Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner
Operator Birmingham Airport Ltd
Serves Birmingham, United Kingdom
Location Bickenhill, Solihull, United Kingdom
Hub for Flybe[2]
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 341 ft / 104 m
Coordinates 52°27′14″N 001°44′53″W / 52.45389°N 1.74806°W / 52.45389; -1.74806Coordinates: 52°27′14″N 001°44′53″W / 52.45389°N 1.74806°W / 52.45389; -1.74806
Website birminghamairport.co.uk
Map
EGBB
Location in the West Midlands
EGBB
EGBB (the United Kingdom)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15/33 3,052 10,013 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 12,983,436
Passenger change 16-17 Increase11.5%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[3]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[4]

Birmingham Airport (IATA: BHX, ICAO: EGBB), formerly Birmingham International Airport[5] and before that, Elmdon Airport, is an international airport located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, slightly north of Bickenhill in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England. It has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P451) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Passenger throughput in 2017 was over 12.9 million, making Birmingham the seventh busiest UK airport.[4][6] The airport offers both domestic flights within the UK and international flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, North America and the Caribbean. Birmingham Airport is an operating base for Flybe, Jet2.com, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways, and it served as a base for Monarch Airlines and Primera Air before Monarch ceased operations in October 2017 and Primera Air in October 2018.

Location

Aerial view of Birmingham Airport, in 2008

Birmingham Airport is 5.5 NM (10.2 km; 6.3 mi) east-south-east of Birmingham city centre, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. It is bordered by the National Exhibition Centre to the east, Marston Green to the north, Sheldon to the west, the village of Bickenhill to the south, and the village of Elmdon to the south west.

It is primarily served by the A45 main road, and is near Junction 6 of the M42 motorway. It is connected by the elevated AirRail Link with Birmingham International railway station on the West Coast Main Line.

The airport's location south-east of the city, plus the only operational runway being north-west – south-east (15/33), means that depending on wind direction, aircraft land or take-off directly over Birmingham. The relatively short north-east – south-west runway (06/24) is not operational, and has been incorporated into the taxiway for aircraft departing the end of runway 33, or gaining access to runway 15.

History

The airport site, as it was around 1921.
British Airways and British Caledonian aircraft at the old terminal in 1978

1920 to 1939

In 1928, the Birmingham City Council decided that the city required a municipal airport. Plans were submitted in 1933, identifying Elmdon as the site for the airport, delayed by the Great Depression.

On 8 July 1939 the Duchess of Kent, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark opened Elmdon Airport.[7] The airport was owned and operated by Birmingham City Council. Initial services flew to Croydon, Glasgow, Liverpool, Ryde, Shoreham, Manchester and Southampton.

World War II

During World War II the airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and was used by the RAF and the Royal Navy as RAF Elmdon, an Elementary Flying School and a base for the Fleet Air Arm. During this time, the original grass strip was replaced by two hard runways: 06/24 at 2,469 feet (753 m) and 15/33 at 4,170 feet (1,271 m).[8] Avro Lancaster and Stirling bombers manufactured at the Austin Aero Company's shadow factory at Cofton Hackett could not take off from the short runways at Longbridge. Instead they were transported by road, minus the wings that would be attached at Elmdon. They were test flown from the aerodrome, and once declared airworthy they were flown to their operational units. On 8 July 1948, the aerodrome returned to civilian use, though still under government control.

1950 to 2000

The Maglev rapid transport system, which operated from 1984 to 1995, was the first commercial maglev system in the world

During the post-war years, public events, such as air fairs and air races were held on the site. In 1961, an additional terminal building to handle international traffic was opened, called The International Building.[9] The main runway was extended to 7,400 feet (1.4 miles) to allow jet operations, including introducing VC-10 services to New York in 1967.

1984 saw the opening of the Maglev rail link train between the airport terminal and nearby railway station. The Maglev rail link was shut down in 1995 after 11 years, following a string of breakdowns.

The Government limited public sector borrowing applied in 1993. This meant that the airport could only expand by using private sector finance. 51% of the local council shares were sold to restructure the airport into a private sector company, enabling a £260 million restructuring programme to begin in 1997.

