Birmingham: Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[Jon Dempsey]

There was talk of cover being erected outside on Friday by the same person who promised it would all be fine in 6 weeks last Monday so now nearly 5 weeks.

Maybe, they're going to move the tin shed being erected for EuroHub pax!

 

[GliderPilot]

I have to admit it is terrible to have queues overflowing out of the entrance to the terminal filling the entire bus drop-off lane and looping back on itself as I've seen. It looks terrible, it's poor planning. Of course, at peak times you expect a slight delay perhaps between check in and security but not to the point that you're not even yet in the terminal building. Extremely poor and embarrassingly bad. It's right that the media have picked it up to be perfectly honest, ultimately BHX has enabled them that story by allowing that situation to happen at all.

 

[JF57]

I see it is in the national press today. Queues supposedly started on Thursday and caused by passengers not following the liquid rules.

Apparently a passenger not following the rules takes an extra 20 minutes.
The CEO has finally made a statement to the media for what it is worth.
We all know the problem has been going on for weeks.

Chaos continues at Birmingham Airport as huge queues in the pouring rain mass https://mol.im/a/13512611 via https://dailym.ai/android

 

[Nibbles]

Of course, having to remove non-compliant liquids from bags will slow down security queues. But that's been the case for years, new or old security equipment and facilities.

The difference previously was that it was known that it was likely to have a large number of rescans due to incorrect liquids, whereas the new system has been designed - including the queue - on the basis that there should be very limited rescans. Hence, if many dont follow the rules, all of the benefits of the new scanners is lost, and the queue rapidly fills up.

It's another reason why i will reserve judgement on success or otherwise until the work is complete and the scanners are fully working - including with the removal of the liquid rules we've had since the mid 00s.

Been through LHR T5 and T3 multiple times (20+) in the last few months and no bottles in bags. Newcastle and T3 at MAN the same although at MAN they did seem to be searching a higher proportion of bags which caused longer wait times. Although it's my local and used to be my go to, I do worry Nick Barton is looking to turn BHX into Luton 2.0 - big passenger numbers but a miserable experience

I dont know for certain, but i suspect that those trips through LHR/MAN have been via scanners which allow it, but that the whole airport hasnt moved to the new scanners hence a stipulation on their respective websites that the previous rules should apply. A bit like it was at BHX prior to 1st June where you could be bumped into the 'old' queue.

Fair point re CEO, though remember the CEO only ultimately does what the shareholders tell them to do. That said, though we all might want it BHXs future isnt likely to one which attracts high value travellers away from e.g. LHR beyond a handful of offering (e.g. Emirates), so focusing on the bucket and spade low cost carriers is probably right.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Nick Barton on Radio WM blaming pax for queues at BHX, 18% of all bags over the weekend failed at security mainly due excess size liquids.

 

[TM3]

Considering the airport has been running PR articles right up until the 1 June saying people are going to be able to take up to 2 litres it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that people are going to turn up expecting to get through security with that stuff.

Also doesn't really explain the queues before the new rules were due to come in when people were apparently able to get bags through without removing laptops and liquids up to 100mls.

 

[TM3]

The difference previously was that it was known that it was likely to have a large number of rescans due to incorrect liquids, whereas the new system has been designed - including the queue - on the basis that there should be very limited rescans. Hence, if many dont follow the rules, all of the benefits of the new scanners is lost, and the queue rapidly fills up.

So the airport took a punt on the new scanners without doing any testing to see if they provide the benefits that they were promised?

 

[Nibbles]

Fair point - though im not sure they ever said 'its 1st June, you can forget all your liquid rules', though they did say, as they still are, that you can leave your liquids (up to 100ml) in your bag.

On your second para, whilst some could anyone who went through the old systems could not. But by that point, all the upstairs queuing space had been boarded up. Around that time there might've been a lot more thought given to making sure your 100ml liquids were in a small plastic bag, so may have offset the slowness of the old scanners.

The point i've tried to continuously make is that operational planning is multi-faceted, and influenced by every tiny thing you can imagine, including staff, scanners, numpty-ness of passengers, someone leaving a barrier in the way, a medical episode that blocks the queue, people turning up late, people turning up very early, etc. When you add to that that its an ongoing construction site, its not a bit of wonder when it - sometimes - falls over.

 

[TM3]

Fair point - though im not sure they ever said 'its 1st June, you can forget all your liquid rules', though they did say, as they still are, that you can leave your liquids (up to 100ml) in your bag.

If you check the link on Google news below 1 May - 31 May 2024 you can see how many article were out there about the new rules coming in.

birmingham airport liquid rules - Google Search

 

[GliderPilot]

Nick Barton on Radio WM blaming pax for queues at BHX, 18% of all bags over the weekend failed at security mainly due excess size liquids.

