Elmdon Watch - Wednesday 3 February 2016

The large concrete blocks that have been in position along the outer service road....

.... in front of the Elmdon Building since May 2009 where removed during the day

.... they had been originally placed there to secure access to the building which at the time also
housed the Air Traffic Control Tower - the blocks immediately in front of the building remain

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Birmingham Airport Photo Blog

to see more photos "click" here to go to the homepage

Happy Christmas!!

Christmas carols at Birmingham Airport

Friday 25 December 2015

Birmingham Airport handles "10 million passengers in a year" for first time in the airport's 76 year history

Birmingham Airport has broken through the rolling "10 million passengers in a year"
total for the first time in the airport's 76 year history

Latest figures reveal 10,004,119 arriving and departing passengers passed through
the terminal between Friday 28 August 2014 and Thursday 27 August 2015 - this
represents a 5.1% increase compared to the same period the previous year

The airport has achieved nine record-breaking months and four record days, on
the way to breaking the 10 million passenger mark in the past 12 months

Birmingham Airport's Chief Executive, Paul Kehoe, said: "Reaching 10 million
passengers within 12 months is a great achievement for everyone connected
with the airport. It's a real milestone which shows that our strategy of giving
our passengers choice and great customer service is working"

"We have celebrated many accomplishments this year to get to this point, including
American Airlines launching daily flights to New York JFK, Hainan Airlines' historic
flights to Beijing and Emirates launching its third daily service to Dubai"

"We have also seen other airlines commence flights to key destinations such as Madrid
and Reykjavik, as well as monthly and daily passenger records smashed on a regular basis"

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Birmingham Airport reports 2013/14 profits up by 4.9% - invests £28.4 million in improved facilities

Birmingham Airport have released their financial results for the year ended 31 March 2014

Turnover for the year increased by 5.8% with profits after tax up 4.9% driven by a 3.7%
increase in passenger numbers to 9,250,997 - long haul traffic in the year was up 13.3%

The financial year saw Birmingham Airport achieve a number of significant milestones -

+ The new Air Traffic Control Tower went into service in April 2013
+ A new fleet of state of the art Oshkosh Fire fighting vehicles was acquired in June 2013
+ Air India returned to the airport with a "dreamliner" service in August 2013
+ August 2013 was the second busiest month in the airport's history  
+ Monarch Aircraft Engineering opened their new hangar in November 2013
+ The airport hosted the last ever DC 10 passenger flight in February 2014
+ Work continued throughout the year on the 400 metre runway extension

The airport invested £28.4 million on capital projects during the financial year - up from £19.3 million
in the previous year - including the 400 metre runway  extension, the resurfacing of the existing runway,
improved airfield drainage and infrastructure work for the new hangar for Monarch Aircraft Engineering

Looking forward to 2014/15 the extended runway went into service in May 2014 and driven by the
expansion of new routes and services, many operated by flybe, the passenger numbers are now at
record levels for the first time since before the recession started in 2008 with the airport on target
to handle over 10 million passengers for the first time in 2015/16      

Birmingham Airport Holding Limited
Financial highlights year ended 31 March 2014
£'000 

Turnover 2013/14 - 113,754 up 5.8%
Turnover 2012/13 - 107,504

Profit after tax 2013/14 - 12,462 up 4.9%
Profit after tax - 2012/13 - 10,849 

Passenger numbers 2013/14 - 9,250,997 up 3.7%
Passenger numbers 2012/13 - 8,919,218

Passenger numbers growth in 2013/14 by market sector -
- Long haul + 13.3%
- Full service scheduled + 3.3%
- Low cost + 3.5%
- Charter/Inclusive tour + 1.1%

Dublin remained the most popular destination marginally ahead of Dubai and Amsterdam

Birmingham Airport is a public/private partnership. The current shareholders include the
seven West Midlands District Councils 49%, Airport Group Investments Ltd. (AGIL), a
limited company owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Teachers') and Australia's
Victorian Funds Management Corp (VFMC) 48.25% and the Employee Share Trust 2.75%

Thursday 21 August 2014

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport CEO, urges MPs to back "great airports for great cities"

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport CEO, addressing a cross party reception of MPs,

Lords and business leaders on the day of the Queen's Speech called on the

Government to get behind Britain's "great airports for great cities"

With the South East's airports increasingly congested and the Airports Commission

looking at long-term runway options, Paul Kehoe called on the Government to do

more to maximise use of what capacity the country has now, within its city regions.