2001 to 2009

The control tower and runway, with aircraft standing at the main terminal building in the foreground.
Main check-in hall in Terminal 1
Departure lounge area
Arrivals area

On 20 October 2003, the Concorde made her final visit to Birmingham Airport on as part of her farewell tour.

In June 2006, a new turnoff from the main runway was completed and saw an improvement in traffic rates on southerly operations, where the only available option for landing traffic had been to travel to the end of the runway to exit.

The airport published a master plan for its development up to 2030 in November 2007, called "Towards 2030: Planning a Sustainable Future for Air Transport in the Midlands".[10] This sets out details of changes to the terminals, airfield layout and off-site infrastructure. As with all large scale plans, the proposals are controversial, with opposition from environmentalists and local residents. In particular the requirement for a second parallel runway based on projected demand was disputed by opponents. Plans for a 2nd runway (a third when demand requires) on the other side of the M42 and a new terminal complex and business park have been published, and they could help to create around 250,000 jobs. It has been estimated that if these plans went ahead, the airport could handle around 70,000,000 passengers annually, and around 500,000 aircraft movements.[11]

In January 2008, the shorter runway (06/24) was decommissioned. It had been used less often due to its short length, noise impact, and its inconvenient position crossing the main runway making it uneconomic to continue operation. The closure also allowed for apron expansion on both sides of the main runway. However it remains open as a taxiway and a helicopter airstrip.[12] In the same month, plans for the extension of the airport runway and the construction of the new air traffic control tower were submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

In June 2008, work began on building the new three-storey International Pier. It was officially opened on 9 September 2009. As part of the airport's 70th anniversary, the airport welcomed the Airbus A380 as the first user of the pier. The special service was the first commercial A380 flight in the UK to take place outside London Heathrow Airport. The new pier is a three-storey construction, 240 metres long and 24 metres wide. Departing passengers will be accommodated on the top level, with arriving passengers on the middle level and office accommodation for airline and handling agents on the ground floor. The new facility provides air-bridged aircraft parking for seven wide-bodied aircraft and enough space to serve 13 smaller aircraft at any given time and is capable of accommodating 'next generation' environmentally-efficient wide-bodied aircraft such as the Airbus A340-600, Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, Boeing 777X and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which all serve the airport on a daily basis. The new pier also hosts a new lounge for business class Emirates passengers.[13] In March 2009, the runway extension plans were approved.[14]

Development since 2010

In September 2010, an announcement was made that following the merging of Terminals 1 & 2 into a single building facility in 2011, the airport would drop the International from its official name to become Birmingham Airport. At the same time British Airways withdrew their flights from the Eurohub, and transferred them through Manchester, London-Gatwick and London-Heathrow airports.[15] However, it was stated in the autumn of 2016 that British Airways stated that they were returning to Birmingham with seasonal summer flights to popular European destinations. In the summer of 2017, British Airways resumed operations from Birmingham Airport after a ten year absence. A Midlands-based marketing agency was recruited to "create a new corporate identity that reflects Birmingham Airport's current position in the market place, as well as its future potential". Figures from Birmingham Airport show that 8 million people live within a one hour's drive of the airport, but less than 40% of them use it. It is hoped that the rebrand will make the airport "more visible to the market".[16] In November 2010 the new name started to be used.[17] The new logo, interlocking circles in shades of blue, and slogan, "Hello World", were designed to reflect the airport's new positioning as a global travel hub.[18]

In January 2011 the spectators gallery, 'Aviation Experience And Gift Shop', above Terminal 1 closed indefinitely.[19] In the same month, the airport merged its two terminals into a single Terminal Building. This involved building two new floors added to the airport's terminals. A new Lower Ground Floor accommodates the new Arrivals and Meet & Greet area. The 3rd floor was built in the Millennium Link and the two terminals to accommodate the new Centralised Security Search area. In July 2011 construction of a new control tower for the airport began,[20] to replace the old tower which has stood at the airport since it was opened in 1939. The construction of the new air traffic control tower was completed in March 2012. In Summer 2012, the new air traffic control tower's equipment was installed and testing and training began.

