Emirates A380 Watch - Wednesday 17 February 2016

Work has commenced of the installation of a new A380 "Upper Deck" air bridge on Stand 54 in preparation
for Emirates launching a daily Airbus A380 service from Dubai to Birmingham on Sunday 27 March 2016....

.... the first phase involves the installation of several new pillars to carry the air bridge Photos: Brett Allen

.... the first section of which is already on site in preparation for being lifted into place

.... new meets old! - a section of the A380 air bridge with the historic Elmdon building in the background

Wednesday 17 February 2016

Birmingham Airport Photo Blog

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

Birmingham Airport welcomes six new arrivals to its departure lounge giving passengers even more choice

Birmingham Airport has welcomed a number of new arrivals to its departure lounge in

recent months, giving passengers a unique shopping experience before they fly

In partnership with LS Travel Retail, five brand new stores have opened their doors to

passengers including Hugo Boss, The Watch Collection, Eye Love, The Fashion Place and

Discover England, with a further store - Victoria's Secret planned to open in November

 

The new stores, many of which are the first of their kind to open in the UK, follow the

enormous growth in long haul markets at Birmingham in the past twelve months, including

direct charter flights to China and the popular Air India service to Delhi and Amritsar

Commenting on the recent arrivals, Birmingham Airport's head of commercial, Richard Gill,

said: "We're delighted to welcome these world famous brands to Birmingham Airport, which

have significantly enhanced our retail offer to passengers. These six new stores will transform

the look and feel of the departure lounge, into a premium shopping experience, giving

passengers the luxury brands they desire"

 

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Birmingham Airport opens new purpose-built airside passenger transit and transfer facility‏

Birmingham Airport has today announced the completion of a new purpose-built transit and transfer

facility, providing passengers with the UK’s fastest and most efficient option for onward connecting flights

The Airport has invested £200 million on airfield and terminal facilities in recent years, to attract more

long haul flights. The new facility means airlines now flying to the centre of the UK’s booming manufacturing

region can also benefit from connections from the other markets served by Birmingham’s network

Birmingham Airport’s CEO, Paul Kehoe said: "The completion of our new passenger transit facility is another

string to our bow in terms of what we can offer passengers and airlines focussed on long haul travel and

better connectivity. This valuable piece of infrastructure means long and short haul passengers now have the

choice of flying to and from a range of domestic and European destinations connecting through Birmingham,

allowing them extra time to relax and enjoy the excellent facilities we have available in the departure lounge"

The £1 million investment is the latest addition to Birmingham Airport’s impressive list of new infrastructure
projects, following completion of a new primary radar tower, a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control tower and
a newly extended runway. Adding just 400 metres to the previous length means departing aircraft can now
fly further, bringing new long-haul destinations within direct range for the first time, including the Far East,
the West Coast of the U.S, South America and South Africa

Monday 22 September 2014

New Post Office open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, opens in Birmingham Airport's Spar store

Post Office Stakeholder Manager Richard Hall (left), with Birmingham Airport’s Head of Commercial, Richard Gill

A new Post Office open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year has opened in

Birmingham Airport's Spar convenience store in the landside area on the terminal building

Over 33,000 travellers use the airport each day and they will be able to do some last minute errands

such as returning on-line purchases of holiday clothes which didn’t quite fit, paying bills, and posting

urgent letters and cards. Employees and airport visitors will be able to use the wide range of Post
Office services, and customers of 95 per cent of UK banks can access their cash through the Post Office

Richard Gill, Birmingham Airport’s Head of Commercial, said, "With more than nine million people

a year travelling through Birmingham Airport and six thousand people working on site we want to

provide a range of services that benefit all users of the airport. We are therefore delighted to welcome

this post office to the airport and the many helpful services it gives"

Adrian Wales, Post Office Regional Manager said: "Birmingham Airport is a bustling self-contained

community so the new Post Office will complete the village atmosphere; operating round-the-clock

the branch will be open whenever customers need it. Birmingham Airport Post Office is one of only

two 24 hours branches in the UK - so far - and is one of over 1600 branches open on a Sunday

Nigel Bostock, Area Manager of Blakemore Retail said: "As an airport retailer we’re delighted to be

able to provide Post Office services in our convenience store which offers a comprehensive range

suitable for the modern traveller. This includes fresh foods and Food-To-Go items, daily essential
grocery lines specifically chosen with passengers in mind, off license and much more"

Monday 11 August 2014

Sky Side adventure takes off in the brand new interactive "Sky Zone" at Birmingham Airport

A fun and interactive children’s adventure takes off at Birmingham Airport today, Monday 15 July 2013,

giving youngsters jetting off on holiday a unique and engaging experience at the Airport before they fly

The "Sky Side" experience is free to join and starts from the moment the child arrives at check-in

and ends when they arrive at a themed "Sky Zone", an area in the new International Pier furnished

with modern interactive games and activities, including touch screen tables, interactive floor projection,

a gazing station, music light beams and a story telling pod

The objective for children is to become a qualified "Sky Cadet" like "Zoom", the scheme’s mascot

who offers support to children as they achieve the multiple challenges set out in their "Sky Pass"

The initiative has resulted in the creation of 14 new summer jobs to recruit the "Sky Side"

crew responsible for facilitating the children’s journey, from check-in to the "Sky Zone" 

Jo Lloyd, the Airport’s Marketing Director said: "We’re absolutely thrilled to launch our brand new

"Sky Side" experience, which is great news for young families flying from Birmingham this summer

  

 "This fun and interactive children’s experience is another way of offering excellent customer service

to all of our passengers. We recognised that we needed to improve our family facilities after

speaking to mum and dads about what they would like to see at the Airport. We’re confident

"Sky Side" will prove to be tremendously popular with children and parents alike!"