In Birmingham's case, the airport is just 70 minutes from the capital and, with its newly

extended runway, can cater for long haul routes to China and the US West Coast

Paul Kehoe told the cross-party gathering of MPs:

"The West Midlands is the only region in the UK with a positive balance of
trade with China, with our advanced manufacturing base leading the way.
Businesses in the region and beyond tell us that they want to fly to growing
markets around the world from their local regional airport, not have to
travel through the congested South East"

"With air traffic set to double over the next fifty years, the Airports Commission

is rightly looking at expanding UK airport capacity, but we also need to see

Government action to make better use of the airports and runways we have

already. This means changes to tax rules to encourage airlines to use regional

airports for long haul routes, and a concerted government-led marketing push

around the world to let growing markets and foreign airlines know Britain's city

regions and our airports are open for business"

"With less than a year before the election, we are looking forward to continuing

to engage with political parties, businesses and across the aviation industry, to

debate how we can promote the role that the UK’s great and connected cities

and our regional airports can play in rebalancing the economy.”

Birmingham Airport will, on Tuesday 22 July 2014, become the country's first airport
outside London to host a flight to and from China. In 2013, Birmingham attracted

a record number of visitors: 941,000, up 32% on the previous year. In the same year,

£27 billion of goods and services were exported from the West Midlands

  

Wednesday 4 June 2014

"Meriden Bar and Restaurant" takes off in the departure lounge at Birmingham Airport‏

The Mayor and Mayoress of Solihull with Nathan Wall, MD of SSP

Birmingham Airport yesterday, Thursday 24 May 2012,
officially welcomed a new food and beverage outlet to its
departure lounge. The Meriden Bar and Restaurant,
aptly named after the nearby village in the borough of
Solihull where the Airport is located, is operated by its
existing concessionaire partner SSP - Select Service Partner
.

This new light and airy addition to the departure lounge
offers travellers an extensive menu with many products from
local suppliers, and for those who enjoy a little tipple before
jetting off, the local cask ales will be a welcome addition
.

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said, "We were
delighted to work with SSP to create its new UK flagship bar
and restaurant here at Birmingham Airport. The Meriden
Bar fits perfectly into our overall food and beverage range
and provides further choice for our passengers travelling
through the airport. We chose the name Meriden after the
village six miles from the airport which is traditionally
known as the centre of England"
.

Jackie Smith, SSP UK Local Site Marketing Manager believes
the bar will be highly popular with passengers at Birmingham;
"We always aim to offer our customers choices that are ideally
suited to their needs, and also reflect the community we serve.
We believe that Meriden Bar combines a flavour of the heritage
of the region with the high standards expected of a leading
international airport"
.

Friday 25 May 2012

Birmingham Airport gets shaken up this summer‏ with "Ed's Shakes" milkshakes!!

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport (right) enjoys
a milkshake with a member of the Ed's Shakes team
.
Birmingham Airport will be keeping passengers cool this summer
as a new milkshake stand opens in its departure lounge
.
Ed's Shakes, with its 1950's American theme, has opened its
doors to passengers at the airport who can now sample their
legendary milkshakes before they fly
.
Martyn Lloyd, Commercial Director at Birmingham Airport,
said: "We're pleased to welcome Ed's Shakes to Birmingham
Airport, which I'm sure will prove to be tremendously popular

with our passengers, especially over the summer months"
.

Andrew Guy, Director at Ed's Easy Diner, said: "Our Shake
Stands are a relatively new concept for us, featuring the
milkshakes that have become so famous at our full
American Diners. We're delighted that our first
airport location is at Birmingham"
.
For more information about Ed's Shakes and
their exciting drinks menu, please visit

www.edseasydiner.com

.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Birmingham voted UK's best "large airport"‏

Birmingham Airport has been voted "Best UK Airport" by
"Which? Travel" members, in the large airports category
.
Birmingham achieved four out of five "stars" in six out
of the seven categories, which were: Airport Design,
Environment, Information/Navigation, Queues/Delays,
Parking, Catering and Shopping
.
Members were asked to rate each category by their
satisfaction with, and likelihood to recommend,
airports that they've travelled from in the last
12 months. More than 8000 members took part
in the survey, rating 28 Airports
.
"Which? Travel" states that when comparing the results
of this survey with one carried out in 2009, it suggests
that people are noticing and appreciating the investments
made by regional airports - such as Birmingham which in
undergoing a £200m 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 benefiting 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 state
of the art 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 33m air traffic
control tower and a new aircraft hangar, and is progressing
a tender process for the runway extension to allow for
more direct long haul flights

.
Airports in the survey's large airport category included
Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick. The survey was
conducted between 26 September and 7 October 2011
.

