Immigration
I also arrived back on a Sunday lunch-time at around 13.15 and we were arrival number 10 or 11 of 20 plus in just over one hour including Emirates.
It was an amazing sight to see and although far from perfect the airport on this occasion coped well.
They did block off the escalators and held pax in the pier but all immigration stations were manned and the e-gates were all operational.
I had about 10-15 minute wait in the queue (two children in tow) but on the upside despite arriving at the carosel to see it shared with three other Monarch flights the bags arrived within 5 minutes.
From touchdown (13.07 I think) to meeting our pick-up it was about 35-40 minutes, which I thought was fantastic considering.
If you look at the BHX movements over a week the Sunday lunch period is just one of those freak periods when most of the based aircraft get back (plus EK, KL, LX, AF) at around the same time.
As I walked out of arrivals having already viewed the 50 and 60 stands and now seeing the 40's and old T2 packed with aircraft, I felt amazed that my old little airport which barely had a couple flights an hour in high summer in the past had reached these levels.
There will always be a down-side and if you think arrivals are bad how will the new security area cope with any further in flux of early departures.
PK insists BHX can double capacity with what it has now and I assume that there is a plan, as I doubt the current terminal could cope with the current peaks and troughs. Evened out of 12 months then there would be little problem but that is unlikely ever to happen at BHX.
Pete