On 23 February 2011 it was reported that Birmingham Airport had announced the High Speed 2 extension could be a solution to runway capacity problems in London, citing that will be quicker to get to London from Birmingham than from London Stansted once completed and claimed that the airport had capacity for nine million more passengers.[21]

An Olympic ceremony was held at the airport on 23 April 2012. The Olympic rings were unveiled on the tower and could be seen from the A45 road and the main terminal building. This was to commemorate the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic games. These rings were removed once the Olympic Games officially closed, just before 2012 Summer Paralympics began.

In autumn 2012, construction of the runway extension began,[22] whose original target was in time for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics.[23] The extension to the southern end of the runway originally required the A45 Coventry Road to be diverted into a tunnel under the extended section, but to cut immediate costs, it was diverted south of the runway instead.[24] In Summer 2013 the new air traffic control tower became fully operational.[20] and the old carriageway of the A45 road was closed and the new carriageway was opened.[25][26] In May 2014, the 400-metre runway extension was officially opened.[22] Improvement to the taxiways where completed a month after.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan increased its stake in the airport to 48.25% in early 2015. The Canadian institutional investor firm also has ownership in Bristol Airport (100%).[27] Birmingham handled over 11.6 million passengers in 2016, a record total for the airport making it the seventh busiest UK airport.[4]

On 28 September 2016, a £100 million of investment was given to the airport. It plans to put into place a new baggage handling systems, two new car parks including a drop-off car park.[28]

In July 2018, Primera Air announced to terminate all operations in Birmingham gradually by October 2018. While the short-lived long-haul services already ended, some recently started or announced European leisure routes are called off.[29]

Facilities and infrastructure

Terminals

Birmingham Airport currently features two interconnecting terminals labelled as Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Between the two terminals is the Millennium Link building which houses several shops, restaurants and service counters. In the terminals themselves, security areas, check-points and a large airside area equipped with more shops, restaurants and bars that are connected are located on the first floor and connect to 48 departure gates. Gates 1-20 in Terminal 2 and Gates 40-68 in Terminal 1. Terminal 2 features nine stands equipped with jet-bridges as well as three walk-boarding stands while Terminal 1 features 11 stands with jet-bridges of which some are able to handle wide-body aircraft.

Terminal 1 was open on 3 April 1984, seventeen years after the original plans to construct a new terminal to ease congestion in the original Elmdon Terminal (Grade II listed since August 2018 and used for private and official flights).[30][31] Since then, T1 has been extended multiple times to accommodate the increase in both passenger numbers and aircraft movements.

Terminal 2 (also known as Eurohub) was opened in 1991. European carriers including Air France, BMI and KLM switched from T1 to T2 to focus on the "Hub & Spoke" model of air transport. British Airways also moved its European and domestic operations in to T2, leaving predominately international flights from BA and non-European carriers operating out from T1.

In 2000, the Millennium Link was constructed, interconnecting the terminals, allowing easier transfers between the two.

Runway

Plans for the extension of the airport's current runway, and the construction of the new air traffic control tower, were submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in January 2008, and approved in March 2009.[14] The construction of the runway extension, and the new air traffic control tower, began in March 2011. The extension to the southern end of the runway originally required the A45 Coventry Road to be diverted into a tunnel under the extended section, but to cut costs, it was diverted to the south of the runway. However, a tunnel under the runway's southern end is due for construction In the early 2020s when expansion to the south goes ahead. In August 2013, the old carriageway of the A45 road was closed, and the new carriageway was opened.[25][26]

Originally, the target for completion was in time for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. However, work began in late 2012, and the runway was completed in early May 2014.[32] The runway extension began to be used by aircraft in May 2014, and was officially opened on 22 July 2014, when China Southern Airlines operated its first charter flight between Birmingham and Beijing. This was the first aircraft that needed to make use of the new runway length. The extension caused controversy as more than 2000 local residents complained about the increased noise levels due to the new flight path around the airport that was required after the runway was extended.[32]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter services to and from Birmingham:

AirlinesDestinations
Aer Lingus Dublin
Aer Lingus Regional Cork, Dublin, Shannon
Air Arabia Maroc Agadir (begins 30 October 2018)[33]
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Amritsar, Delhi
Air Malta Seasonal: Malta
AlbaStar Seasonal charter: Palma de Mallorca
Austrian Airlines Seasonal charter: Innsbruck[34]
BH Air Seasonal: Burgas
Blue Air Bucharest, Larnaca
British Airways Seasonal: Florence (ends 3 November 2018), Málaga (ends 3 November 2018), Palma de Mallorca (ends 4 November 2018)[35]
Brussels Airlines Brussels
Czech Airlines Prague
easyJet Belfast–International, Geneva
easyJet Switzerland Geneva
Emirates Dubai–International
Eurowings Düsseldorf, Vienna
Flybe Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Belfast–City, Berlin–Tegel, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Hamburg, Hannover, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, Knock, Lyon, Milan–Malpensa, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Stuttgart
Seasonal: Avignon, Bastia, Bergerac, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Brest, Chambéry, Geneva, Innsbruck, La Rochelle, Nantes Newquay, Rennes, Salzburg
Seasonal charter: Kefalonia,[36] Innsbruck,[37] Preveza,[38] Turin[39]
FlyOne Seasonal: Chișinău
Freebird Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya,[40] Bodrum,[40] Dalaman[40]
Iberia Express Madrid
Jet2.com Alicante, Budapest (begins 8 November 2019), Faro, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gran Canaria, Kraków, Lanzarote, Málaga, Paphos, Prague, Rome–Fiumicino, Tenerife–South
Seasonal: Almería, Antalya, Bergerac (begins 25 May 2019),[41] Bodrum, Burgas (begins 6 May 2019), Chania (begins 7 May 2019), Corfu, Dalaman, Dubrovnik, Geneva, Girona, Grenoble, Heraklion, Ibiza, Izmir (begins 8 May 2019),[42] Kefalonia (begins 7 May 2019),[41] Kos, Larnaca, Malta, Menorca, Naples, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa, Pula (begins 12 May 2019), Reus, Rhodes, Salzburg, Split, Thessaloniki, Turin, Venice, Verona (begins 11 May 2019),[41] Vienna, Zakynthos
KLM Amsterdam
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Pakistan International Airlines Islamabad
Qatar Airways Doha
Ryanair Alicante, Barcelona, Bratislava, Bydgoszcz, Dublin, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gdańsk, Gran Canaria, Katowice, Kraków, Lanzarote, Madrid, Málaga, Malta, Murcia, Sofia, Tenerife–South, Verona, Vilnius, Warsaw–Modlin
Seasonal: Chania, Corfu, Girona, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Reus, Perpignan, Porto
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen
Swiss International Air Lines Zurich
Thomas Cook Airlines Fuerteventura, Hurghada, Lanzarote, Marsa Alam, Tenerife–South
Seasonal: Almería, Antalya, Banjul, Bodrum, Burgas, Comiso, Corfu, Dalaman, Enfidha, Faro, Girona, Gran Canaria, Grenoble, Heraklion, Ibiza, Izmir, Kalamata, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Malta, Menorca, Mytilene, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Rhodes, Sal, Santorini, Thessaloniki, Varna, Zakynthos
Titan Airways Seasonal charter: Chambéry,[43] Tarbes-Lourdes[43]
TUI Airways Alicante, Boa Vista, Cancún, Enfidha, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gran Canaria, Hurghada, Lanzarote, Málaga, Montego Bay, Paphos, Sal, Tenerife–South
Seasonal: Agadir, Alghero, Antalya, Barbados, Bodrum, Burgas, Catania, Chania, Corfu, Dalaman, Dubrovnik, Faro, Geneva, Girona, Goa, Heraklion, Ibiza, İzmir, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Malta, Marrakesh, Menorca, Naples, Orlando–Sanford, Palma de Mallorca, Phuket, Podgorica, Porto Santo, Pula, Punta Cana, Reus, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Thessaloniki (begins 6 May 2019),[44] Verona, Zakynthos
Seasonal charter: Chambéry,[43] Innsbruck,[43] Kuusamo (begins 16 December 2018),[43] Langkawi (begins 19 December 2018),[45] Salzburg,[43] Sofia,[43] Toulouse,[43] Turin,[43] Utapao–Pattaya (begins 26 December 2018)[45]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul–Atatürk
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat
Vueling Barcelona
Wizz Air Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj-Napoca (begins 16 December 2018),[46] Poznań (ends 5 January 2019),[47] Warsaw–Chopin, Wrocław