Friday 6 January 2012

William Pearson lands a new role in Route Development at Birmingham Airport

Birmingham 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 6 October 2011

Currently Head of Aviation Sales at Manchester Airport, Will
has an established background in aviation and has been a
familiar face within the industry for some years

He’s no stranger to Birmingham Airport either, having
previously set up and managed the Birmingham arm of
Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) in 1994, providing advice
on airline planned schedules and coordination services.
He has also worked for British Airways in a sales role

Commenting on William’s appointment, Martyn Lloyd,
Birmingham Airport’s Air Services Development Director
said, "William is a strategic appointment and will take forward
our route development strategy, playing an important part in
building relationships with potential new airlines to grow our
route network as well as working with our existing business
partners. I look forward to welcoming William to the Air
Services team and working alongside him to grow the business"

Commenting on his appointment, William said, "I’m very excited
about joining Birmingham Airport and getting stuck into my new
role. There’s so much potential in the Midlands market and I’ll
arrive with a great enthusiasm to see Birmingham grow. I’m
confident that my knowledge of Birmingham, coupled with my
years of experience in the aviation sector will provide an excellent
base on which to build"

William, who is 44 years old, is married with two children
and currently lives in Cheshire
.

Thursday 15 September 2011

Birmingham Airport reports improved profits in 2010/11 despite economic conditions

Birmingham Airport have released their financial results
for the year ended 31 March 2011

While turnover dropped 0.8%, the inevitable consequence
of the prolonged "volcanic ash" closure in April 2010
combined with the challenging economic conditions, the
Airport Company reported a strong recovery in profits as
the benefits of last years restructuring start to come
through to the accounts

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport's CEO, said, “While pre-tax
profits increased year-on-year, it continues to be a tough
period for the aviation industry. Extreme weather and
volcanic activity impacted operations and, although
revenue remained flat, good stewardship through
tight cost control saw profitability improve"

"Despite passenger numbers being down in 2010/11, we
have continued to invest heavily in infrastructure, including
our "One Terminal" facility and a host of new commercial
offerings. Work also continues on a new air traffic control
tower, which is under construction, and
the runway extension project"

“We expect the immediate future to be tough as the
industry continues to face difficult economic conditions.
However, the performance of a number of our airlines,
including the likes of Emirates and Lufthansa, indicate
growth is returning to some sectors. We are seeing a
return of the business passenger, but the discretionary
leisure market - which is now the bulk of our
traffic - remains weak"

Birmingham Airport Holding Limited
Financial highlights year ended 31 March 2011
£'000

Turnover 2010/11 - 103,275
Turnover 2009/10 - 104,127

Profit after tax 2010/11 - 5,276
Profit after tax - 2009/10 - 0,592

Passenger numbers 2010/11 - 8,524,876
Passenger numbers 2009/10 - 9,019,783
.
Cargo in tonnes 2010/11 - 21,215
Cargo in tonnes 2009/10 - 15,968
.

Friday 29 July 2011

BHX welcomes new Chief Financial Officer

Birmingham Airport has welcomed the arrival of Simon Richards
who has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer
.
Simon is no stranger to the aviation industry, joining Birmingham
from Stansted Airport, part of the BAA group, where he has held
the post of Finance Director since 2009
.
Commenting on his arrival, Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport,
said, "I welcome Simon’s appointment and am keen to work
alongside him as he takes the lead on our financial management
performance. I am confident that he will be a great asset to our
team as we strive to deliver profitable and sustainable growth at
the Airport for all our stakeholders"
.
Simon, previously held senior positions in E.ON, including Finance
Director of the retail division, Powergen, and of the distribution
division, East Midlands Electricity
.
He will head up Birmingham Airport’s Corporate Resources Division,
which includes the Finance, IS, Property and Purchasing
Departments, as well as being a key member of the Executive Team
.
Simon, who lives in Solihull, said, "I’m looking forward to working
with the new team and being involved in key decisions to take the
business forward. Living in Solihull, with my wife and children, the
Airport is quite literally on my doorstep, so I’ve always had a keen
interest in what’s happening here. Now I will be able to become
personally involved in the exciting developments that are
planned for the future"
.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Birmingham Airport says "Hello World"

Birmingham Airport have now updated their corporate
video to reflect the completion of the "One Terminal" project
.
Just "click" play on the video above - for the best effect also
"click" full screen on the right of the panel above
.