He would blame the passengers though wouldn't he, he's not going to admit the airport's failings publicly. A well-designed security hall should be able to handle people failing to pass security. Would be interested to understand what measures they've taken in response to the 18% of people failing, or is the attitude "that's just the way it goes it is not the onus of the airport to fix or accommodate pax behaviour"?

What an embarrassing debacle

 

[route66]

So the airport took a punt on the new scanners without doing any testing to see if they provide the benefits that they were promised?

So how are other airports avoiding issues? I don't see very long queues in other parts of the UK.

 

[JF57]

Fair point - though im not sure they ever said 'its 1st June, you can forget all your liquid rules', though they did say, as they still are, that you can leave your liquids (up to 100ml) in your bag.

On your second para, whilst some could anyone who went through the old systems could not. But by that point, all the upstairs queuing space had been boarded up. Around that time there might've been a lot more thought given to making sure your 100ml liquids were in a small plastic bag, so may have offset the slowness of the old scanners.

The point i've tried to continuously make is that operational planning is multi-faceted, and influenced by every tiny thing you can imagine, including staff, scanners, numpty-ness of passengers, someone leaving a barrier in the way, a medical episode that blocks the queue, people turning up late, people turning up very early, etc. When you add to that that its an ongoing construction site, its not a bit of wonder when it - sometimes - falls over.

In order to sometimes fall over it has to be upright at some point. At the moment they system seems to be flat on its backside almost all of the time.

 

[MB1]

It would be interesting to see what percentage of bags failed or were pulled for secondary screening under the "old" rules in the former security hall. As a pure estimate (from being a punter enough times over the years) I'd say that 18% wouldn't be a bad guess for bags diverted due to liquids/electronics/swabs etc.

Now we know the new system is designed to make things easier as liquids, electronics can all be left in bags (leaving aside the temporary 100ml/2 litre liquid problem). But did they really just assume everything would run like clockwork from the day they turned on the machines?

Find it hard to believe that 18% of bags not complying is in turn causing those queues!

 

[TM3]

It would be interesting to see what percentage of bags failed or were pulled for secondary screening under the "old" rules in the former security hall. As a pure estimate (from being a punter enough times over the years) I'd say that 18% wouldn't be a bad guess for bags diverted due to liquids/electronics/swabs etc.

Find it hard to believe that 18% of bags not complying is in turn causing those queues!

I went through LTN about a month ago, old rules and more than half of the bags went for a search. There was an EL Al flight leaving around the same time which (may?) be a possible reason for more strigent rules.

Even so the time through security was nothing like 3 hours. TBH it wasn't the quickest experience but still under an hour.

My observation at BHX is when bags get singled out for a search you can enter a long queue for a member of staff there, rather than the (search) process itself taking 20 minutes.

 

[Nibbles]

So the airport took a punt on the new scanners without doing any testing to see if they provide the benefits that they were promised?

These scanners are in use around the world - i think there is only one company making them. There will be lots of data saying that they work, and how many people they can get through.

But that would also assume they are being used to their fullest, which means up to 2 litre liquids. We dont have that at BHX yet (pending regulatory approval). Thus, if someone turns up with anything bigger than 100ml they will go into rescan. Reading between the lines of the CEO statement, there may well be plenty turning up with bigger liquids assuming it'll be fine, and getting dragged out. That then slows the entire system down, particularly if the system has been designed on the assumption that, once in place, the restrictions would be lifted. Or in other words, a system designed for very loose restrictions simply wont work as well if tighter restrictions remain in place.

But, as previously, i think this is likely one of the (many) causes.

My observation at BHX is when bags get singled out for a search you can enter a long queue for a member of staff there, rather than the (search) process itself taking 20 minutes.

Yes, i think thats very likely. You can go and be a security officer to help them out if you like, advert live on the BHX website as we speak for the princely sum of £13/hr. Whether they have enough to do the job properly is anyones guess.

So how are other airports avoiding issues? I don't see very long queues in other parts of the UK.

Do any of those airports double as active construction site? I dont think so. So they'll have the size of queuing they need for all but extreme events, accommodating peak periods etc. BHX has a peak period that is very high this year (record-breaking, etc.), combined with a new security system that isnt yet running at its most efficient (see above), and combined with a lack of space to store everybody in a queue because of the ongoing construction work. Not really a surprise there are issues.

I do wonder, mind you, what the predicted queue length is for the max realistic peak period post scanners vs the 'new scanners but old rules' period. And if there is space within the airport to accommodate that queue. We might need someone who works at and designs the airport to tell us that, though.

 

[TM3]

These scanners are in use around the world - i think there is only one company making them. There will be lots of data saying that they work, and how many people they can get through.