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Bin Air Katowice
FedEx Express Manchester, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
FedEx Feeder Belfast–International
Zimex Aviation Maastricht

Statistics

Passenger figures

Number of
Passengers[48]		Number of
Movements[49]		Birmingham Airport Passenger Totals
2000–2017 (millions)
1997 6,025,48579,880
1998 6,709,08688,332
1999 7,013,91398,749
2000 7,596,893108,972
2001 7,808,562111,008
2002 8,027,730112,284
2003 9,079,172116,040
2004 8,862,388109,202
2005 9,381,425112,963
2006 9,147,384108,658
2007 9,226,340114,679
2008 9,627,589112,227
2009 9,102,899101,221
2010 8,572,39895,454
2011 8,616,29693,145
2012 8,922,53992,632
2013 9,120,20195,713
2014 9,705,95597,346
2015 10,187,12298,015
2016 11,645,334113,184
2017 12,983,436 122,067
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority[4]

Busiest domestic routes

Busiest domestic and Crown dependency routes (2016)[4]
RankAirportPassengers handled% change
2015/16
1Edinburgh267,279Decrease3.8
2Belfast-City256,228Increase0.2
3Glasgow International226,731Increase0.0
4Belfast-International225,893Increase16.1
5Aberdeen128,700Increase11.6
6Jersey59,832Increase1.9
7Inverness42,480Increase2.7
8Isle of Man38,454Decrease9.7
9Guernsey32,746Decrease3.0
10Newquay23,955Increase1.3

Busiest international routes

Busiest international routes (2016)[4]
RankAirportPassengers handled% Change
2015/16
1Republic of Ireland Dublin921,542Increase18.0
2United Arab Emirates Dubai718,632Increase15.4
3Netherlands Amsterdam631,646Increase12.0
4France Paris–Charles de Gaulle399,613Decrease0.8
5Spain Tenerife South394,405Increase42.0
6Spain Málaga383,593Increase29.8
7Spain Alicante365,236Increase21.2
8Spain Palma de Mallorca356,427Increase39.9
9Germany Frankfurt310,788Decrease1.2
10Spain Barcelona308,260Increase56.1
11Germany Düsseldorf241,690Increase10.3
12Spain Lanzarote234,566Increase7.6
13Portugal Faro208,567Decrease0.1
14Germany Munich196,363Increase6.0
15Spain Gran Canaria166,937Increase40.3
17Spain Fuerteventura156,085Increase25.5
18Turkey Istanbul138,778Decrease0.4
19Spain Madrid135,905Increase314.5
20Belgium Brussels132,995Decrease7.4

