Emirates Boeing 777 A6-EGT is the first wide bodied aircraft to depart on BHX's extended runway after it was declared operational on Tuesday 27 May 2014

Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGT operating their lunchtime flight "EK 040" to Dubai
was the first wide bodied aircraft to depart on Birmingham Airport's "extended" runway
after it was declared operational at 0600 on Tuesday 27 May 2014 - this sequence of
images illustrates the "extended" runway and taxiway layout in operation....

.... after proceeding along Taxiway Echo the aircraft turns onto new Taxiway Sierra
- due to work in progress at the fuel farm an Ops vehicle escort is required here

.... the aircraft then proceeds along the new parallel Taxiway Sierra with the newly

extended and refurbished Long Stay Park Car and new Radar in the background

.... a general view of the aircraft on Taxiway Sierra with the 400 metre extension

to Runway 15/33 in the foreground

.... as the aircraft approaches the Sierra 1 holding point it passes the new Jet Blast Deflector

which is designed to protect vehicles using the new airside perimeter road from the jet blast

of aircraft (up to Airbus A380 size) using Taxiway Sierra as the wait to line up on Runway 33

Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGT holds for departure at Sierra 1 waiting for....

.... Thomson Boeing 757-236 G-CPEV to land on Runway 33

.... the aircraft then lines up on Runway 33 - the street lights of the A45 Coventry Road

which now runs in a cutting can be seen in the background - not much traffic today!

The bigger picture! - the aircraft lined up on the extended Runway 33 with the view

all the way back to the new ILS - foreground - and the terminal in the background

.... Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGT starts its take off roll

.... along the extended Runway 33 which is now 3,003 metres long

.... rotating/becoming airborne shortly after the aircraft passes Taxiway Lima

- the former cross Runway 06/24 - next stop Dubai!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Birmingham Airport's extended 3,003 metre runway operational from 0600 on Tuesday 27 May 2014

Birmingham Airport's 400 metre runway extension went into operation at 0600 on Tuesday 27 May 2014
with Privilege Style Boeing 757-256 EC-ISY operating for Monarch the first to depart using the "extended"
3,003 metre runway with flybe Embraer 195 G-FBEJ following it down Taxiway Sierra which has also opened

The runway had been closed during the early hours of Tuesday morning to enable the contractors to
complete the final commissioning of new parallel Taxiway Sierra similar work having been performed
on the "extended" runway layout in the early hours of the previous/Monday morning....

.... shortly before 0600 after the BHX Ops team had performed final checks the "extended" 3,003 metre
runway and new Taxiway Sierra was declared operational with all the safety barriers being removed

The first movement of a new era was the arrival of Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGT from Dubai....

.... there was some initial reluctance of the early morning departures to go "full length" - did they know what
they were missing!? - with the first departure of the day Monarch Airbus A321-231 G-ZBAF operating the
ZB 402 to Faro lining up on Runway 33 via Taxiway Echo/Echo 1 followed out by KLM Boeing 737-7K2 PH-BGN

Two further aircraft departed from Echo 1 so it fell upon Privilege Style Boeing 757-256 EC-ISY operating
Monarch flight ZB 958 to be the first aircraft to acknowledge "taxy via Sierra to holding point Sierra 1...."

.... and at 0632 on Tuesday 27 May 2014 Privilege Style Boeing 757-256 EC-ISY operating for Monarch to
depart "full length" off Birmingham Airport's extended 3,003 metre Runway 33 - a new era has started!

You know what its like once one has done it they all want to do it with flybe (top photo), Thomson and Monarch
all following it down Taxiway Sierra as did most of the rest of the movements during the morning peak period

Some different views of the new "extended" runway and taxiway layout - a Lufthansa Embraer 195
holds at Sierra 1 with the early morning Ryanair flight from Dublin on short final to Runway 33

The "bigger picture" of the completed runway extension site as the United Boeing 757 departs
to Newark off Runway 33 with the new ATC Tower in the background....

.... panning around the view down the extended runway as an Air France Airbus A319 lines up on Runway 33
via Taxiway Echo/Echo 1 - both the new ATC Tower and Monarch Hangar can be seen in the background

A view down new Taxiway Sierra with a flybe Dash 8 "#purpleplane" approaching holding point Sierra 1
while a Monarch Airbus A321 can be seen in the background on Taxiway Echo....

