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Birmingham Airport

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For the Birmingham, Alabama airport, see Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

Birmingham Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerSeven Metropolitan Boroughs of West Midlands (49% total)
(Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall & Solihull)

Airport Group Investments Ltd. (48.25%) (Teachers' & VFMC)

Employee Shares (2.75%)[1]
OperatorBirmingham Airport Ltd
ServesBirmingham, United Kingdom
LocationBickenhill, West Midlands
Elevation AMSL341 ft / 104 m
Websitebirminghamairport.co.uk
Map
EGBB is located in West Midlands county
EGBB
EGBB
Location in the West Midlands
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15/33 3,052 10,013 Asphalt
Statistics (2014)
Passengers9,707,449
Passenger change 13-14Increase6.5%
Aircraft Movements 12-1395,713
Movements change 12–13Increase3.3%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[2]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[3]

Birmingham Airport (IATA: BHX, ICAO: EGBB), formerly Birmingham International Airport[4] is an international airport located 5.5 nautical miles (10.2 km; 6.3 mi) east southeast of Birmingham city centre, at Bickenhill in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull within the West Midlands, England. The airport is a base for Flybe, Monarch, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways.

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. Passenger throughput in 2014 was about 9.7 million, making Birmingham the seventh busiest UK airport.[3] However, the airport is the sixth in terms of international passengers.

Birmingham has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P451) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.

Location

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, and the village of Bickenhill to the south.

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

Where Birmingham Airport is now, as it was around 1921. (See[5] for a modern map of Birmingam Airport and around.)

1920 to 1939

World War II

  • 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).[7] 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.
  • 8 July 1946: The aerodrome returned to civilian use, though still under government control.

1946 – 1979

During the post-war years, public events, such as air fairs and air races were held on the site.

  • 1 January 1960: The City of Birmingham took over responsibility again.
  • 1 April 1960: The City of Birmingham assumed full responsibility.[8]
  • 1961: An additional terminal building to handle international traffic was opened, called The International Building.
  • 1967: The main runway was extended to 7,400 feet (1.4 miles) to allow jet operations, including introducing VC-10 services to New York.
  • 1970: The Birmingham Corporation Act 1970 gave the corporation the power to attest constables for the airport, creating the Birmingham Airport Police.
  • 1974: Ownership of the airport passed to the newly formed West Midlands County Council.[7]

2 April 1966 First jet flight to Palma - BAC111

1980 – 1989

The Maglev rapid transport system, which operated from 1984 to 1995, was the first commercial maglev system in the world
  • 4 April 1984: The current airport was first used. A new terminal was opened on the east side of the runway adjacent to the Birmingham International railway station and the National Exhibition Centre, able to handle three million passengers a year.
  • 30 May 1984: Elizabeth II opened it.[9]
    It included a Maglev Airport Rapid Transit system, running between the airport and Birmingham International railway station on a 600-metre (1,969 ft) track.[10]
    The original Art Deco 1939 terminal and control tower are still visible and are in use as aviation related offices, near hangars to the west of the runway.
  • 1985: Take Off, a sculpture by the Polish artist Walenty Pytel, was set up, on a roundabout on the approach road. It is 1.4 m (4.6 ft) tall. The unpolished steel sculpture was designed to commemorate 40 years of peace in Europe.[11]
  • 1986: Ownership of the Airport transferred to the newly formed West Midlands Joint Airport Committee, comprising the seven West Midlands district councils. Shortly after this, the Airports Act 1986 was introduced, requiring municipal airports with turnover greater than £1m to become Public Airport Companies.
  • 1 April 1987: Ownership of the airport was transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc, although still owned by the seven West Midlands district councils.

1990 – 1999

  • 26 July 1991: A second terminal, "Eurohub", opened (with Concorde in attendance), more than doubling the airport's capacity. This second terminal was designed for the use of British Airways and its partners as part of a "hub and spoke" system whereby aircraft would arrive in waves from domestic and European destinations and allowed easy transfers so that a passenger from, say Edinburgh, could connect to a range of European destinations. In 1980, British Airways started operating a service to New York-JFK,and Toronto-Pearson.
  • 1993: The Government limited public sector borrowing. 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.
  • 1995: The Maglev Airport Rapid Transit system[10] was closed due to high cost and problems sourcing parts.

