Birmingham Airport Consultative Committee
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Turkish Airlines increases service from Birmingham to Istanbul30th January 2012 Turkish Airlines is increasing flights between Birmingham Airport and Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport from five flights a week to a daily service from March 25. More business travellers have been using Ataturk to connect with Turkish Airlines’ route network in the Middle East, Far East and Africa, according to Birmingham Airport. Onward bookings have been “outstanding” the airport said, with “more people realising how easy and convenient it is to connect via Istanbul rather than taking car journeys to other UK airports to catch direct flights.” The new service will fly from Birmingham at 11.15am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 2.15pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Turkish Airlines will operate an Airbus 320 and Boeing 737-800, fitted for business and economy classes. Martyn Lloyd, head of air service development at Birmingham Airport, said: “Turkish Airlines began services from Birmingham in 2008 and has offered a vital service for Birmingham and the Midlands, whilst increasing passenger numbers year by year. “However, business travellers need both choice and flexibility and we have worked in partnership with Turkish Airlines to secure a daily service from the end of March. “We’re therefore delighted with this development to give our business and leisure community even more choice for long-haul connectivity from Birmingham.” Turkish Airlines general manager Mustafa Yildirim said: “We’re committed to Birmingham Airport and the decision to increase our operation demonstrates this. “Turkish Airlines can offer travellers excellent choice, service and punctuality across Europe, the Indian Sub-continent, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa, with a choice of 190 destinations across our network. “We look forward to welcoming new passengers on this growing route and giving people from the region even more choice. “We will continue our growth by keeping our service and quality standards.” [Source: Birmingham Post] New night time flight policy agreed by Birmingham Airport and Solihull CouncilFrom Cllr Stuart Davis, Chairman of Planning Committee 27 January 2012 Solihull Council and Birmingham Airport have agreed a new night time flying policy that will reduce noise for neighbouring communities. At a meeting of the Council’s planning committee, members agreed proposals which will see a reduction in noise during the night period, where the Airport will reduce it night noise violation level limit from 87dB(A) to 85 dB(A), which would encourage airlines to operate quieter aircraft. The Airport also agreed to ban the scheduling of noisy aircraft at night. The combination of restrictions in the new Night Flying Policy would see Birmingham Airport having one of the most stringent rules around night noise of any airport in the UK. The proposals have also changed the night period to bring it in line with other UK airports and that defined by the Civil Aviation Authority- 11.30pm-6am (previously 11pm-6am). The Night Flying Policy at Birmingham Airport is reviewed every two years. In 2010/11, an interim review was carried out, subject to the airport carrying out a full review in 2011. As part of the review the Airport carried out a 16 week public consultation, launched in June 2011, seeking the views on their proposals. The proposals were put to the Airport Working party, who worked closely with the airport to gain further information in order to be able to put forward a suitable proposal to the Planning Committee. Birmingham Airport’s Environment Manager, Kirstin Kane said “We are committed to meeting the air travel needs of the Midlands region in an environmentally responsible way and the Night Flying Policy is an integral part of the Airport Company’s overall programme of environmental mitigation. We would also like to thank the Airport Working Party for their approach to working in partnership to achieve a Night Flying Policy that can be considered as the most stringent in the UK." [Source: Solihull MBC] Ryanair Announces BudapestRyanair has announced it will begin flights from Birmingham to Budapest from March 2012, which will increase Ryanair’s annual traffic to over 1.3 million passengers at Birmingham Airport. Ryanair celebrated the news by releasing 1 million seats, from £9.99, for travel on Tues, Wed and Thurs in late February and early March, which are available for booking until midnight Thursday 26th January. Ryanair’s new Birmingham route will go on sale on www.ryanair.com on Wednesday 25th January. Ryanair’s Maria Macken said: “Ryanair is pleased to announce a new route from Birmingham to Budapest which will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays from March. Passengers in the West Midlands now have a choice of 24 top Ryanair destinations from Birmingham Airport giving them even more choice than ever. To celebrate this new route Ryanair is releasing 1million seats, from £9.99, for travel across Europe in late Feb/ early Mar. These are available for booking until midnight Thursday (26th Jan). Since seats at these crazy low prices will be snapped up quickly, we urge passengers to book them immediately on www.ryanair.com. Seats on Ryanair’s new route from Birmingham to Budapest will start from £36.99.” Martyn Lloyd, Air Services Director commenting on the route announcement said: “We are absolutely delighted that Ryanair will be flying to Budapest. This is the first time people from the Midlands will be able to travel direct from Birmingham to Budapest which is cited as the most beautiful city in Europe. This new route will bring the total number of destinations that Ryanair serve from Birmingham to 24, showing its commitment to the region.” [Source: Birmingham Airport] Flybe Announces New Waterford RouteFlybe has announced its latest new route from Birmingham that offers daily flights to Waterford from March 25th, further expanding the airline’s schedule to a total choice of 23 routes and up to 610 flights a week from Birmingham Airport for Summer 2012. Tickets are on sale at www.flybe.com from £26.99 one way including taxes and charges. The additional route is expected to benefit a mix of business and