Accidents and incidents

  • 19 January 1973 (1973-01-19): A Vickers Viscount passenger jet G-AZLR inbound from Leeds Bradford Airport suffered a severe port undercarriage failure upon landing.[50]
  • 4 January 2002 (2002-01-04): A Bombardier-CL604 business jet crashed on take-off from runway 15 at Birmingham.[51] The aircraft with registration N90AG was on lease by AGCO corporation and was carrying two company executives, two pilots and an observer. After arriving from Palm Beach International Airport the previous evening, the aircraft was parked overnight at Birmingham where ice formed on the wings due to the cold weather conditions. The following morning the pilots did not request de-icing of the aircraft before their flight to Bangor Airport in Maine. The ice on the wings caused one wing to dip on take off, the aircraft inverted, crashed into grass beside the runway and caught fire. There were no survivors. Sleeping pills taken by both pilots the night before the crash are thought to have been a factor in reducing the pilots' judgment.
  • 23 February 2006 (2006-02-23): Mahan Air Airbus A310 operating a flight from Tehran, Iran, was involved in a serious incident while on approach to Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft descended to the published minimum descent altitude of 740 ft despite still being 11 nm from the runway threshold. At a point 6 nm from the runway the aircraft had descended to an altitude of 660 ft, which was 164 ft above ground level. Having noticed the descent profile, Birmingham Air traffic control issued an immediate climb instruction to the aircraft, however, the crew had already commenced a missed approach, having received a GPWS alert. The aircraft was radar vectored for a second approach during which the flight crew again initiated an early descent. On this occasion, the radar controller instructed the crew to maintain their altitude and the crew successfully completed the approach to a safe landing. The accident investigation determined that the primary cause was use of the incorrect DME for the approach, combined with a substantial breakdown in Crew Resource Management. Three safety recommendations were made.[52]
  • 15 June 2006 (2006-06-15): A TNT Airways cargo 737-300 made an emergency landing at Birmingham with damaged landing gear.[53] The aircraft, registration OO-TND, had been flying from Liege in Belgium to Stansted. Due to poor visibility at Stansted the flight diverted to East Midlands Airport. As the weather at East Midlands was also poor, the aircraft performed a full autopilot approach. During this approach the autopilot momentarily disengaged causing it to deviate from the course. The aircraft hit the grass to the side of the runway, which caused the right main gear to detach. The crew initiated a go-around, declared an emergency and diverted to Birmingham. After it landed on Birmingham's main runway, the airport was closed for a number of hours. The pilots were unharmed.[54] However, the company ascribed the incident to human error and both pilots were dismissed.[55] The official report into the accident highlighted a number of factors contributing to the accident – poor weather forecast information; a message passed from Air Traffic Control to the aircraft at an "inappropriate" time; the pilot accidentally disconnecting the autopilot when attempting to respond to the message; the pilot losing "situational awareness" and failing to abort the landing.[56] Follow this link for a more detailed report and Official reports from the AAIB.[57]
  • 19 November 2010 (2010-11-19): A Cessna Citation aircraft, registration G-VUEM, crashed at Birmingham Airport during final approach in thick fog. Reports from West Midlands Police were that there were two casualties, one critical. The aircraft was bringing a human liver from Belfast airport, for a transplant operation which was subsequently completed successfully.[58] The airport reopened at around mid-day the following day. Follow this link for a more detailed report and Official reports from the AAIB.[59]

Security incidents

  • 6 June 2007 (2007-06-06): The Tonight with Trevor McDonald programme exposed serious security flaws at Birmingham Airport over six months. Fifteen members of staff working for the security contractor "ICTS UK Ltd" were suspended and subsequently dismissed for gross misconduct.[60] Members of security were filmed asleep on duty, reading magazines whilst operating x-ray scanners, leaving aircraft unguarded, and ignoring bags sent for extra security checks, as well as being understaffed. The security lapse was deemed so serious, that Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the US Congress Homeland Security Committee, commented on it in the United States Congress and advised that all flights to and from Birmingham Airport should cease.[61] ICTS dismissed the members of staff shown in the programme for their actions, but still claimed that the footage had been "contrived to exaggerate and sensationalise" the issues.[62]
  • 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08): The West Midlands Police helicopter (G-WMAO) was destroyed by arsonists,[63] and subsequently written off.[64] A year later, a new Eurocopter EC135 similar to G-WMAO was handed over to West Midlands Police at the Farnborough Airshow. Thousands of pounds have now been spent upgrading security surrounding the new police helicopter.[65]
  • 17 July 2014 (2014-07-17): A member of the public got onto the airfield through a restricted area of the terminal by crawling through the opening of a baggage carousel and getting onto the airport's tarmac apron, and then got aboard a Lufthansa Embraer 195 plane.[66]

Ground transport

Birmingham International railway station
The AirRail Link joins the railway station to the airport, operated by a track and pulley system
The proposed 'Birmingham Interchange'