.... a Thomson Boeing 757 lines up on the extended Runway 33 via holding point Sierra 1

A view back along extended Runway 33 as a Monarch Airbus A321 touches down with in the background
a Brussels Airlines Dash approaching holding point Sierra 1 and Bickenhill Church in the distance

The view from a wet Bickenhill - as an aircraft touches down on Runway 33 a flybe Embraer 175 waits
at holding point Sierra 1 while a flybe Dash 8 and Ryanair Boeing 737 hold at Echo 1

Earlier in the day Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGT operating their lunchtime flight EK 040 to Dubai
was the first wide bodied aircraft to depart on Birmingham Airport's "extended" 3,003 metre runway - to
see a full sequence of images illustrating the "extended" runway and taxiway layout in operation click here

Tuesday 27 May 2014

Birmingham Airport's 400 metre runway extension completed - and the A45 moved - in under 2 minutes!!

Watch the runway extension at Birmingham Airport take shape through the construction
phase - 400 metres of additional runway added - and the A45 moved - in under 2 minutes!

Monday 28 July 2014

Runway Watch - Monday 26 May 2014 - first phase of commissioning the runway extension completed!

Birmingham Airport completed the first phase of the commissioning of its 400 metre runway extension
in the early hours of Monday 26 May 2014 with Thomson Boeing 737-8K5 G-FDZU on its way to Naples
being the first aircraft to depart off the now extended runway at 0611....

.... with Emirates Boeing 777-31HER A6-EGN from Dubai becoming the first aircraft to land 2 minutes later

The runway had been closed during the early hours of Monday morning to enable the contractors to
commission the lightning, markings and signage in the "extended" runway layout - and remove the
cones! - with the BHX Ops team performing final checks on the now extended runway just before 0600....

.... with the new runway lighting - which includes restored centreline lights - handed over to ATC
this was then checked first for Runway 15 - illustrated - before changing to Runway 33 as above

While the runway extension is now "open" it will not be used today/Monday pending the commissioning
of Taxiway Sierra - the parallel taxiway - that is planned to take place in the early hours of Tuesday
morning when the runway will again be closed - the new taxiway and with it access to the extended
runway is planned to be operational at 0600 on Tuesday 27 May 2014 - after that time aircraft that
require the "full length" of Runway 33 for departure will be able to access the runway via Taxiway Sierra

Monday 26 May 2014

Runway Watch - Sunday 4 May 2014

A view of the 400 metre runway extension at Birmingham Airport with the new Taxiway Sierra
and airside perimeter road in the foreground and the new ATC Tower in the background....

.... a view down the rest of Runway 33 as a Monarch Airbus A320 lines up via Taxiway Echo

The view at this point standing back from the airside security fence - this area is in the Long Stay
Car Park - which is currently being extended and refurbished - and will give excellent views of
aircraft landing on/taking off from the extended runway and on the new Taxiway Sierra

Sunday 4 May 2014

Runway Watch - Wednesday 30 April 2014

A view down Runway 33 from the start of the 400 metre runway extension at Birmingham Airport
as work continues on the final tasks prior to the extend runway becoming operational in May 2014

The turn onto Runway 33 from Taxiway Sierra - all runway markings and lighting are now in place....

.... and another view down Runway 33 - the white line now runs for over 3,000 metres!

The view across Runway 33 to Taxiway Sierra with the new Radar tower in the background

Holding point Sierra 1 with Runway 33 and the new ATC Tower in the background

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Runway Watch - Monday 28 April 2014

A view of the new Runway 15 ILS - Instrument Landing System - Localiser as work continues to
complete the 400 metre runway extension and associated infrastructure at Birmingham Airport....

.... a Brussels Airlines Dash 8Q-402 overflies the Localiser on short final to Runway 33

A view back down the new approach lights/guide path to Runway 33

The new Runway 33 ILS Glide-slope aerial and associated infrastructure is now in place - and
operational - the 33 ILS has been relocated from the east side of the runway to an area adjacent
to holding point Foxtrot 1 - an AIS Airlines Jetstream 32 can be seen on short finals to Runway 33

A Jet Blast Deflector is being installed adjacent to (new) holding point Sierra 2 to protect
vehicles using the new airside perimeter road from the jet blast of aircraft (up to Airbus
A380 size) using (new) Taxiway Sierra as they wait to line up on Runway 33....

.... a panoramic view of the new Jet Blast Deflector, the runway extension in the
foreground, Taxiway Sierra and the new Radar tower in the background

A look down Runway 33 from the start of the Runway Extension...

.... and the same view from Bickenhill shortly after the arrival of the Emirates
Boeing 777-31HER from Dubai that has just turned onto Taxiway Bravo

Monday 28 April 2014