Birmingham Airport ditches 'hated' rule by passengers just in time for summer - full details you need to know

Birmingham Airport has scrapped the rule requiring passengers to take liquids out of their hand luggage.

This comes just in time for the summer holidays, providing a smoother and more efficient journey for the thousands of families due to travel out of Birmingham Airport - the new rules will be in effect from the June 1, 2024.

Birmingham Airport has been hitting the headlines recently due to long queues forming. Birmingham World reported it took some people 90 minutes to get through security. The airport has said it "has been a working building site for 18 months, and continues to be, while we build for our future with a new security area".

The airport is set to complete its £60 million state-of-the-art security hall upgrade by its June deadline.

What does the new rule imply for passengers carrying liquids and electrical items in their hand luggage?

The new security checkpoints will feature Smiths Detection’s HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX, a computed tomography (CT) X-ray scanner, which produces high-resolution volumetric 3D images for quicker and deeper baggage assessment and low false-alarm rates.

Implementation of the new scanner means that passengers no longer need to remove liquids that are up to 100ml in size from their hand luggage or have them in separate liquid bags. Electrical items can now also stay in a customer’s hand luggage, making the journey through security easier and more efficient.

This change not being implemented until 1 June 2024, is expected to have a significant impact on how customers transit through to airside. With the removal of the need to separate liquids and electronics, passengers can look forward to a quicker and less stressful journey to their departure gates.

Liquids can remain in hand luggage loose, but still cannot exceed 100ml. Passengers are advised that they can only carry liquids up to 100ml, albeit it can stay in hand luggage and no longer needed to be in plastic bags even after the June date.

What other changes can passengers expect at Birmingham Airport?

While the airport is ready with its new security technology, it is awaiting the final approval of the 2L liquid allowance. Once the regulatory approval of the 2L allowance has been granted, passengers will be able to carry up to 2 litres of liquids in their hand luggage.

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Set to be in place for the summer holidays, will further streamline the security process, making the journey to departure gates even quicker and less stressful.

Al Titterington, Terminal Operations Director of Birmingham Airport said: “We have invested £60m in our new security search area to ensure readiness for the 1st June 2024. Whilst the airport is ready with its new security technology, we are awaiting the final approval of the 2L liquid allowance.

“In the meantime any customers travelling through the airport can take liquids, pastes and gels up to 100ml loose, and no longer in plastic bags, in their hand luggage. Additionally, electricals can stay in their bags and do not need to be removed at the security search area.”

As one of the few UK airports to meet the June 1, 2024 deadline to remove the liquid restriction from hand luggage, this marks a welcoming change for the thousands of passengers who will be flying out of Birmingham Airport this summer.