Public transport

Rail

Birmingham Airport is served by Birmingham International railway station. The station is on the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham and London, and trains are operated by London North Western Railway, West Midlands Railway, Virgin Trains, Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry. Access between the railway station and the airport terminal is provided by the free AirRail Link.[67]

Proposed High Speed Two

As part of Phase 1 of the High Speed Two rail link, a new railway station called Birmingham Interchange will be built to serve both the airport and the National Exhibition Centre. The station will be built on the far side of the M42 motorway and connect to the airport using a "rapid transit people mover". High Speed Two is currently planned for completion by 2026.[68]

Bus and coach

National Express West Midlands operates the main bus routes calling at Birmingham Airport, those being the X1 to Birmingham city centre and Coventry, and the X12 to Chelmsley Wood and Solihull.[69] Other smaller operators also call at the airport. Bus stops are situated outside Terminal One.[70] Most buses are operated by National Express West Midlands, who do not give change when selling tickets, so foreign travellers will need to ensure they have British coins when taking a local bus. However adult daysavers can be purchased with euros for 5 euros.[71]

National Express Coaches operate various long distance coaches calling at Birmingham Airport on the way to or from Birmingham Coach Station, such as the 777 and the 422.

Taxi

Black cabs are available at the taxi-rank outside the arrivals area of the terminal.

Car

Birmingham Airport is accessible from the north and south via Junction Six of the M42 motorway. From Birmingham city centre, the A45 runs directly to the airport. Charges apply in some areas even for very short periods of time, with locations farther from the airport being cheaper than those near the airport.