2000 – 2010

The AirRail Link joins the railway station to the airport, operated by a track and pulley system
Part of the Terminal 2 apron, the runway is seen beyond.
  • 3 March 2000: The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the £40 million redevelopment of the airport. [citation needed] The redevelopment introduced a new customs and immigration hall, twelve new shops, a new baggage reclaim area, a new arrivals concourse, a new pier with three air bridges, and sixteen new check-in desks in Terminal 1. They also linked Terminal One with Terminal Two (previously "Eurohub") for the first time with the newly built Millennium Link. Following on from this, £18 million was spent on replacing the Maglev by the AirRail Link people mover, which was the first in the world to be used at an airport. [citation needed] The public transport interchange was built to extend Birmingham International railway station for airport users. This has since been named Birmingham International Interchange.
  • 2000: Emirates launched a new service to Dubai, eventually going twice daily in 2005. The service will operate thrice daily from August 2015. [citation needed]
  • 20 October 2003: Concorde made her final visit to Birmingham Airport on as part of her farewell tour.
  • 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.
  • July 2007: Birmingham was voted the best airport in Europe in the 5 million to 10 million passengers per year category.[12]
  • November 2007: The airport published a master plan for its development up to 2030, called "Towards 2030: Planning a Sustainable Future for Air Transport in the Midlands".[13] 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. Although initial plans for a second runway were scrapped, this is now firmly back on the airport's agenda ahead of the report into Britain's aviation strategy being published. Plans for a 2nd runway on the other side of the M42 and a new terminal building and business park have been published, and they could help to create around 250,000 jobs. It was been estimated that if these plans went ahead, the airport could handle around 70,000,000 passengers annually, and around 500,000 aircraft movements.
  • 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.[14]
Emirates brings the A380 to Birmingham to celebrate 70 years of the airport and the opening of the new international pier.
  • January 2008: 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.
  • 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 A380, Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' as well as the larger aircraft types such as the Boeing 777 which currently serves the airport daily. The new pier also hosts a new lounge for business class Emirates passengers.[15]
  • March 2009: The runway extension plans were approved.[16]

2010 – present

  • September 2010: An announcement was made that following the merging of Terminals 1 & 2 in 2011, the airport would drop the International from its official name to become Birmingham Airport.[17] 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".[18]
  • November 2010: The new name started to be used.[19] 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.[20]
  • January 2011: The airport merged its two terminals into a single Terminal Building. This involved building two new floors added to the airport's terminals (& Millennium Link). The 3rd floor was built in the Millennium Link (also in the two terminals) accommodating the new Centralised Security Search area and a Lower Ground Floor, accommodating the new Arrivals and Meeting & Greeting (Meet & Greet) area. There are also plans to extend both terminals, adding another Departures and Arrivals.
  • 23 February 2011: It was reported that Birmingham Airport had announced the HS2 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]
  • March 2011: Construction of the runway extension and a new air traffic control tower began. 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 will be diverted to the south of the runway until 2020, when it will be moved into a tunnel.[22]
  • July 2011: Building a new control tower for the airport began, to replace the old tower which has stood at the airport since it was opened in 1939.
  • March 2012: The new control tower was completed.
  • 23 April 2012: An Olympic ceremony was held at the airport. 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.
  • Summer 2012: By now the new control tower's equipment was installed. Testing and training began.
  • Late 2012: Work began on the runway extension (whose original target was in time for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics.)
  • Summer 2013: The new control tower was fully operational.
  • August 2013: The old carriageway of the A45 road was closed and the new carriage way was opened.[23][24]
  • May 2014: The runway was completed.[25]
  • 22 July 2014: The runway extension was officially opened.

Runway Extension

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 January 2008, and approved in March 2009.[16] 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 immediate costs, it was diverted to the south of the runway until 2020, when it will be moved into a tunnel.[26] In August 2013, the old carriageway of the A45 road was closed, and the new carriage way was opened.[23][24]

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.[25] 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 had to make use of the new runway length.

The extension caused controversy as more than 2,000 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.[25]

The extension increased the runway length from the previous 2,605 m (8,547 ft) to 3,052 m (10,013 ft). There is a loop taxiway from which planes will taxi to the runway and then takeoff. The airport owners believe there is likely to be sufficient demand for long-range direct services operated by aircraft whose operations were constrained by the previous runway length. The previous runway length was short for an airport with Birmingham's passenger throughput and range of destinations. The old length limited aircraft to destinations on the east coast or in the midwest of North America, in the Gulf and Middle East, or on the South Asian subcontinent.

