Shropshire Star

Two-hour delays for baggage as Birmingham Airport faces busiest day

Passengers at Birmingham Airport have faced two-hour delays for bags on what is expected to be its busiest day of the year.

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Birmingham airport

Travellers on social media have been complaining of long waits for their luggage today after landing back in the rainy West Midlands.

Gripes have been raised over "unclear" tannoy announcements and a lack of communication between staff and passengers - as images have been released of hundreds of people queuing at the carousel.

Birmingham Airport has been responding to complaints on Twitter, claiming that an "operational" issue with Swissport is the reason behind the baggage delays.

The airport has been contacted for comment.

Almost 49,000 passengers were expected to pass through the airport today, with the most popular destinations being Dubai, Mallorca and Dublin.

The busiest day last year was September 3 when a total of 46,683 passengers used the airport, bosses said.

It brings a challenge to both staff and infrastructure at the airport, with the airport's baggage handling system struggling to cope.

Arrivals from Ibiza and Reus in Spain were among those waiting for their suitcases.

Some passengers said they had been waiting since noon for their luggage in a "chaotic" and crowded hall. They were told the problems were down to “operational reasons”.

As thousands look to leave the poor weather behind, those still here can at least look forward to some sunshine.

Temperatures are expected to reach 20C (68F) on Saturday with only a remote chance of rain.

That is good news for attractions like Stafford Castle and the farmer’s market in Stafford's Market Square which last weekend closed due to high winds.

Organisers behind Market Drayton’s Festival of Transport have also reduced the scale of their event on Sunday because of bad weather in the last few days.

More than 500 vehicles were due to go to The Greenlands for the event, but because of rain it has had to be moved to the town’s Towers Lawn car park.

The weather has also affected the blooms at David Austin Roses, near Albrighton.

Spokesman Gayatri Barua-Howe said: “Roses are blooming but at this time of year they tend to build up to their second flush which will be in mid-September, perhaps a little later than last year.

“But the rain is good for the gardens and doesn’t damage the roses. It helps their moisture and growth.”

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