We’re fast entering the first May Bank Holiday Weekend in England, and people are using it as a chance to get away. However, it seems Birmingham Airport has had… less than a good time of it in the run-up to it.
The airport is being reconstructed to allow new security scanners to be in place, and there have been more than a few technical hitches that have meant people have missed their flights.
Birmingham Airport is expecting over 100,000 customers jetting off between Thursday 2nd May and Tuesday 7th May, an increase of 24% on last year, with the popular destinations including Dublin, Palma, Amsterdam, Alicante and Dubai.
A lot has changed…
A lot of the queuing points for security have changed to assist with the building works. The new queuing area for security is mainly downstairs, as a large part of the upstairs security queuing has been removed as part of the construction.
The onsite Airport Teams will be on hand to assist customers throughout their journey and help with any questions.
Travel Advice
Birmingham Airport advises the following if you’re going through the airport over the next few months
- If you’re travelling with Jet2 or TUI, you can drop their bags off the day before depending on your departure time.
- Check-in and security will be busy, customers should arrive when their check-in opens, each airline is different, and details can be found on their booking.
- Depending on your carrier will dictate where your Check in Zones is in the terminal:
➡Zone A for Jet2
➡Zone D for Emirates
➡Zones B & C for all other airlines - If you have checked in online, and haven’t any hold baggage, then you should arrive three hours before their departure time and make your way straight to the security search area.
- The new security area construction works are still ongoing. The upstairs queuing space has been removed which means the queuing area for security is now mainly downstairs.
- Remember liquid and electrical rules still apply. Ensure that liquids and electronics are out of bags for separate screening. All liquids, pastes and gels need to be under 100ml and in a resealable bag.
In Quotes
Al Titterington, Terminal Operations Director of Birmingham Airport said:
“It is an exciting time here at the airport as we build for our future and transition to our brand-new security area. The new area will have equipment that will ensure our customers experience a simpler and streamlined security process.
“The construction of our new security area has removed a significant area of space and that at times has been very challenging. We have worked closely with our contractors and operational teams to keep the airport operating but we know at times there have been instances where our service level has dropped below what we would aim to deliver. For those instances we apologise to our customers.
“We ask our customers to bear with us as we transition over to our new security area in which we have invested £60 million, part of a £300 million investment programme of works over the next decade.”
Allow extra time
We all know queues for security (be they fast track or normal) are nothing but pure pain some days. Throw in some construction work and multiple changes in layout (because I strongly suspect things have changed since I was there in January) and it’s a not a positive thing.
With the general advice appearing to arrive three hours before departure (and reports of two-hour security queues on Monday), allowing extra time for your trip through the airport will be more than a good idea.
It’s also worth remembering to follow the normal security guidelines to expidite your trip through security, eg
- Liquids and gels must be 100ML or less each, in a plastic bag and presented for screening
- Anything electronics larger than a phone should be out in a separate bin for screening
- Belts and large metal items are to be taken off and in the scanning bin
- Keep shoes on unless told to
Good luck out there…
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