Runway Watch - Friday 14 February 2014

An aerial view of Birmingham Airport including the A45 diversion project, the site of the runway
extension, the new ATC Tower and the new Monarch Aircraft Engineering hangar taken on
Friday 14 February 2014 after the move of the Runway 33 Threshold to a point some 300 metres
to the south adjacent to holding point Echo 1 with the new approach/glide path to Runway 33
coming into operation at 0600 on Thursday 6 February 2014

Work on the (basic) runway extension has now been completed - the final surface will go on as
part of the on-going runway resurfacing project - with work continuing on new parallel Taxiway
Sierra - and on landscaping the adjacent area with the top soil the last layer to go on
- to see this image "full size" just click on it

Friday 14 February 2014

Wednesday 12 February 2014 - Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-343 G-VKSS diverts in from Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-343 G-VKSS was an afternoon arrival....

when it diverted in due to poor weather and cross winds at Heathrow....

.... it was operating flight "VS 401" from Dubai Photo: Brett Allen

After parking up the sun soon came out - after unloading the passengers
at BHX the aircraft later positioned back to Heathrow

Air France Airbus A320-214 F-GKXC operated their morning flight to Paris CDG - the
first visit to BHX of this aircraft which was until recently been based in the Caribbean

Blue1 Boeing 717-2K9 OH-BLO operated the morning SAS service from Copenhagen....

.... its first visit to BHX - the colour scheme on this aircraft is called "Forest Bond"

Air Bright Antonov 26B LZ-ABR still in its "The Expendables 3" colour scheme but now
wearing additional Air Bright titles was an afternoon visitor to the Elmdon apron

Falcon 7X M-LJGI was a morning arrival soon disappearing into the
Monarch Hangar to protect the aircraft from the coming storm

Falcon 7X VP-BZE was a lunchtime arrival parking up to night stop

Citation Bravo G-EHGW appeared out of the Eurojet hangar as it operation was transferred to Flairjet

Runway Watch - Tuesday 25 February 2014

A view of the new Runway 33 Threshold after it was moved to a point some 300 metres
to the south adjacent to holding point Echo 1 with the new approach/glide path to
Runway 33 coming into operation at 0600 on Thursday 6 February 2014

Work on the (basic) runway extension has now been completed - the final surface
will go on as part of the on-going runway resurfacing project - with work continuing
on landscaping the adjacent area with the top soil the last layer to go on

A view back along the Runway Extension site with Bickenhill Church in the distance

Another view of the on-going earthworks with the new ATC Tower in the background

The new Runway 33 ILS which will in future be located to the west of the runway undergoing
checks before the aerial was lifted into place on Thursday 27 February 2014....

.... and a look down Runway 33 from the start of the Runway Extension

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Air India carries 50,000 passengers from Birmingham Airport in first six months of new service to India

Birmingham Airport Aviation Development Director William Pearson (left) receiving the commemorative
plaque from the Shri 108 Sant Sarwan Dass charitable trust, with Vishwanath Panyam, Air India station
manager at Birmingham Airport (centre right)

Air India and Birmingham Airport are celebrating after carrying 50,000 passengers

on board over 200 Boeing 787 "dreamliner" flights between Birmingham and India,

since launching in August last year

To celebrate its success in the first six months, leaders of the local Sikh community

presented Birmingham Airport with a commemorative plaque to thank the team for

launching the flights last year and reconnecting Birmingham with Delhi and Amritsar;

an important spiritual centre for the Sikh faith

Speaking at a ceremony held at Birmingham Airport last week, the Airport’s Aviation

Development Director, William Pearson, who received the plaque on behalf of the

airport, said: "The Midlands has the second largest Asian community in the UK, so

it’s no surprise that the airline has carried its first 50,000 passengers and experienced

over 80% load factors on the route since launching in August 2013

   

"The four times a week service to Delhi and Amritsar, using the brand new Boeing 787-8

"dreamliner" aircraft, with two configurations of business and economy class isn’t just

ideal for those visiting friends and relatives, but also offers corporate travellers

connections across India, Asia, Europe and North America from Delhi. Air India will soon

be part of Star Alliance which gives passengers a choice of world-wide connections"

Shri 108 Sant Sarwan Dass Charity trustee Nirmal Dass presented the plaque to the
Airport. He said: "This service is incredibly important to the entire Asian community
across the region. We’d like to say a big thank you to Air India and Birmingham
Airport for providing these direct links to Delhi and Amritsar from our local airport"

Vishwanath Panyam, Air India station manager at Birmingham Airport, added:
"Reaching this impressive milestone in just six months clearly demonstrates the
strong demand that exists for this service. It has proven to be tremendously popular
amongst the region’s Asian community, for business and leisure passengers alike!

