Thursday 21 March 2013 - RAF Avia Antonov 26B YL-RAB makes its first visit to BHX!!

RAF Avia Antonov 26B YL-RAB was an early morning arrival from Brno....

.... operating a priority freight charter - its first visit to BHX

After off loading it positioned out to Riga

Titan Boeing 757-256 G-POWH was a morning arrival on the Elmdon apron positioning in from Stansted....

.... to take the England football team to San Marino for their "World Cup" qualifying match - it least

the team coach had a better colour scheme than the aircraft and just look at the registration!!

The aircraft was soon on its way to Rimini

Thomson Boeing 757-2B7 G-OOBJ was a morning departure operating their IT flight to Arrecife - another aircraft

which has not had winglets fitted or been repainted in the new colour scheme is due to leave their fleet shortly

CityJet Fokker 50 OO-VLL was a mid morning arrival operating a charter from Paris CDG

General Electric Global 5000 N376G was a morning arrival parking up to night stop

PDG Helicopters Eurocopter Ecureuil II G-PDGT operating on behalf of Network Rail

made a brief morning visit to the Elmdon apron

New 24 hour/7 days a week bus service boosts transport links to Birmingham Airport

Shift workers, job seekers and even holiday-makers are set to benefit from a new

24 hour bus service linking some of the region’s biggest employers. The route of

the existing 97 service between Birmingham city centre, Heartlands Hospital and

Chelmsley Wood is to be extended from Sunday 24 March 2013 to also serve

Birmingham Airport, National Exhibition Centre and the Birmingham Business Park

 

The specially branded bus will also run every hour from midnight including Saturdays and

Sundays, offering a significant transport boost for shift workers at the various locations

The route and 24 hour timetable are the result of a partnership between Centro,

the region’s transport authority, bus operator National Express West Midlands,

Solihull Council, Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre

Timetables and other information about the new 97 service is available at -

 www.networkwestmidlands.com

Monday 18 March 2013

Wednesday 20 March 2013 - Another day - another RAF VC10 makes a flypast at Birmingham Airport!!

RAF VC10 K3 ZA148/"G" made an approach and go around to Runway 33 at lunchtime....

   

.... while on a training flight out of RAF Brize Norton

.... the second VC10 to visit BHX in three days! Photo: Mike Hollick

.... this time performing a flypast with the undercarriage down before climbing away
and returning to RAF Brize Norton - maybe still not the last visit of a VC10 to BHX!?

Exin Antonov 26B SP-FDS was an afternoon arrival from Brno operating a priority freight charter....

.... after unloading it was soon on its way again departing to Hahn

Swiftair Embraer Brasilia EC-JBD which had gone "tech" in the morning was
an evening departure back to Belfast International

Thomson Boeing 737-8K5 G-TAWN operated their weekly IT flight to Enfidha - its first visit to BHX

Citation XLS G-EYUP made a brief late afternoon visit to the Elmdon apron while.... Photo: Mike Hollick

Solaris Aviation Citation Excel S5-BDG which had visited Eurojet for maintenance also departed

An view of a busy Elmdon apron 

Tuesday 19 March 2013 - Beech Jet-Prop Bonanza "Spirit of Breoenz" N5NZ visits the Elmdon apron

Beech A-36 Jet-Prop Bonanza N5NZ "Spirit of Breoenz" made an afternoon visit to the Elmdon

apron arriving from Hohenems, Austria - the first visit of this time of aircraft Photo: Mike Hollick

Piper Malibu Meridian N363JR was a day stopping visit as was....

Super King Air G-CLOW Photo: Mike Hollick

Blink Air Cessna 510 Mustang G-SSLM which had arrived on Monday on its first visit to BHX
was a morning departure to Chambery returning in the evening

flybe Dash 8Q-400 G-JECI positioned out to Brussels to fly for Brussels Airlines
- the aircraft has lost the coloured "dots" on the nose below the flybe titles

Hangar Watch - Tuesday 19 March 2013

Work has now started on erecting the main steel frame of the aircraft maintenance bays
of the new Monarch Aircraft Engineering Hangar - the structure in the foreground
is the offices/service areas that will be at the back of the Hangar....

.... a wider view showing the whole Hangar construction site as it stands

..... and a view of the whole site with the Monarch Hangar on the left, the asphalt
Batching plant for the Runway extension/A45 diversion project, the Eurojet Hangar
and the Elmdon Building on the far right of the photo

- to see this image "full size" just click on it

An alternative view to put some perspective on the current work....