Taxiways will be further improved to allow for terminal expansion, and to improve runway occupancy rates. A new turn off was completed in June 2006, 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.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aegean Airlines Seasonal: Athens
Seasonal charter: Heraklion, Rhodes[27]
Aer Lingus Dublin
Aer Lingus Regional
operated by Stobart Air 		Cork, Dublin
Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Air India Amritsar, Delhi
Air Malta Seasonal: Malta
Air Transat Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson
American Airlines New York–JFK (begins 8 May 2015)[28]
Austrian Airlines
operated by Tyrolean Airways 		Seasonal: Innsbruck
BH Air Seasonal: Burgas, Varna
BMI Regional Gothenburg-Landvetter (ends 27 March 2015)[29]
Brussels Airlines Brussels
Brussels Airlines
operated by Flybe 		Brussels
Brussels Airlines
operated by Tyrolean Airways 		Brussels
Eastern Airways Newcastle upon Tyne
EasyJet Belfast-International
Winter seasonal: Geneva, Grenoble
easyJet Switzerland Winter seasonal: Geneva
Emirates Dubai-International
Flybe Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Belfast-City, Berlin-Tegel, Bordeaux, Cologne/Bonn (ends 28 March 2015),[30] Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Florence (ends 28 March 2015),[30] Glasgow-International, Guernsey, Hannover, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, Reykjavík-Keflavík (ends 28 March 2015),[30] Lyon, Milan-Malpensa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Stuttgart, Toulouse (ends 27 March 2015), Waterford (ends 27 March 2015)
Seasonal: Avignon, Bastia (begins 24 May 2015),[31] Biarritz (begins 23 May 2015),[32] Bergerac, Brest, Chambéry, Deauville (begins 23 June 2015),[33] Dubrovnik, Geneva, Hamburg (ends 29 March 2015), Ibiza, Innsbruck, Kittilä, Knock (ends 28 March 2015), La Rochelle, Newquay, Oslo-Gardermoen (ends 29 March 2015), Palma de Mallorca, Perpignan, Porto (ends 28 March 2015)
Seasonal charter: Lleida
Freebird Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya, Dalaman
Germanwings
operated by Eurowings 		Düsseldorf, Hamburg
Icelandair Reykjavík-Keflavík
KLM Amsterdam
KLM operated by KLM Cityhopper Amsterdam
Lufthansa Frankfurt
Lufthansa Regional
operated by Lufthansa CityLine 		Munich
Monarch Airlines Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Gibraltar, Gran Canaria, Hurghada (ends 12th May 2015),[34] Lanzarote, Larnaca, Málaga, Nice, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Rome-Fiumicino, Sharm el-Sheikh, Tenerife-South, Venice-Marco Polo
Seasonal: Almería, Bodrum, Bordeaux, Dalaman, Dubrovnik, Grenoble, Heraklion, Ibiza, Kittila, Menorca, Preveza (begins 24 May 2015), Salzburg, Turin
Seasonal charter: Chania, Corfu, Kavala, Kefalonia, Rhodes, Skiathos, Zakynthos
Norwegian Air Shuttle Barcelona (begins 1 June 2015), Madrid-Barajas (begins 31 March 2015), Málaga (begins 30 March 2015)
Pakistan International Airlines Islamabad
Ryanair Alicante, Barcelona, Bratislava, Bydgoszcz, Dublin, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gdańsk, Gran Canaria, Katowice, Kaunas, Kraków, Lanzarote, Málaga, Malta, Tenerife-South
Summer seasonal: Ibiza, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Perpignan
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen
Swiss International Air Lines Zürich
Swiss International Air Lines
operated by Helvetic Airways 		Zürich
Thomas Cook Airlines Alicante, Antalya, Dalaman, Faro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Malaga, Sharm el-Sheikh, Tenerife-South
Seasonal: Almería, Banjul, Bodrum, Burgas, Corfu, Djerba (begins 6 May 2015), Enfidha, Grenoble, Heraklion, Hurghada, Ibiza, İzmir, Kalamata (begins 24 May 2015), Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Menorca, Mytilene (begins 2 May 2015), Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Reus, Rhodes, Salzburg, Santorini, Turin, Zakynthos
Thomson Airways Alicante, Antalya, Boa Vista, Cancún, Enfidha, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Funchal, Lanzarote, Hurghada, Málaga, Marrakech, Montego Bay-Sangster, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Sal, Orlando-Sanford, Sharm el Sheikh, Tenerife-South
Seasonal: Agadir (begins 7 May 2015), Almería, Barbados, Bodrum, Bourgas, Catania, Chambéry, Chania (begins 5 May 2015), Corfu, Dalaman, Djerba (begins 6 May 2015), Dubrovnik, Enontekiö, Faro, Geneva, Genoa, Gerona, Heraklion, Ibiza, Innsbruck, Izmir, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Malta, Menorca, Naples, Porto Santo (begins 25 May 2015), Pula, Reus, Rhodes, Rovaniemi, Salzburg, Santorini, Skiathos, Sofia, Verona, Zakynthos
Thomson Airways
operated by TUIfly 		Seasonal charter: Palma de Mallorca[35]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul-Atatürk
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat
United Airlines Newark
Vueling Barcelona (begins 1 June 2015)

