by Airport passengers have been told to arrive three hours early to clear security queues amid the Government’s U-turn on 100ml limits for liquids in hand luggage.
EasyJet is advising its passengers to take an extra hour on early flights from Birmingham Airport after increased security queues left passengers outside the building. Travelers should arrive an hour earlier than if they were flying from another British airport, the airline said.
The advice comes as the Airport Operators Association (AOA) hit out at the Government for its surprise U-turn, as a very unusual move for the travel industry, which usually avoids being seen by officials to criticize.
Rules were expected to change at the start of June, allowing passengers to carry bottles of up to two litres, but last Friday the Government announced the 100ml limit would remain in place, saying security scanners were not new ready.
Countries across Europe have successfully relaxed the 100ml rule, with many using scanners made by the same firms approved by the Department for Transport (DfT).
AOA chief executive Karen Dee said the change was made with “little notice” and had “created uncertainty” for travelers “just as airports enter their busiest periods”.
“It has also put airport operators in a challenging position, with very limited time to prepare for the additional staff and wider resources this will require, and no clear idea of when this issue will be resolved,” she said .
“Each airport is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in this huge program of technology upgrades and Government-mandated programs with equipment and processes to meet their needs.
“We ask that all passengers please carry with us and ensure liquids are carried in containers of no more than 100ml, until otherwise advised.”
Ms Dee’s comments come after EasyJet issued advice that passengers at Birmingham Airport must arrive three hours before departure
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, responding to an irate passenger asking why check-in was disrupted on Sunday, EasyJet said: “We advise you to arrive at the airport 3 hours or at least 2 hours before your flight to account for. possible delays and facilitate check-in.”
A spokesman insisted that the airline’s advice to passengers had nothing to do with the Government’s U-turn on the 100ml limit.
Airports have been waiting for permission from the DfT to use the new scanners with containers larger than 100ml, and six have already reached the limit.
The new machines have state-of-the-art 3D X-ray technology previously approved by officials for use at other airports – including London Southend – with the higher liquid limit.
One company, Leidos, made similar scanners called “next generation security checkpoint” (NGSC) which were used at London City and Leeds Bradford airports. Those two airports had a higher liquid limit for hand luggage before the Government’s announcement on Friday.
Leidos was among a number of DfT-approved suppliers of so-called 3D CT scanners – including Smiths Detection, Analogic, IDSS Holdings, Nuctech and Rapiscan – whose technology is being used successfully across Europe .
Rapiscan provides Tallinn airport, which allows travelers to take bottles of up to two liters in their hand luggage, with no upper limit. The Estonian airport installed, configured, tested and commissioned its new 3D CT scanners in five weeks earlier this year.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport allows passengers to carry bottles larger than 100ml on flights in their hand luggage, as does Helsinki, which is supplied by Smiths Detection through a subsidiary called Machine Tool.
There is no suggestion that any of these companies did not meet the Department’s security standards.
Earlier this week, Birmingham Airport was the first to break ranks and blame the Government for causing problems for passengers. Bosses at the Midlands airport expected Department for Transport (DfT) officials to raise the liquid limit from June 1, while a new £60 million security screening hall was surrounded by scanners that could “design and resource them”. Smiths Detection manufactures its new scanners.
A spokesman for Birmingham Airport told the Telegraph: “Our new security area has been designed, and resourced, to accommodate the increase to two liters carried in cabin baggage, this cannot be worked with the temporary restriction under present.”
A spokesman for Braith Smiths said: “This is an industry-wide move and affects all its suppliers [NGSC] equipment. As an industry leader our work naturally depends on very close collaboration with all regulators to respond quickly and responsibly to regulations as they change.
“We continuously work quickly to update our technology solutions and adapt to evolving national and international regulatory standards. Our mission is to make the world safer.”
The Government insisted that nothing has changed for passengers, and that the U-turn on the 100ml rule is only “temporary”.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said: “The 100ml liquid restriction is being introduced temporarily at some airports to allow time to further improve systems.
“It only affects those traveling from six regional airports where there are [NGSC] they were already in full swing – around six per cent of all air passengers in the UK.
“For the majority of passengers, there will be no change in security measures since 2006. Passengers should continue to check their security requirements with their departure airport before travelling.”
Separately, research published on Thursday revealed that Britons are now embracing “slow travel” with one in four being put off a flight by ever-increasing airport delays.
A study by travel website HolidayPirates found that a further third of British adults avoided flying at least once in the past year, which it said signaled a shift towards “alternative means of travel”.
The businesses have been contacted for comment.