leisure passengers as the daily route offers easy access to Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city located on the country’s picturesque South East Coast. Flybe’s Managing Director, Andrew Strong, comments: “Flybe is committed to developing our route network out of Birmingham and to keeping business and leisure travellers moving during these continued economically challenging times. “ Along with Waterford Airport - which is delighted to again have direct air access to ‘one of the best located airports in Britain’ and the UK’s second largest city - Martyn Lloyd, Air Services Development Director for Birmingham Airport says: “We’re delighted that Flybe will be operating a daily service from Birmingham to Waterford this summer. Waterford is a popular destination whether it is to visit the place famous for its Waterford Crystal or to walk around its beautiful 200 year old Cathedral. Flybe is one of our largest carriers, providing vital air connections to thousands of passengers each year from Birmingham and we wish them every success with the route.” Adds Mr Strong: “The introduction of the new route between Birmingham and Waterford to our already extensive schedule for summer gives our passengers a large choice of affordable travel options and we look forward to operating our first flight to Waterford Later in the year.”
[Source: Birmingham Airport] Olympics Games 'Welcome Spectacular' Announced10 January 2012 Birmingham Airport has announced that it will be the first Airport outside of the Capital, to host a London 2012 Olympic Games ‘welcome spectacular’ to give athletes and fans flying into the region a special Midlands welcome. On approach to the airport, passengers will see the five giant Olympic Rings on the Airport’s new air traffic control tower, which can also be seen from the main road into Birmingham. The Airport will also feature the London 2012 pictograms along the taxiway, and will use London 2012 branding to cover its HQ building, 'Diamond House', opposite the terminal. Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: “The Olympic Rings are an iconic symbol, inspiring athletes and uniting people around the world. To athletes they represent the culmination of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport. To visitors travelling from around the world and arriving in Birmingham they will excite and inspire them about the Olympic Games taking place in the UK.” Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s CEO said, “Birmingham is the UK’s second city, in the centre of the country, and is just over an hour from London. With both the American and Jamaican track and field teams training in Birmingham prior to the games, plus the City of Coventry Stadium hosting a number of football games, the region will play a major part in this amazing occasion.”
[Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham voted UK’s best large airport9 January 2012 A ‘Which? Travel’ survey has voted Birmingham Airport as the Best UK Airport in the large airports category – those serving more than four million passengers annually. More than 8000 Which? Travel members took part in the survey and were asked to rate airports they had travelled from in the last 12 months in each of the seven categories – airport design, environment, information/navigation, queues/delays, parking, catering and shopping. Birmingham Airport received four out of five stars in six of the seven categories and was one of 28 airports to be rated – Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester also featured in the large airports category. Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said, “This survey demonstrates that our hard work and investment is paying off and that our customers are benefitting from the many improvements we’ve made. “We know that Birmingham Airport offers a hassle free alternative to some airports in the south east for both getting to the airport and travelling through the terminal so these results reinforce this.” Since 2009, Birmingham Airport has opened a new International Pier and last year merged the two terminals to become a one terminal facility, providing a larger security search area and opening more shops and restaurants. [Source: Passenger Terminal Today] Birmingham voted best large airport in UK6 January 2012 Birmingham Airport has been voted the best large UK airport by passengers in a recent Which? Travel survey. In the poll, which was completed by 8000 ‘Which? Travel’ members and included 28 airports, Birmingham Airport emerged as the most popular gateway in the large airports category, ahead of Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. The airport was awarded 4 out of 5 stars in six out of the seven categories, which included: Airport Design, Environment, Information/Navigation, Queues/Delays, Parking, Catering and Shopping. Respondents were asked to rate each category by their satisfaction with, and their likelihood to recommend airports that they’ve travelled from in the last 12 months. The large airport category was for those airports handling more than four million passengers a year. Birmingham Airport is the UK’s third largest airport outside London, and the UK’s seventh largest overall, handling around 9mppa. According to ‘Which? Travel’, people have noticed the investments made by regional airports – such as Birmingham which is currently undergoing a €243million investment programme. Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said: “This survey demonstrates that our hard work and investment is paying off and that our customers are benefitting from the many improvements we’ve made. “We know that Birmingham Airport offers a hassle free alternative to some airports in the south east for both getting to the airport and travelling through the terminal so these results reinforce this.” Since 2009, Birmingham Airport has opened a new International Pier and last year merged the two terminals to become a one terminal facility – providing a larger security search area and opening more shops and restaurants. The airport is currently building a new 33 metre high air traffic control tower and a new aircraft hangar, and is progressing a tender process for a runway extension to allow for more direct long haul flights. [Source: Airport World] New £5m hangar at Birmingham Airport to be completed this month2nd January 2012 A £5 million hangar at Birmingham Airport will be completed on January 26. Around 50 new jobs will be created when Eurojet Aviation, which offers aircraft management, charter and maintenance services, takes over the 41,000 sq ft complex, which will feature an aircraft sales suite, commercial operations centre and maintenance. Airport chief executive Paul Kehoe said the building would provide a boost in the number of corporate jets using Birmingham. He said: ‘The people who use corporate jets are the people who make the decisions about where to invest. If we can supply a service where people on corporate jets are coming through a quality facility then hopefully they will be pre-disposed to invest in the West Midlands.’ [Source: News @ UK Airports] Birmingham Airport and MG to cooperate; call for China flights12 December 2011 A bid to boost trade between the West Midlands and China has been unveiled – with a new agreement between Birmingham Airport and MG Motor UK. The two high-profile regional businesses have also highlighted the need for a direct air link to China. The new tie-up between the airport and Chinese-owned MG centres on an agreement to foster trade links between the West Midlands and China. Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said: ‘MG Motor UK has the Chinese connections – they are the guys who know who are buying the air tickets. As we embark on our runway extension project next year, we are keen to hear from, and work with, businesses that would benefit from a direct air link.' William Wang, managing director of MG Motor UK, said: ‘We would welcome Chinese airlines to take advantage of the growing demand for air services between Birmingham and China. A Birmingham to Shanghai route alone would enable hundreds of business flights a year to operate, reducing the need for passengers to transit via other airports or take long car journeys to other UK airports to catch flights. This service would play an important part in the investment from China in Birmingham and the West Midlands.’ Building work on a 400 metre runway extension is scheduled to begin next July with completion by the end of 2014, which would make direct flights from Birmingham to the likes of China, Russia, India and the West Coast of America possible. [Source: News @ UK Airports] Local Partnership Launched to Develop Trade Between Birmingham and ChinaBirmingham Airport and MG Motor UK have entered into a formal corporate partnership which demonstrates their long term commitment to the development of trade between the West Midlands region and China. Speaking at the launch event, Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said, “As we embark on our runway extension project next year, we’re keen to hear from, and work with, businesses that would benefit from a direct air link. This is particularly vital for MG Motor UK, whose parent company is Shanghai based, SAIC Motor; the eighth largest automotive manufacturer in the world. “Birmingham Airport is a strategic national asset, which is playing an ever increasing role in supporting the Government’s air transport policy. With spare capacity to take another nine million passengers tomorrow and the potential for HS2 linking London with the Airport in just 38 minutes, we, like MG Motor UK, have a very exciting future ahead of us. We’re therefore delighted to enter into this corporate partnership and look forward to being able to work with this iconic brand going forward.” Since 2003, after London, Birmingham has attracted more Chinese investment projects than any other UK city, receiving £76.59m in capital investment and creating 596 jobs during this period. In 2010, Birmingham received £8.68m in capital investment from China. William Wang, MD of MG Motor UK, said, “Like Birmingham Airport, SAIC motor’s business is in an exciting period of international growth. As the proud owners of the world famous MG brand, SAIC Motor has made significant investment to make Birmingham the global home of the brand, SAIC group’s European engineering centre of excellence and most recently a manufacturing and sales centre for our new MG6 vehicles. “MG Motor UK would therefore welcome Chinese airlines to take advantage of the growing demand for air services between Birmingham and China. A Birmingham to Shanghai route alone would enable hundreds of business flights a year to operate reducing the need for passengers to transit via other airport hubs or take long car journeys to other UK airports to catch flights. This service would play an important part in the continued investment from China in Birmingham and the West Midlands region. Demand for this route exists from MG Motor UK, the Chinese community living here in the West Midlands region and the thousands of students that come to Birmingham each year from China to study.” [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport car park helps with kids Christmas collection 28 November 2011 The Airparks Birmingham Airport car park is helping the NSPCC to make Christmas better for disadvantaged children. From now until Sunday, December 18, Airparks is asking customers to bring in spare toys, children's books, colouring books, pens or anything else they would like to donate to the Birmingham branch of the NSPCC. The car park will pass the gifts onto the charity and they will be given to vulnerable or disadvantaged children in the area for Christmas. [Source: News @ UK Airports] Birmingham Airport jobs as Monarch fleet expands3 November 2011 Up to 200 jobs will be created at Birmingham Airport by the expansion of an airline's fleet, according to an airport spokesman. Monarch Airlines is launching five new routes from the airport across Italy, Croatia and Greece from next summer. Two Airbus A320 aircraft will help with extra demand. Paul Kehoe, chief executive officer of Birmingham Airport, was encouraged to see the expansion in what he called a "difficult market". He said: "With the airport's considerable investment in facilities and with plans to commit �100m over the next 10 years, the industry is clearly impressed with the work we are doing. "We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the airline and we look forward to working further with Monarch and building on our successful partnership with them to promote and launch their new routes." 