The service operates each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving from
Amritsar and Delhi into Birmingham at 1700 hours and departing to Delhi and Amritsar
from Birmingham at 2030 hours. The 256 seat B787-8 series aircraft has a split cabin,
consisting of 18 business class and 238 economy seats.  Birmingham is only the second
UK airport to operate dedicated Boeing 787 scheduled services

Passengers wanting to fly business or economy class with Air India can do 

so with very attractive fares from Birmingham. Tickets can be booked at

 www.airindia.com

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Thursday 13 February 2014 - Air Nostrum Canadair CRJ200ER EC-GYI takes West Brom to Jerez

Air Nostrum Canadair CRJ200ER EC-GYI was a morning arrival when it positioned in from Madrid....

.... to take the West Bromwich Albion football team

.... to Jerez for a mid-season winter break - the benefit of getting knocked out of the FA Cup!?

easyJet Airbus A320-214 G-EZTL which had diverted in on Wednesday evening while
operating from Tenerife to Manchester - its first visit - positioned back to Manchester

Blue1 Boeing 717-2K9 OH-BLN which is in "Star Alliance" colours operated
the morning SAS service to Copenhagen

Hawker 800XP M-YCEF was an afternoon arrival back from another visit to Bournemouth

DC Aviation Citation XLS D-CQQQ was a day stopping visitor to the Elmdon apron

Pilatus PC-12 OE-EGO was an afternoon arrival parking up to night stop

Wednesday 5 March 2014 - DHL Air Boeing 767-3JHF G-DHLG arrives for attention by Monarch

DHL Air Boeing 767-3JHF G-DHLG was an afternoon arrival from East Midlands.... Photo: Laurence Jones

.... when it positioned in for attention by Monarch Aircraft Engineering Photo: Nick Broome

The aircraft wears additional "Hao Hao & Xing Hui's Pandastic Journey" titles having recently flown these....

.... two giant Panda's from Chengdu to Belgium and their new home in "Pairi Daiza" a zoo Photo: Nick Broome

Boeing 767-3JHF G-DHLG initially stopped on Taxiway Hotel....

.... to be attached to a Monarch tug Photos: Brett Allen

The aircraft was then pushed back into the Monarch Hangar and the doors closed!

Thomas Cook Airbus A321-211 G-TCDA operated their weekly IT flight from Enfidha which restarted
- the aircraft wears additional "Egypt where it all begins" titles and their new style tail logo

SAS Boeing 737-76N SE-REU operated their lunchtime flight from Stockholm Arlanda
- the service having restarted the previous Friday evening after its winter break

Challenger 300 N91HK which had arrived on Sunday evening reappeared out of the Eurojet
hangar and departed to  Olive Branch, Mississippi, via Bangor, Maine Photo: Brett Allen

Arcus Air Phenom 100 D-IAAW was a lunchtime arrival parking up to night stop

Citation CJ2 D-IPVD made a brief morning visit to the Elmdon apron

Eurocopter EC 135 P2+ G-SENS made a brief afternoon visit

Tuesday 4 March 2014 - Pipistrel Virus F-JTYB is an afternoon visitor to the Elmdon apron

Pipistrel Virus F-JTYB was an afternoon visitor from Beccles while....

.... Citation CJ3 F-HBPP was a late afternoon arrival parking up to night stop Photos: Mike Hollick

Flairjet Citation Bravo G-EHGW was a morning departure to Prestwick
- this aircraft's first flight since Flairjet took over its operation from Eurojet

AIS Airlines Jetstream 32 PH-CCI operated the morning Eastern Airways flight from Newcastle

Estonian Air Embraer 170LR ES-AEA was a morning departure when it positioned out to Amsterdam

SAS Airbus A319-132 OY-KBT operated their morning service from Copenhagen