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Birmingham Airport Hits the Road

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 2011 - 1700-1900 Castle Bromwich Library
Thursday 9th June 2011 - 1200-1400 Marston Green Library
Tuesday 14th June 2011 - 1200-1400 The Pump, Kitts Green
Wednesday 15th June 2011 - 1200-1400 Valley Church Centre, Elmdon
Thursday 16th June 2011 - 1700-1900 Fentham Hall, Hampton in Arden
Tuesday 21st June 2011 - 1200-1400 Balsall Common Library
Monday 4th July 2011 - 1200-1400 Fentham Hall, Hampton in Arden
Thursday 7th July 2011 - 1700-1900 Balsall Common Library
Monday 11th July 2011 - 1700-1900 Valley Church Centre, Elmdon
Thursday 14th July 2011 - 1200-1400 Castle Bromwich Library
Tuesday 19th July 2011 - 1700-1900 The Pump, Kitts Green
Thursday 21st July 2011 - 1700-1900 Marston Green Library

Thursday 2 June 2011

Eurojet Aviation announces £5 million expansion plan at Birmingham Airport

Eurojet Aviation, one of the UK’s leading Aircraft Management,
Charter and Maintenance companies, has announced a major
£5 million expansion plan at Birmingham Airport
.
Eurojet's plans involve construction of a new 41,000 sq ft complex
which is set to include a state-of-the-art maintenance facility,
a full service fixed base operator (FBO) and a commercial
operations centre and aircraft sales suite
.
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
.
Speaking about the development at EBACE in Geneva, Eurojet’s
Managing Director, Graeme Campbell, said: "Eurojet has operated
from Birmingham for over 20 years and 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.
Our enhanced Aircraft Sales Division will also have a dedicated
sales suite at the new facility"
.
When completed the £5 million scheme will create up to 50 new jobs
.
Welcoming the move, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive
Paul Kehoe said: "Birmingham Airport is delighted that Eurojet
Aviation has decided to open an aircraft maintenance centre at
the airport on the Elmdon site. This represents an important
development in the establishment of an aircraft maintenance
cluster in the West Midlands"
.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Birmingham unveils new brand identity!!

Birmingham Airport today unveil their new corporate identity
- to see it evolve just "click" play on the video above - for the
best effect also "click" full screen on the right of the panel above
.
For more information scroll down for a full update and the
new "Birmingham Airport" logo
.
Thursday 4 November 2010

"Hello World" - welcome to Birmingham!!

Birmingham Airport has today unveiled the design

for its new brand identity - see above!!

.

This is the first stage of a phased rebrand programme

that aims to reposition the Airport in the market place

and showcase its future potential

.

The essence of the new brand identity, which ceases to

include "International" within its name, is about world

connectivity and the future opportunities the airport

can offer to passengers, business, the travel industry

and those living in its extensive catchment area

.

Using the message "Hello World" across the airport

site and throughout its marketing communications

activities, the airport aims to reposition itself as a

truly global gateway airport

.

The theme will use vibrant images of people from

different countries to demonstrate the global links

offered and its multicultural environment. The logo

represents world-wide connectivity and the inspiration

for the colour palette comes from the colours of the globe

.

The Airport’s new identity will be seen throughout the

new £13m redeveloped terminal opening in spring 2011

.

This work sees the two terminals merge into a single

facility, creating new shops and restaurants and increasing

its security search area

.

Paul Kehoe, the Airport’s CEO, said, "Our current brand

identity doesn’t reflect what we’re about now and what we

aspire to be in the future. 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

.

"Paul Kehoe continued, "There are around 8 million people

living within an hour’s drive of the Airport but less than 40%

of this demand uses Birmingham; we are determined to increase

this figure over the next few years. We want people to think about

their journey in a new way, and not to be bound by old habits"

.

"The rebrand is far more than just a new logo. It’s a change of

identity which aims to create positive awareness about our

potential, foster a sense of pride and grow loyalty from people

living within our catchment"

.

The new identity was created by Wolverhampton based

Marketing agency, Connect Group, which was employed

to manage its rebrand following a competitive tender process

.

