Birmingham: Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

[JF57]

I am not saying it is fake news, the pictures speak for themselves.
At times people have been queuing outside rather than inside.
But BHX want people through security as quickly as possible so they can spend money of which BHX take a percentage of all spend.
But as I say there have been no major delays and flights rammed.

I just can't see how queuing outside is acceptable. If it rains it will be a disaster. Surely this has to stop and soon.

 

[HPsauce]

I just can't see how queuing outside is acceptable. If it rains it will be a disaster. Surely this has to stop and soon.

Queuing outside only happened when weather was dry, and only on a couple of occasions several days back. Since then queues have been much shorter overall. Media blow it up for a shock horror story generally.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

Queuing outside only happened when weather was dry, and only on a couple of occasions several days back. Since then queues have been much shorter overall. Media blow it up for a shock horror story generally.

I've passed the long queues a lot more than a couple of times recently when its been outside and when its starts inside by costa heads towards south terminal goes outside then goes back inside further down. The media certainly haven't blown it up for a shock horror story because its been just that on lots peak occasions.

 

[Otisblue]

So, today BHX have issued a directive that all passengers arriving by train are required to head to
the ground floor to join the queue for security. I suspect this is in response to a recent article in the
Mail.

So, something that has worked perfectly well for a lot of people for a long time and was a really simple and easy aspect of travelling through the airport has changed for the worse, and this is all due to the ridiculous design of using lifts to get to security.

I have never seen so many comments on social media from people saying they will never use BHX again because of the queues for security, and the need to use lifts rather than the old escalator method.

I wonder if BHX management realise the negative impact of this change on the passenger experience and whether they actually really care that they are ultimately making passengers choose to fly from EMA instead ( so many people are saying they are going to do this ). And the new security hall is supposed to be designed for 18m passengers a year. ( assume 9m departing )

EMA must be rubbing their hands watching what is happening.

I have always sold the airport to friends and relatives to travel from rather than alternative airports, but i wont be doing it anymore.

After my last trip, i did get a survey to complete from the airport. I did put on it that I could not believe they had used lifts as the solution to get between floors, and said that if you are expanding the airport to accommodate the lifts, why not just relocate the escalators rather than put lifts in.

Sorry guys'n'gals, but i am fuming at this news today. I always use BHX and feel passionately about the airport, but I don't think BHX management have got a clue, and i actually think there attitude is very arrogant and they don't really care about the passenger experience while using the airport.

 

[TM3]

I think this is the article in question:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/use-birmingham-airport-every-week-29266019

 

[Otisblue]

I think this is the article in question:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/use-birmingham-airport-every-week-29266019

Thanks TM3, yep, that is the one.....

And the thing that annoys me, is that they have had to make the change to a perfectly seamless passenger experience because in my view they have got this new security hall process totally wrong.
I have not travelled through it myself yet, I will be living in sparkling anticipation until October for that, but from what i have read and people i know who have gone through it, the security hall is just too small which means at peak times now ( imagine if it ever gets to the supposed capacity of 18m ) you have to queue downstairs for a lift. So they are having to change the air rail link experience because of the airports own inadequacies in the design and implementation of this project.

So, you get off the air/rail......proceed to security.....get the lift downstairs.....ooo, no queue.....get back in the next lift upstairs.........madness. Maybe they will have some staff to tell you there is no queue so you can go straight through.....but maybe they wont.

Apologies again, I could go on, but i need to get off my box, which i am struggling to do at the moment............Blues, please announce our new manager now......then again.....

 

[Nethercote2019]

In the original 1984 terminal there was a staircase that went from ground level to the viewing terrace is that still there behind a wall etc ? The outside horrible ‘concrete tower ‘ is …. I’m sure as it looks terrible now
simon

 

[JF57]

So, today BHX have issued a directive that all passengers arriving by train are required to head to
the ground floor to join the queue for security. I suspect this is in response to a recent article in the
Mail.

So, something that has worked perfectly well for a lot of people for a long time and was a really simple and easy aspect of travelling through the airport has changed for the worse, and this is all due to the ridiculous design of using lifts to get to security.

I have never seen so many comments on social media from people saying they will never use BHX again because of the queues for security, and the need to use lifts rather than the old escalator method.

I wonder if BHX management realise the negative impact of this change on the passenger experience and whether they actually really care that they are ultimately making passengers choose to fly from EMA instead ( so many people are saying they are going to do this ). And the new security hall is supposed to be designed for 18m passengers a year. ( assume 9m departing )

EMA must be rubbing their hands watching what is happening.

I have always sold the airport to friends and relatives to travel from rather than alternative airports, but i wont be doing it anymore.

After my last trip, i did get a survey to complete from the airport. I did put on it that I could not believe they had used lifts as the solution to get between floors, and said that if you are expanding the airport to accommodate the lifts, why not just relocate the escalators rather than put lifts in.

Sorry guys'n'gals, but i am fuming at this news today. I always use BHX and feel passionately about the airport, but I don't think BHX management have got a clue, and i actually think there attitude is very arrogant and they don't really care about the passenger experience while using the airport.

Absolutely spot on. The CEO needs to make a public statement about this crazy situation and what is going to be done about it.
If the passengers are not happy as you say they will book flights from elsewhere and airlines will have to cut their schedules at BHX as a result. What a disaster.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

Thanks TM3, yep, that is the one.....

