Bumper travel numbers expected at Birmingham Airport as school holidays begin

A total of 73,000 customers flew in and out of BHX over the first weekend of the holiday – 35,000 arriving, 38,000 departing.

And a big couple of months are expected over July and August, with 2.5 million expected to pass through the airport each month.

As of today, the average wait time for security has been described as "good" a spokesperson said, with 90 per cent of all departing passengers clearing security in 25 minutes or less and 60 per cent of all passengers clearing security in 10 minutes or less.

Earlier this year, thousands of passengers were forced to wait in long queues outside the airport for several hours due to 43 per cent of the Airport's employees being made redundant during the pandemic due to travel restrictions.

Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted in mid-February with "no prior warning", leaving the airport short-staffed and needing a recruitment drive.

This drive is now said to be all but complete, with the airport describing the additional security as fulfilling 100 per cent of its needs.

A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said: "Back in March, after Covid travel restrictions were lifted, we were at 70 per cent of the staffing levels we needed both in our pre-flight security screening area and in our front-of-house customer experience teams.

"Today (July 25), thanks to our ongoing recruitment campaign, we are fully resourced."

Guidance for those travelling over the holidays includes helping queues to keep moving by "removing all liquids, pastes, gels, laptops, vapes, lighters, tablets, game consoles from your bags before the x-ray scanners."

Travellers are also advised to "Arrive when your airline advises – not early, not late but on time."

And in light of the recent hot weather, passengers are urged to "Stay hydrated. Bring water to drink when you’re landside, take the empty bottle through security and refill it for free when landside."

Lisa Hartley, who flew out of the airport on Monday morning, said: "Super slick service at Birmingham airport this morning, fast track well worth the money, flew through security and having breakfast in no time.