.... a closer look at the team fixing the girders together

.... and wider view of the Hangar construction site

Tuesday 19 March 2013

bmi regional announce new daily flight from Birmingham Airport to Billund, Denmark

In line with network expansion plans, bmi regional, the UK’s most punctual scheduled

airline, has announced it is launching a new route from Birmingham to Billund, Denmark

 

The route will operate six times a week with flight prices starting from £59 on sale now,

with the first flight scheduled for Monday 3 June 2013. Billund Airport is well served by

both train, bus and taxi services and is only a short distance from popular attractions

such as Legoland, Lalandia Aquadome (a tropical waterpark open year around) and

Givskud Zoo. It also provides easy access to the much lauded Jutland Peninsula which

offers stunning walks, biking and log cabins

This announcement follows the launch of a number of new European routes by

bmi regional from Birmingham including Toulouse, Lyon and Gothenburg, creating

a better network for both leisure and business travellers from the Midlands

Chief Commercial Officer, bmi regional, Steve Hoy said:  "We’re pleased to announce

the route to Billund from Birmingham today. With fares starting from as little as £59

each way, we are reducing both the cost and travel time for both business and leisure

travellers who wish to travel to West Denmark.  With increasing congestion in some

London airports, Birmingham Airport is a great alternative to those who recognise the

benefits of less crowded airports, speedy boarding, good shopping and eating facilities"

Jesper Klausholm, Head of Airline Relations and Marketing, Billund Airport, said: "Our

airport is the second largest airport in Denmark and 42% of total Danish GDP is

generated in Billund's catchment area.  More than 40% of the Danes going to the

West Midlands are travelling for business, and over 70 Danish companies have

offices in the UK Midlands.  This new route from Billund with Birmingham is going

to greatly improve business connections between these two cities"

bmi regional schedule to Billund from Monday 3 June 2013
 

BM1451 departs at 0700 BM1452 returns at 1100

- flight operates Monday to Friday

BM1451 departs at 1200 BM1452 returns at 1600

- flight operates on Sunday

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Monday 18 March 2013 - RAF VC10 K3 ZA149/"H" makes final flypast at BHX on way to Bruntingthorpe

RAF VC10 K3 ZA149/"H" made an approach and go around to Runway 33 at lunchtime....

.... the aircraft was en-route from RAF Brize Norton to Bruntingthorpe where it is due to be
scrapped and the flypast marked the long association between the RAF and the airport

... which has seen many VC10's visit over the years on both medevac and trooping flights

.... the aircraft climbs away with the Elmdon ATC Tower in the foreground - given that the VC10

is now going out of RAF service this is likely to be the final visit of a VC10 to BHX - things change!!

Star Air Boeing 767-25EF OY-SRL flying on behalf of UPS made its first visit to BHX when it was
an early morning visitor to the Elmdon apron routing from Cologne to Belfast International via
BHX due to the overnight closure of the runway at East Midlands for maintenance Photo: Mike Hollick

Specsavers Super King Air M-SPEX made a brief morning visit to the Elmdon apron

Birmingham Airport heads east to "Routes Asia" to show there is more to the UK than London!

A delegation from Birmingham Airport has headed east to showcase the

region to Asia’s leading airlines and tourism authorities looking for new route
opportunities in the UK at the "Routes Asia" conference in Mumbai, India

Led by Martyn Lloyd, Birmingham Airport’s Commercial Director and Neil Rami,

CEO of Marketing Birmingham, plus aviation specialists from the airport who

are meeting several airlines during the three-day conference to highlight

market options in the Midlands and show that Birmingham Airport is the

alternative for airlines looking to expand routes into the UK.

The Routes Asia conference is an annual event designed to bring airlines and
airports together. Birmingham is hosting a stand in the main conference arena

for delegates to meet the team and find out more about the Airport and city  

Martyn Lloyd said: "The best way to build new contacts and showcase the
region to new carriers and tourism bodies looking for new markets is to
directly meet and discuss ideas. When highlighting the region’s perfect
location and strong commerce opportunities to overseas carriers, we’re

often met with surprise that there is such an obvious alternative for

forging new links in the UK - other than just London"

   

Marketing Birmingham operates the city region’s inward investment

programme, Business Birmingham. Neil Rami said: "Birmingham is

attracting more overseas investment than ever before but, to continue

this trend, it is important to establish more routes into the city from

our key markets. By targeting potential investors from the likes of

North America, India and China, interest from businesses in these

locations is increasing. We must be ready to meet their demand for

direct flights to secure these investments and grow the local economy"

     

Monday 18 March 2013

Sunday 17 March 2013 - Lufthansa Canadair CRJ 701ER D-ACPR operates morning service to Frankfurt

Lufthansa Cityline Canadair CRJ 701ER D-ACPR operated their morning service to Frankfurt

A final look at a line up of five Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS's parked on the 70's Stands for
the winter season - the remaining aircraft are planned to depart in the coming week



Saturday 16 March 2013 - easyJet Swiss Airbus A320 HB-JZZ makes its first visit to BHX

easyJet Swiss Airbus A320-214 HB-JZZ operated their morning service to Geneva - its first visit to BHX

Austrian Airbus A320-214 OE-LBJ operated their IT flight from Innsbruck - also on its first visit to BHX

Thomson Boeing 757-2B7 G-OOBI operated their IT flight to Chambery - the aircraft which has not

had winglets fitted or been repainted in the new colour scheme is due to leave their fleet shortly

Aer Lingus Airbus A320-214 EI-DEC operated the final additional flight

of the week for the "Cheltenham Festival" back to Dublin

Netjets Citation XLS CS-DXZ made a brief morning visit to the Elmdon apron while....

Centreline Citation CJ2 G-SONE and ....

.... Blink Mustang G-FBKC were morning arrivals