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Aviavilsa Vilnius, Minsk, Plovdiv, Saarbrucken
Atlantic Airlines Isle of Man
BinAir Oporto, Bilbao, Katowice, Cologne/Bonn
FedEx Express Manchester, Paris-Charles de Gaulle

Traffic and statistics

Passenger numbers

Birmingham handled a record 9.7 million passengers in 2014 making Birmingham the seventh busiest UK airport.[3]

Number of
Passengers[36]		 Number of
Movements[37]		 Birmingham Airport Passenger Totals
1997–2014 (millions)
1997 6,025,485 79,880
1998 6,709,086 88,332
1999 7,013,913 98,749
2000 7,596,893 108,972
2001 7,808,562 111,008
2002 8,027,730 112,284
2003 9,079,172 116,040
2004 8,862,388 109,202
2005 9,381,425 112,963
2006 9,147,384 108,658
2007 9,226,340 114,679
2008 9,627,589 112,227
2009 9,102,899 101,221
2010 8,572,398 95,454
2011 8,616,296 93,145
2012 8,922,539 92,632
2013 9,120,201 95,713
2014 9,707,449 TBC
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority[3]

Route statistics

Thomson Airways Boeing 757 taking off from Birmingham Airport
A Turkmenistan Airlines Boeing 757 preparing for departure
Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-300 taxiing at Birmingham Airport
Monarch Airlines Airbus A321 taxiing at Birmingham Airport
Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 taxiing at Birmingham Airport
CityJet Avro RJ85 taxiing at Birmingham Airport
Busiest by country (2013)[38]
Rank
Country/Region
Passengers handled
% change 2012–13
1  Spain 1,949,011 Decrease05.2
2  United Kingdom 1,102,703 Increase07.7
3  Germany 842,670 Increase02.0
4 Republic of Ireland Ireland 711,011 Increase03.4
5  France 529,293 Increase08.4
6  United Arab Emirates 499,573 Increase05.4
7  Netherlands 460,012 Increase03.4
8 Turkey Turkey 409,770 Increase07.1
9 Greece Greece 308,966 Increase00.6
10  Italy 277,011 Increase011.8
11 Portugal Portugal 224,036 Decrease010.0
12 Poland Poland 190,674 Increase015.1
13 Switzerland Switzerland 164,117 Decrease018.8
14 Cyprus Cyprus 159,335 Decrease022.4
15 Egypt Egypt 151,384 Increase038.5
16  United States 113,823 Increase05.7
17 Belgium Belgium 106,983 Increase01.9
18 Pakistan Pakistan 97,365 Increase00.3
19 Tunisia Tunisia 81,355 Increase053.8
20  Denmark 80,088 Increase05.9
Busiest domestic and Crown dependency routes (2013)[3]
Rank Airport Passengers handled % change
2012/13
1 Edinburgh 284,150 Decrease00.6
2 Belfast-City 266,379 Decrease013.6
3 Glasgow International 203,464 Decrease02.2
4 Belfast-International 157,222 Increase0543.5
5 Aberdeen 99,198 Increase011.2
6 Derry 52,322 Decrease05.0
7 Isle of Man 41,676 Decrease04.0
8 Inverness 34,813 Increase05.5
9 Jersey 34,685 Decrease027.7
10 Guernsey 34,409 Increase024.5
Busiest international routes to and from Birmingham Airport (2013)[3]
Rank Airport Passengers handled % Change
2012 / 13
1 Dublin 561,017 Increase07.2
2 Dubai 499,573 Increase05.4
3 Amsterdam 459,701 Increase03.5
4 Paris-Charles de Gaulle 365,784 Increase01.3
5 Alicante 294,332 Decrease05.8
6 Frankfurt 280,218 Increase04.5
7 Tenerife South 275,317 Decrease012.3
8 Palma de Mallorca 258,959 Decrease09.2
9 Malaga 251,838 Decrease017.9
10 Lanzarote 188,015 Increase00.3
11 Düsseldorf 184,722 Increase05.2
12 Faro 177,387 Decrease016.4
13 Munich 174,476 Decrease00.5
14 Dalaman 168,179 Increase03.5
15 Sharm el-Sheikh 133,894 Increase035.9
16 Barcelona 121,369 Increase0151.7
17 Ibiza 121,368 Decrease02.7
18 Istanbul 110,224 Increase031.2
20 Brussels 106,940 Increase01.9