But that would also assume they are being used to their fullest, which means up to 2 litre liquids. We dont have that at BHX yet (pending regulatory approval). Thus, if someone turns up with anything bigger than 100ml they will go into rescan.

So why is BHX the only airport in the world, but also the UK, where these scanners are making the situation worse?

Maybe the other airports weren't expecting the new scanners to eliminate bag searches?

Looking at the queues waiting to get to security it seems to me that the airport has plenty of opportunity to communicate to passengers that they can't take 2 litres of liquid through before it causes a delay in the security hall.

Yes, i think thats very likely. You can go and be a security officer to help them out if you like, advert live on the BHX website as we speak for the princely sum of £13/hr. Whether they have enough to do the job properly is anyones guess.

I haven't used the new security area and TBH I'm not going to as long as I see myself having to queue 3 hrs to get to see it, but if the problem could be solved by deploying a few extra staff I would have thought the airport would have tried it by now.

I've had my bag searched many times at BHX , despite being compliant. I really question whether 18% are genuine not compliant or whether 18% of bags are searched for any number of reasons.

Do any of those airports double as active construction site? I dont think so. So they'll have the size of queuing they need for all but extreme events, accommodating peak periods etc. BHX has a peak period that is very high this year (record-breaking, etc.), combined with a new security system that isnt yet running at its most efficient (see above), and combined with a lack of space to store everybody in a queue because of the ongoing construction work. Not really a surprise there are issues.

I do wonder, mind you, what the predicted queue length is for the max realistic peak period post scanners vs the 'new scanners but old rules' period. And if there is space within the airport to accommodate that queue. We might need someone who works at and designs the airport to tell us that, though.

It's not really clear what is going to be better when the construction works are done, other than that passengers will then queue inside the terminal, if there is room, which you recognise does not appear to be completely certain..

Ultimately it berings me to the same conclusion, that there are more flights scheduled for the morning than the airport can actually handle, at the very least for the current summer season.

Find it hard to believe that 18% of bags not complying is in turn causing those queues!

I can see why having your bag taken out for add search can a 20 minutes to your personal time in the queue but for the remaining 82% it shouldn't make any (negative) difference. If there is any time benefit from the new system these pax should actually be reaping the dividend of quicker security times.

 

[Nibbles]

So why is BHX the only airport in the world, but also the UK, where these scanners are making the situation worse?

Maybe because, er, its still a construction site with sub-optimal queue routings, holding areas, etc. When i travelled through last week, it looked very much like the queuing area was restricted by unfinished works, temporary walls and the like. One presumes (hopes?) that they will be gone soon, providing a bit more space (upstairs and downstairs), at which point the queue will function as intended.

The point i've repeatedly made - speaking from experience of managing impacts of transport construction projects during the main and late stages of a construction period - is that impacts can and will happen for the tiniest reason when the system isnt operating in its intended end state (i.e. all works complete, fully resourced, etc.), and that those impacts can snowball very quickly when they do occur. When the work is finished, that is the only time that we can really judge.

Im through there again tomorrow lunchtime - i'll see if anything has changed.

I agree with your point re staff. Though there is some complexity in adequately resourcing a very high peak period that lasts for a short period of time - e.g. do you ask a security staff member to do 4 hours in the morning then 4 in the afternoon? If so, do you pay them for the whole day, or to go home and come back again?, etc.

Re 20 minute delay - im a little skeptical of that figure. But that said, if several bags end up in rescan, that takes up the time of a security bod who could otherwise be doing something else. It looked like there was space for about 10 bags in rescan per scanner, when that fills up the whole thing has to stop (the old system obviously did the same). A more general problem i think though is the inability of many people to comprehend how security works and follow basic instructions ('excuse me madam, there is a space there, go to it', 'everything out of your pockets?'). I half suspect some of the queuing issues are nothing to do with the scanners, and everything to do with how quickly people are capable of getting themselves ready for security in the first place.

Anyway, im not a happy clapper for the airport (though i do have friends working there, and want it to do well as my (very) local airport, so i do hope that this all gets sorted out soon. The seeming lack of total panic from the airport suggests (perhaps?) that they fully expected what is happening and also fully expect it to settle down soon. At the end of the day, the 'negative' press on the Daily Mail etc. is hardly likely to stop anyone flying off on a well deserved holiday...!

 

[TM3]

Maybe because, er, its still a construction site with sub-optimal queue routings, holding areas, etc. When i travelled through last week, it looked very much like the queuing area was restricted by unfinished works, temporary walls and the like. One presumes (hopes?) that they will be gone soon, providing a bit more space (upstairs and downstairs), at which point the queue will function as intended.