Sky Passes are available at check-in and a dedicated Facebook page -

www.facebook.com/birminghamairportskyside

  

has been set up to inform passengers about the "Sky Side" scheme before they arrive

at the Airport so that children can prepare themselves for their exciting mission

"Sky Side" launched on Monday 15 July 2013 and will run throughout the summer

Monday 15 July 2013

"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

Saturday 31 December 2011 - New Years Eve

A final look at Birmingham Airport for 2011 - the terminal
has now become a "One Terminal" facility....
.

.... while on the Elmdon site the new ATC Tower and the hangar
being built for Eurojet (far right) have changed the skyline
.

.... ATC services will be moving from the tower in the historic
Elmdon building to the new facility in early 2013
.

That was 2011 at Birmingham Airport!

World Duty Free prepares for Divali

Traditional dancers and dhol players were in the World Duty Free
store at Birmingham Airport on Friday 21 October 2011 as they
prepared for Divali....
.

.... and the half term holiday week
.

Friday 21 October 2011

See the dancers at World Duty Free!!

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 opens "One Terminal"

The Secretary of State for Transport, Rt. Hon Philip Hammond MP
has officially opened Birmingham Airport's "One Terminal" at a VIP
event attended by more than 300 guests from international business,
the travel industry and the local community
.

The new facility is the latest phase of a £100 million redevelopment
of the airport which includes the construction of a new International
Pier, a 3,365 space multi storey car park, Taxiway improvements
and an Air Traffic Control Tower due to be completed in 2013
.
Speaking at the event, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said,
"I would like to thank Birmingham Airport for the opportunity
to help celebrate the opening of these impressive new facilities
We have always been clear that regional airports have a vital
role to play in supporting both local and national economies

and improving connectivity"
.

The new "One Terminal" is a result of a £13 million redevelopment
to merge the Airport's two terminals into a single facility to improve
its overall operational capabilities and the customer experience. The
investment has led to the development of a larger centralised
passenger security search area, an enlarged arrivals and onward
travel facility, a significant catering and retail offer, including
a spacious 20,000 sq ft walk through Duty Free Store
.

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, explained, "This investment
places Birmingham Airport in a unique position to met 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"
.
"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 direct flights to China,
South East Asia and the West Coast of America"
.

The new world Duty Free store is 50% larger than the previous
offer and has a wider range of products including liquor, beauty,
accessories and confectionery
.
In addition to the structural changes, the passenger terminal
has been given a complete facelift to incorporate the Airport's
new identity which was launched in October 2010 and loses
the name "International"
.

Friday 13 May 2011

Official opening of Birmingham Airport's "One Terminal" by the Sec of State for Transport

Four more leading "High Street" fashion brands arrive at Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport will welcome four major new high street

fashion brands this summer as part of its £13m "One Terminal"

redevelopment to improve the passenger experience

.

Next, Superdry, Accessorize and JD Sports will all be located within

the Airport’s departure lounge, available to all outbound passengers

.

These new stores will create around 50 new jobs, and together

with the opening of a brand new 19,000 sq.ft walk-through duty

free area this month, will change the passenger shopping

experience dramatically at Birmingham Airport

.

Richard Gill, Head of Market Development, Commercial said,

"We’re delighted to have attracted such major names. Our

development strategy is all about improving the customer

experience and creating a global gateway that not only serves

the immediate region but also the wider catchment" .

"Clearly, these popular brands have recognised what Birmingham

Airport has to offer and want to be part of its future success"

.

In addition to the new retail opportunities, the £13m investment

by the Airport has also seen the merger of its two terminals into

one, creating a central security search area and arrivals area for

meeters and greeters

.

Over the next 10 years, Birmingham Airport will invest

a further £100 million on its infrastructure

.

Thursday 14 April 2011

Birmingham Airport welcomes "Lucy" - a ray of light - to Central Security Search team!!

Paul Kehoe, BHX's CEO, welcomes "Lucy" to the airport

Birmingham Airport has welcomed an unusual team member

today - Lucy, the "virtual assistant"

.

Lucy is a hologram and is programmed to give passengers

security information before they enter the passenger search

area to help simplify the process

.

Located at the head of the passenger security entrance, Lucy

is just one element of a £13m investment programme by the

airport to improve the passenger experience and improve

operational efficiency within the terminal

.

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said, “The ban on

liquids back in 2006 remains confusing for some passengers

and although we’ve launched a number of initiatives to make

the process clearer and less daunting, it has remained

a problem for the security operation"

.

"By providing a clear message, we can speed up the search

process and make the journey more enjoyable for our

passengers, and judging by passenger reactions so far,

I think she’s going to be a real hit!”

.

This initiative is part of the "One Terminal" project, which

has seen the two terminals merge into one and the creation

of a newly extended central search area

.

In the coming weeks the Airport will also launch free

Wi-Fi throughout the terminal and a free travel

information app for mobile phones

.

Thursday 7 April 2011

Birmingham Airport re brands frontage as "One Terminal" moves into final phase

Birmingham Airport have re branded the terminal frontage

with the new style logo as the "One Terminal" project - which

has seen Terminal 1 and 2 integrated into a single facility -

moves into its final phase....

.

.... the redevelopment programme will be completed in May 2011

. The re branding has seen "International" dropped from

the airports name which is now simply "Birmingham Airport"

.

Friday 1 April 2011