'Excited' Monarch has operated from Birmingham since 2005. The airline also uses London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester airports in the UK. The new routes will see passengers flown to Rome, Milan and Venice in Italy, Dubrovnik in Croatia and Heraklion in Crete. Managing Director of Monarch, Kevin George said: "We are all very excited to be adding two additional aircraft to our Birmingham fleet and introducing our first flights to Italy and Croatia, which is fantastic news for our customers in the Midlands and cements Birmingham as one of Monarch's key UK airports." Last month bosses from Birmingham City Council and the airport met with senior managers from United Airlines and the Chicago Aviation Commissioner to look at the possibility of re-introducing flights between Birmingham and Chicago. [Source: BBC] First Biofuels Flight Departs from BirminghamThe UK’s first passenger flight using sustainable biofuel departed from Birmingham Airport, on Thursday 6th October, carrying 232 holiday-makers to Arrecife on a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Flight TOM7446, operated by Thomson Airways, operated on a blend of A1 jet fuel with Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) fuel. Birmingham Airport is supporting the operation through the provision of a dedicated fuel truck, independent technical support and storage infrastructure. Paul Kehoe, the Airport’s CEO, said, “We’re always seeking new opportunities to work with partners and reduce our carbon footprint so we’re very pleased to be involved in something which has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s impact on the environment in the future. “However, sustainable biofuels currently trade at a significant premium over regular jet fuel, a premium that the airline industry cannot sustain. It is imperative that UK and EU governments consider ways to incentivise the use of, and investment into, sustainable aviation biofuels.” Birmingham Airport has a programme dedicated to helping airlines reduce CO2 emissions and by using a combination of initiatives such as continuous descent approaches, continuous taxi and reduced engine taxi, the Airport can help airlines make savings of up to 1100kg of CO2 emissions per flight rotation. With the Airport handling some 44,000 rotations a year, these savings could add to up an excess of 48,000 tonnes; enough to fill Wembley Stadium five and a half times. Chris Browne, Thomson Airways Managing Director, says: “This is a very exciting day for Thomson Airways and a further step in our commitment to invest in sustainable aviation biofuel. We firmly believe the adoption of sustainable biofuels by airlines will help achieve the Government’s carbon budget which commits the UK to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2025. Most strikingly, sustainable biofuel has the potential to reduce aviation emissions by up to 80% in the long term.” The sustainable biofuel used by Thomson Airways is supplied by Dutch-based company SkyNRG, which is advised by an independent Sustainability Board consisting of two leading NGOs and a leading Government scientific institute. Dubai based company, Platinum Fuels, which recently launched its first UK base at Birmingham Airport, was chosen as the fuel handler for this biofuels programme. Its CEO, Tim Collins, said, “To be involved in the UK’s first commercial sustainable jet fuel operation is very exciting for us, particularly having only launched our UK base this year. We look forward to working with all the partners involved in the project.” Daily Thomson Airways biofuels flights will start from early 2012 from Birmingham Airport for approximately six weeks. As sustainable biofuels become more commercially viable, the airline plans to expand its use of sustainable biofuels across its fleet. [Source: Birmingham Airport] William Appointed as New Head of Route DevelopmentBirmingham Airport has recruited William Pearson as Head of Route Development to grow the Airport’s airline and route network. He joins Birmingham from Manchester Airport and is due to start his new role on the 6th October. [Source: Birmingham Airport] New Travelodge Hotel OpensA new £9.8 million Travelodge hotel has opened at Birmingham Airport. Situated overlooking the airfield, the new 200 room property offers room rates from £19 and has created 30 new jobs within the community. In recognition of the 35,000 travellers that pass daily through Birmingham Airport, from destinations such as France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Dubai, Pakistan and Iran - Travelodge staff have been trained to say "Hello, welcome to Travelodge” in ten languages – so that they can greet international guests in their native tongue. To celebrate the official opening of Travelodge’s 477th hotel in Birmingham, The Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Irene Chamberlain, and David Winstanley, Operations Director for Birmingham Airport, officially opened the new hotel by cutting a ribbon to mark the occasion. Birmingham Airport Travelodge offers a range of rooms which include, family, double and accessible rooms. All Travelodge rooms come with a luxury Hypnos king size bed, which has a royal warrant from the Queen. Family rooms cater for either two adults and two children or three adults with an additional sofa bed. Each room has en-suite facilities with eco-friendly showers, a flat screen TV with 18 free digital channels, free tea and coffee making facilities and Wi-Fi. The hotel also has a Bar Cafe which offers a breakfast, dinner and bar service. The “all you can eat” full English breakfast, is just £5.99 per guest when booked online. For each paying guest, two children under the age of 15 eat for free. To help the pennies go that little bit further – Travelodge’s customers can enjoy a two course main meal for just £6 when booked in advance at www.travelodge.co.uk. [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport Appoints New Environment ManagerBirmingham Airport is delighted to announce the appointment of Kirstin Kane to the position of Environment Manager.
[Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport plane crash blamed on fog12 August 2011 A plane carrying a donor liver flew into an antenna as it came in to land at Birmingham Airport in thick fog, the Air Accident Investigation Branch has said. The Cessna jet was flying in from Belfast, but hit a 50ft-high flight-guiding antenna on November 19 last year, then crash landed in the grass verge by the runway and caught fire. The captain was trapped in the cockpit and used an extinguisher to cope with the flames around him. The undamaged liver was rescued from the wreckage and was successfully transplanted. Fire crews ‘could not immediately locate the accident site’ because the fog was so thick, the report said. Firefighters were on the scene within three minutes, extinguished the fire and helped to free the captain and rescued the donor liver bound for Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It had been flown from Belfast International Airport for a patient who was in a critical condition awaiting a transplant. Witnesses said the weather was ‘extremely unusual, both for the sharp delineation between the fog and the area of clear visibility, with blue sky and sunshine, and for the speed with which the fog engulfed the airfield. The 58-year-old captain was treated for multiple serious injuries and the co-pilot, who managed to escape, had only minor injuries. [Source: News @ UK Airports] Control Tower Starts To Take ShapeThe new Air Traffic Control Tower at Birmingham Airport has started to take shape and is developing at a rate of up to four metres a day. Morgan Sindall’s construction works will be completed by March 2012, following that an extensive fit out of Avionics equipment takes place with the tower expected to be operational during the early part of 2013. [Source: Birmingham Airport] New Partnership Launched with Jaguar Land RoverPassengers travelling through Birmingham airport will soon be guided along their journey by two of the world's leading automotive brands thanks to a new agreement which will see Jaguar and Land Rover provide support vehicles and airside branding throughout the region's largest aeronautic hub. [Source: Birmingham Airport] Airport Hits The Road01 June 2011 As part of Birmingham Airport’s continued community relations programme, it is inviting members of the local community to meet the Airport team to discuss airport related activity, particularly its Night Flying Policy which it is currently reviewing. For several years, Birmingham Airport has operated a programme of outreach sessions at libraries and community centres in those communities most affected by its operations. Each session lasts for two hours and aims to provide residents with the opportunity to sit down and discuss any issues or concerns they may have face to face with members of the Airport’s community and environment team. The sessions take place during the daytime and in the evening and are free and open to all. The next outreach sessions are as follows: Monday 6th June 1700 - 1900 Castle Bromwich Library Thursday 9th June 1200 - 1400 Marston Green Library Tuesday 14th June 1200 - 1400 The Pump, Kitts Green a Wednesday 15th June 1200 - 1400 Valley Church Centre, Elmdon a Thursday 16th June 1700 - 1900 Fentham Hall, Hampton in Arden a Tuesday 21st June 1200 - 1400 Balsall Common Library Monday 4th July 1200 - 1400 Fentham Hall, Hampton in Arden a Thursday 7th July 1700 - 1900 Balsall Common Library Monday 11th July 1700 - 1900 Valley Church Centre, Elmdon a Thursday 14th July 1200 - 1400 Castle Bromwich Library Tuesday 19th July 1700 - 1900 The Pump, Kitts Green Thursday 21st July 1700 - 1900 Marston Green Library Those interested in finding out more about this programme should contact Andy Holding, the Airport’s Community Affairs Manager on 0121 767 7448 or email andy.holding@birminghamairport.co.uk [Source: Birmingham Airport] Eurojet announce £5m Birmingham Airport expansion19.05.11 UK aircraft management, charter and maintenance company Eurojet Aviation is to spend £5 million on an expansion at Birmingham Airport. The Belfast based company will build a new 3720 square metres (41,000 square feet) complex including a full-service fixed-base operation (FBO), commercial operations centre and aircraft sales suite and a maintenance facility. The maintenance facility is set for completion by the end of the year, when it will become an official manufacturer-authorised service centre. Eurojet will also base two of its managed Cessna Citation aircraft at the new FBO. Eurojet's managing director Graeme Campbell said: ‘We have operated from Birmingham for over 20 years. We are absolutely delighted to be locating this world-class development at such a high-profile airport in the heart of the country.' ‘The complete operational flexibility offered by Birmingham Airport – together with the tremendous support from the airport for the project – were decisive factors in selecting Birmingham, which is also the perfect location for the expansion of our FBO activities.’ Birmingham Airport’s chief executive Paul Kehoe said that the investment ‘represents an important development in the establishment of an aircraft maintenance cluster in the West Midlands’. [Source: News @ UK Airports] bmibaby Announce New Destinations from Birmingham Airport for Summer 2012Low cost airline bmibaby has today (18 May 2011) announced that it will launch three new destinations from Birmingham from next summer to Lisbon, Rome (Fiumicino) and Barcelona. Additionally, it will operate a new all year round Prague service. Martyn Lloyd, Birmingham Airport’s Air Services Development Director said, “This route expansion gives passengers in the Midlands an even greater choice of destinations from Birmingham, removing the need to take long car journeys outside of the region. We’ve invested �100m in last few years to improve the passenger journey and just last week we opened our new terminal, providing a brand new duty free store, a more pleasant security environment and larger arrivals zone. We look forward to welcoming more passengers to Birmingham and launching these new destinations next summer.” [Source: Birmingham Airport] New Terminal Opened by Secretary of State for TransportThe Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP, has officially opened Birmingham Airport’s new terminal, at a VIP event attended by more than 300 guests from international business and the travel industry. The new facility is the latest phase of a �100m redevelopment of the Airport, which includes the construction of a new International Pier, a 3,365 multi-storey car park, taxiway improvements and an Air Traffic Control Tower, due to be open in 2013. In the next decade it will invest a further �100 million to help achieve its vision for the future. Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, explained, “This investment places Birmingham Airport in a unique position to meet the anticipated growth in future air travel and offers an alternative for those tired of taking long and stressful road journeys to reach other UK airports. It showcases the airport as the region’s global gateway; not only to the Midlands but also the wider catchment and shows that it’s a viable alternative to London and Manchester. “Birmingham is increasingly being acknowledged as a strategic national asset, which should form part of an integrated transport system. Our runway extension scheme, to be operational by 2014, will allow for direct flights to China, South East Asia, the west coast of America and South Africa and will also go a long way in clawing back the market which currently ventures outside of the region for air travel. This, together with HS2, means that Birmingham can easily form part of the solution to the over-heated south east. [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport to open merged terminal13.05.11 Birmingham airport will officially unveil its One Terminal facility today (Friday), the result of a £13 million project to merge the airport’s two separate terminals. The new facility has been operational since February, but is being officially opened by the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond today. The merging of the terminals was undertaken in order to ‘improve [the airport’s] operational capabilities and the customer experience.' It is the latest phase of a £100 million redevelopment of the airport, including the construction of a new international pier, multi-storey car park and Air Traffic Control Tower. The single terminal features a larger, centralised passenger security search area, and enlarged arrivals and onward travel facilities. The Duty Free store has also been doubled in size, and further brands including Superdry, Next and JD Sports will join the airport’s retailers from July. The exterior of the terminal building has also been given a facelift to incorporate the airport’s new identity, with giant faces from different nationalities welcoming customers to the airport. [Source: News @ UK Airports] Birmingham airport in for long haulBy Mark Odell May 13 2011 Birmingham airport is being promoted as the solution to capacity constraints in London and the south-east as the government seeks to rebuff criticism that it lacks a coherent aviation policy. Philip Hammond, transport secretary, said Birmingham had a growing role to play in the country’s airport infrastructure. “Because of the pressure on airports in the south-east, it makes sense to use our regional airports better,” he said on Friday. Many aviation and business groups in London are still smarting from a decision to ban new runway building at London’s three main airports – Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. They rejected Mr Hammond’s latest proposal as unworkable. “We don’t think that is a sustainable argument at all. Heathrow is used as a hubbing airport and that aspect is wilfully ignored. “We are all for regional development but there is an overwhelming need for additional airport capacity in the south-east right now,” said Mike Carravick, chief executive of BAR UK, the industry grouping representing all scheduled carriers. The government has launched a consultation with the aim of publishing a draft policy document early in 2012. Birmingham airport, which handled 8.5m passengers last year, is just over an hour’s train journey from central London. Mr Hammond said once the proposed high-speed line to Birmingham opened in 2026, the time would shrink to 35 minutes, making the journey quicker than from central London to Gatwick and Stansted. Mr Hammond, who was speaking at the opening of Birmingham’s refurbished international terminal, be-lieves a high-speed rail network is key to relieving bottlenecks at airports as it removes the need for domestic flights. “I have always said that high-speed rail will change the economic geography of Britain,” Mr Hammond said. Other European countries, including France and Germany, have integrated some of their biggest airports into high-speed rail networks, allowing airlines to offer combined ticketing with rail operators. Birmingham airport has capacity for 18m passengers a year and is investing £65m to extend its one runway, which will allow aircraft to carry enough fuel to reach the US west coast and Asia. Work is due to be completed by 2014. The airport offers just two scheduled long-haul destinations – New York and Dubai – but has started using the prospect of constraints at the London airports as a selling point in its bid to attract more airlines. The government has told companies tendering for the new West Coast mainline franchise to include marketing of Birmingham airport as part of the bid process. [Source: Financial Times] Birmingham Airport has made £1m charity donations29 April 2011 Birmingham Airport has donated more than £1 million to local good causes since 1998. The airport revealed the milestone in the review of its Community Trust Fund, which distributed funds to community campaigns. Over 500 projects near to the airport have benefited since the fund was set up in 1998. Last year the scheme gave more than £50,000 to worthy local projects. Projects that benefited last year included the Mini Eden project, which received a grant to install a solar-powered hot water system at its innovative community gardening and education project in Shard End. An award was also made to the 2030 Squadron, Air Training Corps, which is based in Sheldon and used the money to buy IT equipment. Sports clubs also received grants, including Knowle Village Cricket Club, Water Orton Tennis Club and Bromford Lions Football Club. Solihull Canoe Club used their grant to buy an indoor kayak training machine and Solihull Guide Dogs bought portable marquees for its fundraising events. The Community Trust Fund Annual Review is available from www.birminghamairport.co.uk. [Source: News @ UK Airports] Airport’s Community Trust Fund Smashes One Million Pound BarrierBirmingham Airport has