I know you travel through the airport frequently so you will know, like me, the airport has been a construction site for some time, I would say comfortably more than a year. The airport has also suffered from long queues at certain peak dates during the school holidays for some time.

Let's put it this way, there has been a major escalation of the problem that coincides not only with the introduction of the new security hall / lifts & removal of escalators, but also the peak summer season. I think you referenced earlier the airport is now dealing with record numbers passengers or at least a significant double digit increase on last year for the most recent months.

Whilst I agree that passengers are queuing in "unfamiliar areas" I still don't really see how the layout of the airport is going to improve the absolute time to enter the security area, (where you swipe your boarding pass).

So why is BHX the only airport in the world, but also the UK, where these scanners are making the situation worse?

Maybe the question I should be asking here is has the number of flights at peak time in the holidays already increased such that any benefit from the new scanners has been absorbed and beyond?

 

[Jon Dempsey]

These scanners are in use around the world - i think there is only one company making them. There will be lots of data saying that they work, and how many people they can get through.

That speaks volumes about the management @ BHX. Other airports around the world were building sites whilst scanning was upgraded, yet there were few press reports of such disorganised chaos.

I have flown a number of times from BHX whilst the build has been going on and I have never seen such a mess, even when the previous security hall was being built from the Milennium Bridge.

I suspect the problem lies deeper than travellers carrying more than 100ml fluids in their hand-baggage!

 

[Nibbles]

Let's put it this way, there has been a major escalation of the problem that coincides not only with the introduction of the new security hall / lifts & removal of escalators, but also the peak summer season. I think you referenced earlier the airport is now dealing with record numbers passengers or at least a significant double digit increase on last year for the most recent months.

Whilst I agree that passengers are queuing in "unfamiliar areas" I still don't really see how the layout of the airport is going to improve the absolute time to enter the security area, (where you swipe your boarding pass).

OK, what would've happened if they had kept the escalators? They'd be turned off more than they are on because the top of the escalators would be full, with nowhere for escalator users to go. Dont forget that the current queuing upstairs for the security e-gates is in exactly the place where the escalators were previously - and there is nowhere else to put them.

Its a massive jigsaw puzzle, with some of those pieces moving and changing size all the time.

That speaks volumes about the management @ BHX. Other airports around the world were building sites whilst scanning was upgraded, yet there were few press reports of such disorganised chaos.

I have flown a number of times from BHX whilst the build has been going on and I have never seen such a mess, even when the previous security hall was being built from the Milennium Bridge.

I suspect the problem lies deeper than travellers carrying more than 100ml fluids in their hand-baggage!

Really? Maybe. Or maybe you just didnt see them. Im not sure Tampa International Airport's queues during construction (first foreign airport that came to mind, no idea if there were actually queues) would make headline news in the UK... And in any case, most airports elsewhere in the world arent constrained on all sides by things which restricts your ability to do anything. The bigger your airport, the most ability you have to be creative about how you manage queues (BHX has always had a small arrivals footprint, imo).

Agree that 100ml fluids probably isnt the only cause - its definitely one of. But i wouldnt say that 'incompetence' is the main cause despite what the press and those moaning in the queue want to shout at length (unfairly, imo).

-------------------

Dont know how i found this page, might've been a link on another thread or might've stumbled across it whilst browsing in the background of a meeting, but this has some useful context (though of course there is likely to be a positive slant on things);

Birmingham Airport boss speaks out on queue chaos after 'painful' liquids rule change

Birmingham Airport CEO Nick Barton admits that rule change, issued by government, has been "painful" for travellers

uk.news.yahoo.com

BHX had anticipated that by June 1, the 2 litre rule would come into play, easing nearly 20-year restrictions on liquid and bringing into play the airports new state-of-the-art kit. But government transport chiefs announced they needed to re-validate all the software on every machine (including at other UK airports such as London City, which had already rolled out the 2 litre allowance).

While the machines are having extra checks, passengers now have to stick to 100ml. But a perfect storm of people expecting to bring 2 litres in by June and those who still mistakenly bring through more than 100ml, is causing major issues at security. At the same time, building works are still being finished at the terminal, restricting indoor space for the snaking queues.

In June we were told that the machines would need a software upgrade. As a result of this software upgrade, we are running [the machines] in a very slow manner. The throughput rates are much slower," explained Mr Barton.

When asked if they can return to the old scanners and systems until the government checks have been completed, Mr Barton replied: "Staff have been trained to a very new system so they cannot go back because the risk is too enormous. Staff were sent down to Milton Keynes to train."

I think this is broadly the point I've been trying to make all along (without having any actual knowledge of what is truly going on beyond inferring a few things from my work (not in aviation) background). Maybe i'll ask Nick for a job...!