The current logo which is being replaced
.
Thursday 4 November 2010

BHX from the Air!!

To see a series of aerial photographs of Birmingham International
Airport either "click" the link at the top of the page or go to -http://bhxflightguide.blogspot.com/p/view.html

.

Thanks to Andrew Davies of

Birmingham International Airport

for these photographs

The photographs are copyright and may not be used without
the permission of Birmingham International Airport Limited

BHX setting the pace!!

Birmingham Airport’s Business Development Manager,

Marc Watkins, and Strategy and Forecasting Manager,

Mark Scourse, are the very first runners home in the

1st "anna.aero" 10 km virtual race in aid of the

Anthony Nolan Trust, the bone marrow transplant charity,

completing a specially-monitored 10km circuit of the

airport’s airside perimeter in 55 minutes 22 seconds

.

For more information see -

.

http://www.anna.aero/anna-aero-anthony-nolan-trust-virtual-10k/

.

Thursday 27 May 2010

Past, Present & Future - Birmingham's

Airport and the events that shaped an era

.

Produced for the corporate event to mark the 70th Anniversary

of Birmingham Airport this commemorative publication runs to

200 pages - A4 landscape size - in colour (except archive photos)

.

Contents include -

.

+ Introduction's by Caroline Spelman, MP for Meridian

and Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham International Airport

+ A journey though the decades including many previously

unpublished photographs from Birmingham

+ Reflections - memories from over the decades

+ A day in the life of the airport

+ Aircrew's day - bmibaby at BHX

+ Partner airlines, Be prepared, Neighbours

+ Towards 2030 - a look forward

.

A limited number of copies of this commemorative publication

- which is not designed to be a definitive history of the Airport -

are available for general sale at a retail price of £24.99

.

It is available either by mail order from Airtime Publishing

at £29.50 including First Class post and package

- please order on line at -

.

http://www.airtimepublishing.co.uk/bhx_order.html

.

Or send a cheque for £29.50 payable to Airtime Publishing to-

Airtime Publishing Limited

3 St Margarets Court, Kineton Green Road

Solihull, West Midlands B92 7DZ

.

Also available from the "Aviation Experience"

at Birmingham Airport - top floor of Terminal 1 -

at the retail price of £24.99

Birmingham Airport celebrates 25th Anniversary at current terminal site‏

Long-serving Airport staff (left to right) John Aitken, Don Jaggs,

Pete Sheppard, Paul MacDonald, Pete Turton, James Jackson,

Neil Streeter, Pat McBride and Bob Spittle

.

It may have been the year when Torvill and Dean skated into

the record books and Duran Duran were rocking the charts, but

closer to home 1984 was also the year when Birmingham Airport

was put firmly on the map, with the official opening of its "new"

£29m terminal, a milestone celebrated on 30 May 2009
.
The project was completed 12 weeks ahead of schedule and put

Birmingham in the vanguard of airport development, with one of
the most modern terminal facilities to be found anywhere in Europe

.

Opening to the public on 4 April 1984, the new terminal was

officially opened on 30 May 1984 by Her Majesty the Queen,

accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh,

and comprised of what is now Terminal 1 as well as new

taxiways and related infrastructure. This included the

construction of car parks and improved commuter links,

a stark contrast to the original Elmdon site which had

served Birmingham so well since 1939

.

By 1984 the Airport had grown to handle just over 1.7 million

passengers annually, while 25 years later the Midlands’

gateway to the world edges ever closer to the 10 million

mark, as local travellers continue to make Birmingham their

airport of choice
.
To mark the occasion a number of employees who have

worked at the Airport since before the move to the current

site met up to share their memories of the last quarter of a

century, a time which has seen much change, not just at

Birmingham but across the aviation industry as a whole
.
Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive Officer,

said, "It is poignant that at a time when we are focusing on

the future, with planning permission secured for a runway

extension, that we should also be looking back to the opening

of the Airport’s current site. It certainly doesn’t seem 25 years

since the Airport unveiled its new terminal and it has seen

plenty of changes throughout the years!"
."This year also marks the Airport’s 70th anniversary and

the opening of our new £40 million International Pier, so it

certainly promises to be a busy 12 months, which will see a

number of milestones marked. Hopefully people will look

back in another 25 years and recognise 2009 as a historic

year in the development of the Airport"

.

Wednesday 3 June 2009