published a new review of its Community Trust Fund, having smashed the one million pound barrier during 2010. The Airport Community Trust Fund, which makes money available to community organisations in those areas worst affected by airport operations, made grants of more than £50,000 alone during 2010. Last year saw the number of local projects to have benefitted from the Trust Fund pass the 500 mark, since it was founded in 1998. Among them was the Mini Eden project, which received a grant to install a solar-powered hot water system at its innovative community gardening and education project in Shard End. An award was made to 2030 Squadron, Air Training Corps, based in Sheldon, which used the money to buy IT equipment to support on-line learning programmes. Local sports clubs were well-represented, with awards going to Knowle Village Cricket Club, Water Orton Tennis Club and Bromford Lions Football Club, while Solihull Canoe Club used their grant for the purchase of an indoor kayak training machine. Another group to receive a grant was Solihull Guide Dogs, which used it to purchase portable marquees for use at fundraising events. Tony Revell, a volunteer fundraiser with Solihull Guide Dogs said: “Our new marquees will enable us to raise our profile when providing information about the work of Guide Dogs. They’re eye-catching, practical and should help us boost the funds we can raise. We’re hugely grateful to the Airport and the Trustees.” Reflecting on the publication of the review, Marston Green Councillor Alan Martin, who is Chairman of the Trustees said: “The review illustrates just how vibrant and active the communities close to the Airport are and how many committed individuals there are, giving their time and energy to sustaining a huge variety of community groups. I know my fellow Trustees share my admiration of these people and my pleasure in being able to direct the Airport’s funding in support of their work.” Birmingham Airport CEO, Paul Kehoe, echoed Councillor Martin’s comments, adding: “There has been a lot of talk about ‘The Big Society’ recently, but we’ve been playing our part for more than a decade now. It’s impressive to see just how much fantastic work is going on out there and we’re committed to making sure we continue to work in partnership with local people to improve the quality of life for everyone. I’d urge anyone who takes an active role in their community to take a look at the review and see if the Fund can support them too.” The Community Trust Fund Annual Review is available for downloading from the community pages of the Airport Company’s web site - where anyone wishing to apply for a grant from the Fund can also find all the information they need. [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport to get new £10m control tower02.04.11 A new state of the art control tower is to be built at Birmingham Airport at a cost of �10 million, the Post reports. Work on the new building will start in May but it will be two years before it is operational because of the complexity of the new equipment being installed. The new 115ft tower will be built on a 33ft high hill. It will dominate the western side of the airport and be easily visible from the A45. Once commissioned it will take over from the original control tower, which is situated at the old Elmdon Airport site and has been in use since 1939. The move from Elmdon to the current airport location took place in 1984 but use of the old 79ft high tower continued. The new building will give air traffic controllers a better view over new buildings that have been built on the airport complex and will allow them to see to the end of the new 400-metre runway extension that it hopes to build. Will Heynes, the airport’s operation director, said the airport would be seeking ideas for the use of the old control tower when it was decommissioned. He said: ‘It’s a lovely 1930s Art Deco building that we are obliged to keep in its present form and we are looking for ideas for a new use for it. It’s a large building in a prime location with spectacular views and we are open to suggestions.’ [Source: News @ UK Airports] January Passenger FiguresBosses at Birmingham Airport are celebrating the first monthly rise in passenger numbers for almost two years, following the release of traffic results for January. The figures, out today, show a 0.2% increase in the number of travellers passing through Birmingham during January 2011, compared with the same month last year. This represents the first increase since April 2009 and is a welcome boost given the continuing economic uncertainty. During January, the Airport handled 522,769 passengers, including 431,564 scheduled passengers and 91,205 charter passengers. Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “This is a tremendous shot in the arm for the Airport and we are delighted to see our first signs of growth for some time. Given the tough economic climate and the various blows dealt to the industry in recent months, it is particularly heartening to see passenger numbers on the rise. “However, we are of course mindful that the market remains fragile. We will continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that we can build on this as we move forward over the coming months. There is still the expectation that 2011 will be a difficult year, but with our ‘One Terminal’ project taking shape, there is plenty to look forward to here at Birmingham.” During January significant growth was achieved on scheduled flights to destinations such as Malta (+138.8%), Las Palmas (+54.5%), Knock (+47.1%), Lyon (+43.7%), Munich (+32.3%), Frankfurt (+29.8%), Rzeszow (+29.4%), Dundee (+27.7%), Arrecife (+24.5%), Krakow (+22.7%), Bratislava (+21.1%), Gdansk (+20.7%), Gothenburg (+20.6%), Brussels (+18.3%), Newcastle (+16.4%), Milan (+15.9%), Inverness (+15%), Islamabad (+14.3%), Copenhagen (+13.2%), Chambery (+11.5%) and Larnaca (+11.1%). Charter traffic which experienced growth included Austria (+20.9%), Gambia (+18.3%), Canary Islands (+11.9%) and Cyprus (+11.6%). Scheduled traffic accounted for 82.6% of the total passenger traffic in January whilst charter passengers made up the remaining 17.4%. [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport becomes one terminal hub09.02.11 Birmingham Airport has become a one terminal facility, with terminals one