can you explain the horrendous queues at security this afternoon? An hour and 50 minutes to get through. Six scanners open. Horrible service.”
However, the airport said this was the “new normal” and that changes were currently being made to security areas. A spokesman said: “Queues at Birmingham Airport today lasted no longer than 30 minutes.”
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“Our customers are queuing downstairs, but this is the new normal as the waiting area upstairs is closed due to our security construction work. Customers may feel this increases the wait time, but this is not the case, it is just an alternative route directly to security.”
The latest problems arose after more than 50 Ryanair passengers missed their flight to Malaga last week. Security problems also occurred on flights from Dublin and Geneva, one family reported.
Today, another angry passenger told BirminghamLive: “Birmingham Airport is an absolute nightmare. There are no stairs available for departure at check-ins B, C and D. There are only lifts and about a thousand people trying to get into three lifts.”
“I went to Terminal A and took the stairs, but the security check is just as busy. If it continues like this, I might be able to get home tonight. It’s just unbelievable how incompetent the organization of this renovation is.”
Other passengers vented their frustration at X. One posted today: “A great week in Birmingham ended with one of the worst airport experiences ever – @bhx_official get this under control! Chaos, confusion and huge queues everywhere #disaster.” Another wrote: “@bhx_official what an arsehole, you call yourselves an international airport. You’re a joke. Been at the airport for two hours and haven’t even made it to security yet. #joke.”
One passenger railed against the rules when he arrived back in the city on Friday 12 April, posting: “Once again absolute rubbish at passport control at Birmingham airport on Friday afternoon. If it doesn’t happen on arrival then it happens on departure. This has to be the worst airport in the world at the moment. And it’s nothing to do with the building work!”
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