Accidents and incidents

  • 19 January 1973 (1973-01-19): A Vickers VC8 passenger jet G-AZLR inbound from Leeds Bradford Airport suffered a severe port undercarriage failure upon landing.[39]
  • 4 January 2002 (2002-01-04): A Bombardier-CL604 business jet crashed on take-off from runway 15 at Birmingham.[40] 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.[41]
  • 15 June 2006 (2006-06-15): A TNT Airways cargo 737-300 made an emergency landing at Birmingham with damaged landing gear.[42] 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.[43] However, the company ascribed the incident to human error and both pilots were dismissed.[44] 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.[45] Follow this link for a more detailed report and Official reports from the AAIB.[46]
  • 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.[47] The airport reopened at around mid-day the following day.

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.[48] 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.[49] 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.[50]
  • 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08): The West Midlands Police helicopter (G-WMAO) was destroyed by arsonists,[51] and subsequently written off.[52] 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.[53]
  • 14 February 2010 (2010-02-14): A faulty Archway Metal Detector (AMD) was switched off in Terminal 2 and not switched back on again, allowing hundreds of passengers to pass through unchecked. The "serious failure" was not spotted until police officers wearing metal equipment passed through and the AMDs did not sound. Birmingham Airport commented that a full and thorough investigation was under way.[54]
  • 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.[55]

Ground transportation

Public transport

Train

Birmingham Airport is served by Birmingham International station. The station is on the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham and London. London Midland, Virgin Trains, Arriva Trains Wales and CrossCountry. Access between the railway station and the airport terminal is provided by the free AirRail Link.[56]

Preceding station   AirRail Link   Following station
Birmingham International   AirRail Link   Terminus
Birmingham International railway station/Birmingham Interchange

Proposed High Speed Two

The proposed 'Birmingham Interchange'

As part of the proposed High Speed Two rail link, a new railway station called Birmingham Interchange would be built to serve both the airport and the National Exhibition Centre. The station would be built on the far side of the M42 motorway and connect to the airport using a "rapid transit people mover". If the project is given the go ahead, High Speed Two is currently planned for completion by 2026.[57]

Bus and coach

National Express West Midlands operates the main bus routes calling at Birmingham Airport, those being the 900 to Birmingham city centre and Coventry, and the 966 to Erdington and Solihull. Additionally service 97A to Birmingham via Chelmsley Wood now runs to the airport 24hrs a day.[58] Other smaller operators also call at the airport. Bus stops are situated outside Terminal One.[59] 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.[60]

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 terminals.

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. There are no pick-up or drop-off areas available outside the terminal.