And the thing that annoys me, is that they have had to make the change to a perfectly seamless passenger experience because in my view they have got this new security hall process totally wrong.
I have not travelled through it myself yet, I will be living in sparkling anticipation until October for that, but from what i have read and people i know who have gone through it, the security hall is just too small which means at peak times now ( imagine if it ever gets to the supposed capacity of 18m ) you have to queue downstairs for a lift. So they are having to change the air rail link experience because of the airports own inadequacies in the design and implementation of this project.

So, you get off the air/rail......proceed to security.....get the lift downstairs.....ooo, no queue.....get back in the next lift upstairs.........madness. Maybe they will have some staff to tell you there is no queue so you can go straight through.....but maybe they wont.

Apologies again, I could go on, but i need to get off my box, which i am struggling to do at the moment............Blues, please announce our new manager now......then again.....

Spot on. The security hall is too small and will no way handle 18m pax and I wonder what the plans are for expansion, that's been my whole argument for the last how many posts.

I think this is the article in question:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/use-birmingham-airport-every-week-29266019

This article is absolutely nails it.

Part quote ""As a weekly traveller through Birmingham Airport I am concerned about the new security hall not being fit for purpose" said Mark. "When all the building works are completed, will the new security hall be big enough to hold the queuing passengers (fit for purpose) or will they still have to queue outside?" . Well folks they still queue outside today 1st June 2024( and still have been recently), I witnessed 1st hand this morning at 0625 and the security hall building has been completed.

The response from BHX is typical BS, "Airport bosses told us that extra staff had been drafted in from across the business to deal with a "predicted" rush and that they are "fully resourced" for busy days". These extra staff just marshal the queues. and cannot make them move any faster.

Finally there isn't always queues and some days, times are worse than others with some having good experiences and many others terrible but overall they are fairly quickly getting worse at peak times with many unhappy passengers. It seems pot luck what experience to will have.

 

[richard winterbourn]

From what i am reading, Bhx is not alone with extensive queueing early in the morning...

Bristol airport is experiencing similar problems: chaos at the car parks waiting for shuttles to the airport, chaos inside the airport and - passengers missing flights.

What the solution is i do not know, but maybe we should be looking at security being open for a full 24 hours, likewise the shuttle.

I would much prefer getting through security at 3am and spending three hours having breafast, coffee and a paper to read.

As someone who generally travels 'light', that could be ideal. But for passengers booking in cases, should the airlines now cinsider a full 24 hours operation.

Sonething has got to change, and change quickly.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

In the original 1984 terminal there was a staircase that went from ground level to the viewing terrace is that still there behind a wall etc ? The outside horrible ‘concrete tower ‘ is …. I’m sure as it looks terrible now
simon

These are those stairs that are still in use and now. ( Naughty stairs that bypass the lifts that will probably soon need an airport ID to open ).

Just for info this picture was taken this morning 1st june 2024 at 0625 clearly still showing queues are still going outside even though it was quite chilly out there.

The new norm!!!!!

View attachment 30793

 

[Vile8er]

Absolutely spot on. The CEO needs to make a public statement about this crazy situation and what is going to be done about it.
If the passengers are not happy as you say they will book flights from elsewhere and airlines will have to cut their schedules at BHX as a result. What a disaster.

Unless I've missed them I'm surprised that neither BBC Midlands Today or ITV Central News have not approached BHX for answers to the airport security issues. In my experience the television camera has more clout at getting direct responses.

 

[Aviador]

Well don't get too downbeat about it. The area still looks like a building site so I'm sure things will improve as the weeks progress. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I imagine the airport wished they'd completed by April, as opposed to mid summer.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

Well don't get too downbeat about it. The area still looks like a building site so I'm sure things will improve as the weeks progress. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I imagine the airport wished they'd completed by April, as opposed to mid summer.

The ongoing building/finishing off has little to no effect on the queues we are seeing

 

[Aviador]

The ongoing building/finishing off has little to no effect on the queues we are seeing

There could be other factors not being discussed such as additional local security measures might be in place until the Department for Transport have signed off the new equipment. Is it possible the airport have staffing issues such as training for the new scanners. I'm not trying to make excuses but I very much doubt this is the new norm.

 

[TM3]

When does the airport security open in the morning and are people arriving before that time?

 

[Aviador]

When does the airport security open in the morning and are people arriving before that time?

Good question. I don't know the answer precisely but usually airport security will open when check in opens so this is usually dictated by flight departures. Most airlines will offer check in 3 hours before flights, some airlines say 2 hours before.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

X files international airport

 

[TM3]

If people are turning up before security or checkin opens this is going to cause queues as there is going to be no throughput until security opens.

 

[Deleted member 8277]

There could be other factors not being discussed such as additional local security measures might be in place until the Department for Transport have signed off the new equipment. Is it possible the airport have staffing issues such as training for the new scanners. I'm not trying to make excuses but I very much doubt this is the new norm.

Don't kid yourself aviador. The whole design is a cluster, I think they have seriously overestimated the effectiveness of the new security equipment and not taken into account the human side of passing security ie, taking belts off, watches, stuff in pockets, taking off footwear etc etc that set off alarms and slow down the passenger screening due to physical searches required and leave those persons bags on the new fast hand baggage screening machines lines sitting unclaimed until that person has been physically searched and cleared to collect their bags, this will slow down the process of screening bags due to the exit being blocked by unclaimed bags that slow down further bag screening and create queues, and that doesn't include the numpties taking an age to clear their bags/belongings from the trays further slowing bag processing. Combine this with a smaller security area is a recipe for problems.

BHX have already quoted queues are the new normal.

When does the airport security open in the morning and are people arriving before that time?

Airlines like TUI are quoting 3hrs short haul which tells you what's happening.