and two merged to form one terminal for all arrivals and departures. All departing passengers will now use a new enlarged combined security search area and single departures area with self-service and manned check-in desks. Inbound passengers will arrive into a single meeting and greeting area. Further work at the airport will see the opening of a new duty free shopping area and fashion house in the next few months. Will Heynes, the airport's operations director, said: 'This £13m project puts the airport in a stronger position to attract new customers and showcase the airport as the region's global gateway. Our goal for 2011 is to improve the passenger experience. This project will create a smoother journey through the terminal and improve our overall efficiency.' ‘Over the next 10 years we will invest a further £100 million in our facilities, which will help us achieve our vision of doubling our passenger numbers by 2018. Although the scheme will not be fully completed until July this year, the transition into a single terminal facility is a major milestone for the airport.’ [Source: News @ UK Airports] Increase in Travel to Asia the Highlight of 2010 at Birmingham Airport27 January 2011 Passenger figures released today (27th January) by Birmingham Airport reveal a 17.1% increase in the number of travellers flying to and from Asia as the major highlight of 2010. The stats, buoyed by the likes of Emirates’ ever-popular twice-daily service to Dubai, represents a fillip in what was acknowledged as one of the industry’s most turbulent years. During 2010, 720,000 people flew between the Midlands’ premier gateway and Asia, to cities including Islamabad, Dubai, Ashkhabad and Tehran. These results reinforce the Airport’s knowledge that there is a considerable demand for flights to Asia from the Midlands and support the Company’s current strategy to secure direct flights to India. Overall, the Airport handled 8,577,822 passengers in 2010, a fall of 5.8% compared to the previous year. This fall was a trend witnessed throughout the industry, largely down to a combination of factors including the current economic downturn, extreme weather and the unprecedented ash cloud in April. Some 6,560,778 people used scheduled flights in 2010, 76.5% of the total figure. The top three scheduled destinations were Dublin, Dubai and Amsterdam, the same as in 2009. Charter traffic accounted for 23.5% of the total figure with 2,017,044 people using these services last year. The top three charter destinations were Dalaman, Palma and Tenerife. Paul Kehoe, the Airport’s CEO said, “We always envisaged that 2010 would be a challenging year for the aviation industry, however I don’t think that anyone could have foreseen the impact of the volcanic ash in April. This event alone cost the Airport �2m in lost revenue and had a significant impact on consumer confidence. This has been most apparent in the discretionary market, with passengers now choosing to stay at home rather than fly away for the weekend. “We also opened and finished the year with snow, which again had a significant impact on operations. With much of the UK and Europe affected by the inclement weather in December there was a huge operational challenge to overcome. “While there were many challenges during 2010 there were plenty of highlights too. We hosted The Pope’s farewell departure in September and launched an exciting new brand, which represents a change of identity and aims to grow loyalty from people living within our catchment. We want to embrace the fact that we can connect people to over 400 different places worldwide and want people to feel proud and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. “Looking forward, we will launch our One Terminal project in May and, once operational, the new single terminal facility will offer a vastly improved passenger experience. With a larger centralised security search area, an enlarged meeting & greeting arrivals point, and an improved shopping and catering offer in both landside and airside areas, we would call on those who perhaps haven’t used Birmingham for some time to take another look.” [Source: Birmingham Airport] Birmingham Airport Backs London Mayor's Call to Utilise Existing CapacityBosses at Birmingham Airport have backed calls from London Mayor, Boris Johnson, to realise the potential of existing airports to ease the burden of constrained capacity at Heathrow. Mr Johnson, speaking on Tuesday (18th January), cited the growing problem of limited capacity in and around the capital and called for boldness in addressing the issue. One of the proposed solutions is tapping into the vast potential of Birmingham as an alternative to airports in the south-east, which would be even more logical when Birmingham Airport is linked to High Speed Rail. Birmingham Airport (amongst other major regional Airports) is a Strategic National Asset which, with emerging Government thinking, can easily form part of the solution to the over-heated south-east. There is spare capacity at Birmingham - enough capacity to take another nine million passengers immediately – and more than another 21 million passengers in future years, as it improves its capability with a modest runway extension, for which Planning Consent has already been given. Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive, said, “The government has already decided against airport expansion elsewhere and has indicated that existing spare capacity should be utilised. A more efficient use of regional airports, linked to High-Speed Rail, will ensure that opportunities and created across the UK, rather than draw jobs out of the regions and deliver them to the south-east. “In these difficult times it makes sense to use and sensibly improve the assets that you have, rather than building whole new runways and demolishing whole villages. Those days are over. “Aviation has its part to play in an integrated transport system, and rail must play a part in distributing the demand for International Gateways, to airports that have capacity. Birmingham is a prime example as it is just over an hour from London. “Birmingham Airport is a vital yet underused piece of National strategic infrastructure. It is already the Midlands' premier international gateway.” [Source: Birmingham Airport] |
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