Bicycle

The only cycle route available heads south over the A45 travelling towards Solihull. Birmingham Airport have however published "recommended routes" for cyclists.[72] Free short term cycle parking is available close to the terminal. For longer stays, bicycles must be stored in Left Luggage for a charge.[73]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Birmingham Airport". Airport Watch. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Birmingham: A hassle free alternative for long-haul travel". Flybe.com. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "NATS - AIS - Home". Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Aircraft and passenger traffic data from UK airports". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "We're Saying 'Hello World' As We Relaunch Our Brand". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010.
  6. ↑ {{cite web |url=http://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/
  7. ↑ "BIRMINGHAM – British Pathe". Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  8. ↑ "The History of Birmingham International Airport". Birmingham International Airport. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  9. ↑ "The History of Birmingham International Airport". Birmingham International Airport. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Birmingham Airport Master Plan". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010.
  11. ↑ "Birmingham Airport reveals vision of new runway". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Airport closes its oldest runway". BBC. 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "Emirates opens £1,3 million lounge for passengers at Birmingham". Birmingham Mail.
  14. 1 2 Birmingham Airport Runway Planning Notice Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ "Birmingham Airport changes name". Birmingham Mail.
  16. ↑ "New Agency to Manage Rebrand Announced". birminghamairport.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010.
  17. ↑ "Birmingham Airport (home page)". Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  18. ↑ Communicate magazine Archived 13 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Birmingham Airport says 'Hello' to a new identity, Communicate magazine, November 2010
  19. ↑ "Plane spotting at Birmingham Airport". TMC Ltd. Archived from the original on 2006-02-06.
  20. 1 2 "New Air Traffic Control Facility". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "HS2 'will bring Birmingham Airport closer to London'". BBC News. 23 February 2011.
  22. 1 2 Smith, Graham. "Birmingham Airport runway extension ready next week".
  23. ↑ "Runway extension at Birmingham International Airport could be completed by 2012 Olympic Games". Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  24. ↑ Cartledge, James. "Birmingham Airport runway scheme back on track".
  25. 1 2 "Birmingham Airport runway extension work starts". BBC News Online. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  26. 1 2 "Preferred Contractor Announced for Runway Extension Scheme". Archived from the original on 13 May 2012.
  27. ↑ "Pension fund raises stake in UK's Birmingham Airport". 2 January 2015.
  28. ↑ "Birmingham Airport reveals plan for £100m investment". BBC News.
  29. ↑ "Primera Air cancels all flights from Birmingham Airport".
  30. ↑ Haines, Gavin (22 August 2018). "England reaches 400,000 listed buildings milestone - here are eight of the most curious". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  31. ↑ Historic England. "Elmdon Terminal Building, Birmingham Airport  (Grade II) (1458322)". National Heritage List for England.
  32. 1 2 Graham Smith. "Birmingham Airport runway extension ready next week - Business Traveller". Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  33. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/279567/air-arabia-maroc-adds-agadir-birmingham-route-from-oct-2018/
  34. ↑ "Timetable - myAustrian Holidays". myAustrian Holidays.
  35. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/280776/ba-cityflyer-removes-birmingham-bristol-schedule-in-s19/
  36. ↑ "Log In or Sign Up to View" (PDF). lookaside.fbsbx.com.
  37. ↑ https://www.innsbruck-airport.com/media/17251/Linie_Charter_Sommer_2018_D.3806744.pdf
  38. ↑ "Destinations - Aktion Airport (PVK)". www.pvk-airport.gr.
  39. ↑ "Log In or Sign Up to View" (PDF). lookaside.fbsbx.com.
  40. 1 2 3 "Birmingham-7 - Page 17 - PPRuNe Forums". www.pprune.org.
  41. 1 2 3 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Jet2.com outlines S19 network expansion".
  42. ↑ "Flight Timetables - Jet2.com". www.jet2.com.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Ski Holidays 2017/2018 - Get More Winter With Crystal Ski". Crystal Ski.
  44. ↑ "Flight Timetable". tui.co.uk. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  45. 1 2 "TUI Airways UK schedules new South East Asia routes in W18". routesonline.com.
  46. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Wizz Air adds Cluj – Birmingham link from Dec 2018".
  47. ↑ http://www.pasazer.com/news/39485/wizz,air,zamyka,baze,operacyjna,w,poznaniu.html
  48. ↑ Number of Passengers including domestic, international and transit.
  49. ↑ Number of Movements represents total takeoffs and landings during that year.
  50. ↑ Harro Ranter. "ASN Aircraft incident 19-JAN-1973 Vickers 813 Viscount G-AZLR". Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  51. ↑ ""AAIB Report on N90AG accident"" (PDF).
  52. ↑ "Report on the serious incident to Airbus A310-304, registration F-OJHI, on approach to Birmingham International Airport on 23 February 2006". UK AAIB. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  53. ↑ "AAIB Report on OO=TND incident" Archived 9 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  54. ↑ Harro Ranter (15 June 2006). "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-301F OO-TND East Midlands Airport (EMA)". Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  55. ↑ "BBC News article, 27 July 2006 – Cargo plane crash pilots sacked"
  56. ↑ "Cargo flight 'a near catastrophe'". BBC News Online. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  57. ↑ "Accident description". Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  58. ↑ "Birmingham airport plane crash: Liver transplant operation goes ahead successfully – Top Stories – News – Birmingham Mail". Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  59. ↑ "Cessna 501 Citation, G-VUEM, 19 November 2010 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
  60. ↑ "Airport at centre of security row". Birmingham Mail. 4 June 2007.
  61. ↑ "AIRPORT SECURITY WHO WOULD RATHER READ SLEEP THAN X-RAY BAGS". The Express.
  62. ↑ "Airport security lapses exposed". BBC News. 4 June 2007.
  63. ↑ "Arson attack on police helicopter". BBC News. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  64. ↑ "Aircraft registration".
  65. ↑ "west midlands police ready to take off with new chopper". Birmingham Mail. July 2010.
  66. ↑ "Man accused of Birmingham Airport security breach". BBC News.
  67. ↑ "Birmingham International Station". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010.
  68. ↑ "High Speed Rail Command Paper" (PDF). DfT.
  69. ↑ "Network West Midlands". Route 97.
  70. ↑ "Coach or Bus". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010.
  71. ↑ One Black Bear. "Cash Fares - Single Journeys". Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  72. ↑ "recommended cycle routes". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 25 July 2010.
  73. ↑ "By Bike". Birmingham Airport. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010.

Media related to Birmingham Airport at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.