Bicycle

The only cycle route available heads south over the A45 travelling towards Solihull. Birmingham Airport have however published "recommended routes" for cyclists.[61] Free short term cycle parking is available close to Terminal One. For longer stays, bicycles must be stored in Left Luggage for a charge.[62]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Birmingham Airport". Airport Watch. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  2. ^ Birmingham – EGBB
  3. ^ a b c d e f CAA: UK Annual Airport Statistics
  4. ^ "We're Saying 'Hello World' As We Relaunch Our Brand". Birmingham Airport.
  5. ^ http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=b26+3qj&hl=en&ll=52.45397,-1.734638&spn=0.042524,0.111494&sll=52.966838,-2.136841&sspn=1.255536,2.463684&geocode=FX5UIAMdU3Ll_yk7oWPg3rBwSDEak9TBX8Gc9Q&mra=ls&t=m&z=14
  6. ^ "BIRMINGHAM – British Pathe". Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  7. ^ a b "The History of Birmingham International Airport". Birmingham International Airport. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  8. ^ The Aeroplane and Astronautics. Temple Press. 1959. p. 252.
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ a b Vladimir Zakian (2005). Control Systems Design: A New Framework. Springer. p. 328. ISBN 1-85233-913-6.
  11. ^ Noszlopy, George Thomas; Jeremy Beach (1998). Public Sculpture of Birmingham. Liverpool University Press. p. 12. ISBN 0-85323-692-5.
  12. ^ "Birmingham Airport Award". Airports Council International. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
  13. ^ "Birmingham Airport Master Plan". Birmingham Airport.
  14. ^ "Airport closes its oldest runway". BBC. 28 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Emirates opens £1,3 million lounge for passengers at Birmingham". Birmingham Mail.
  16. ^ a b Birmingham Airport Runway Planning Notice
  17. ^ "Birmingham Airport changes name". Birmingham Mail.
  18. ^ "New Agency to Manage Rebrand Announced". birminghamairport.com.
  19. ^ "Birmingham Airport (home page)". Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  20. ^ Communicate magazine Birmingham Airport says 'Hello' to a new identity, Communicate magazine, November 2010
  21. ^ "HS2 'will bring Birmingham Airport closer to London'". BBC News. 23 February 2011.
  22. ^ "runway scheme back on track". Birmingham Mail.
  23. ^ a b "Birmingham Airport runway extension work starts". BBC News Online. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  24. ^ a b "Preferred Contractor Announced for Runway Extension Scheme".
  25. ^ a b c http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/100462/birmingham-airport-runway-extension-ready-next-. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ Template:Reference gone missing?
  27. ^ http://bhxflightguide.blogspot.gr/2014/05/news-aegean.html
  28. ^ [2]
  29. ^ "bmi Regional to Cancel Birmingham - Gothenburg Service from late-March 2015". Airline Route. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  30. ^ a b c http://www.flybe.com/#
  31. ^ http://www.flybe.com/timetableClassic/timetable.jsp?selDep=BHX&selDest=BIA
  32. ^ http://www.flybe.com/timetableClassic/timetable.jsp?selDep=BHX&selDest=BIQ
  33. ^ http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/meta/news/2014/12/flybe-adds-another-new-summer-route-from-birmingham.aspx
  34. ^ Monarch New Route To Hurghada
  35. ^ http://ch-aviation.ch/portal/news/22022-tuifly-to-operate-select-uk-northern-ireland-flights-in-summer-2014
  36. ^ Number of Passengers including domestic, international and transit.
  37. ^ Number of Movements represents total takeoffs and landings during that year.
  38. ^ http://www.caa.co.uk/
  39. ^ [ http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=155647]
  40. ^ "AAIB Report on N90AG accident"
  41. ^ "Report on the serious incident to Airbus A310-304, registration F-OJHI, on approach to Birmingham International Airport on 23 February 2006". UK AAIB. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  42. ^ "AAIB Report on OO=TND incident"
  43. ^ "Aviation safety network summary of TNT accident"
  44. ^ "BBC News article, 27 July 2006 – Cargo plane crash pilots sacked"
  45. ^ "Cargo flight 'a near catastrophe'". BBC News Online. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  46. ^ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20060615-0. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. ^ "Birmingham airport plane crash: Liver transplant operation goes ahead successfully – Top Stories – News – Birmingham Mail". Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  48. ^ "Airport at centre of security row". Birmingham Mail. 4 June 2007.
  49. ^ "AIRPORT SECURITY WHO WOULD RATHER READ SLEEP THAN X-RAY BAGS". The Express.
  50. ^ "Airport security lapses exposed". BBC News. 4 June 2007.
  51. ^ "Arson attack on police helicopter". BBC News. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  52. ^ http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=WMAO
  53. ^ "west midlands police ready to take off with new chopper". Birmingham Mail. July 2010.
  54. ^ "Birmingham Airport investigates security breach after staff switched off metal detector". Birmingham Mail.
  55. ^ "Man accused of Birmingham Airport security breach". BBC News.
  56. ^ "Birmingham International Station". Birmingham Airport.
  57. ^ "High Speed Rail Command Paper" (PDF). DfT.
  58. ^ "Network West Midlands". Route 97.
  59. ^ "Coach or Bus". Birmingham Airport.
  60. ^ http://nxbus.co.uk/west-midlands/tickets-prices/cash-fares
  61. ^ "recommended cycle routes". Birmingham Airport.
  62. ^ "By Bike". Birmingham Airport.

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