Birmingham: General Airport Discussion & Updates

It's called SEO. The content hasn't changed, just the thread titles to make them more findable through search engines. I hope that helps.

Firstly, this post is not aimed at any particular individual it's more of a reminder for those of us that have been here a while and information for those who haven't.

Each airline forum should generally be used for route news, base updates, frequency changes etc relating to that particular airline. I can appreciate the frustration in seeing a new post expecting information only to find something trivial which could have been posted elsewhere.

With that in mind 👇

Movements:

Aircraft due can be posted in the Aircraft Movements thread linked below. This thread is not just for those rare and exciting visitors we all love to see but can be used for anything due at BHX, be that a different A380, a new Jet2 A321N or an aircraft with a particular livery. This type of post should not be in the individual airline threads.


Timetables

Frequency increases or reductions are obviously news and welcome in the individual thread of the airline concerned, full timetables however can take quite a bit of scrolling and not everybody is interested. We do have the Airport Timetables thread, linked below, which is specifically for such posts. Feel free to add as many timetables as possible right there.


Wish Lists and Routes I'd Like To See

As part of a wider discussion I don't see an issue in suggesting that I'd like to see airline x serve destination y, I know I do it from time to time. However, it's probably not ideal to bump an entire thread just to say 'I want this route served' without any kind of rumour or information that it may be on the cards. For that reason we have a Wishlist thread, linked below, where we can all use our wildest imagination in suggesting what routes we'd like to see happen in the future.


If we can follow these general guidelines hopefully we'll find a common ground and leave the individual airline forums for actual information. I will do my best to move posts to the appropriate thread but I do have a life away from this forum and one that is particularly busy at the moment.

To anyone who has made it this far I thank you for your kind attention, I hope that you're enjoying this lovely weather 🥵

Thank you hopefully folk will understand and stick to it me included 😃

Thanks for the info! I’ll keep that in mind for any interesting SVA traffic coming into Brum.

One quick question if I may ask, the EK 388’s for example that are reconfigured with Premium Economy?

I take it that when another two class gets reconfigured, and that comes into Birmingham, I should announce it then in the upcoming movements page?

AdamHussain07 said:

Thanks for the info! I’ll keep that in mind for any interesting SVA traffic coming into Brum.

One quick question if I may ask, the EK 388’s for example that are reconfigured with Premium Economy?

I take it that when another two class gets reconfigured, and that comes into Birmingham, I should announce it then in the upcoming movements page?

Click to expand...

I would say yes, anything movement related is best posted in the Daily Heads Up thread. I shall also try my very best to stay within the guidelines posted above by Ray!

In my opinion, most users prefer to see confirmed or official news posted on the airline threads. Anything else can be posted in the Rumours thread.

A330 said:

I would say yes, anything movement related is best posted in the Daily Heads Up thread. I shall also try my very best to stay within the guidelines posted above by Ray!

In my opinion, most users prefer to see confirmed or official news posted on the airline threads. Anything else can be posted in the Rumours thread.

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This 👍

Copied from the emirates thread

@Ray Finkle I agree with your guidelines but it just might take time for everyone to notice them and get used to them.

I personally will try and be more active going forward and start linking to the threads for aircraft movements / timetables in the airline threads if anyone is repeatedly bumping.

Also not pointing at anyone in particular but in the past there have sometimes been some negative responses when someone posts in the “wrong” thread without any positive encouragement to post in the right thread.

I think doing things like linking to the right thread and saying things like “Hi xxx, I’d encourage you to post so-and-so in xxx thread going forward. Many thanks” would be very helpful and hopefully avoid any negativity.

I'm not sure how much weight you can put behind these kind of reports but it's not good reading.


An economic paper published by the Department for Transport last month shows that airports in England and Wales are likely to lose millions of passengers if Heathrow builds a third runway, in a significant blow to regional jobs.

Birmingham airport alone is set to lose out on 7.5 million passengers a year by 2050 – a decrease that equates to about 9,500 jobs foregone at the airport and in its supply chain, according to economists.

Heathrow expansion would take thousands of jobs from other UK regions, report finds

Airports in England and Wales are likely to lose millions of passengers if third runway goes ahead, DfT economic paper shows

www.theguardian.com

It may be delaying the inevitable but I think the planning legal reviews will get it bogged down for a while.

I expect another HS2 type saga and I’ll eat my hat if they finish by 2035!

In the meantime we can focus on building the relationships that we already have with airlines.

Heathrow will be increasing airline fees to pay for the new runway so regional airports may become more attractive in the short term!

Ray Finkle said:

I'm not sure how much weight you can put behind these kind of reports but it's not good reading.


An economic paper published by the Department for Transport last month shows that airports in England and Wales are likely to lose millions of passengers if Heathrow builds a third runway, in a significant blow to regional jobs.

Birmingham airport alone is set to lose out on 7.5 million passengers a year by 2050 – a decrease that equates to about 9,500 jobs foregone at the airport and in its supply chain, according to economists.

Heathrow expansion would take thousands of jobs from other UK regions, report finds

Airports in England and Wales are likely to lose millions of passengers if third runway goes ahead, DfT economic paper shows

www.theguardian.com

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This was always BHX's worry, partly why they lobbied with Gatwick to designate that as the preferred option (after they'd whittled it down to 3 options (2 at Heathrow, one of which was bonkers, and Gatwick). Mainly for BHX it was the proximity and the knowledge that the low cost airlines had made a big deal about wanting to move in to the newly released capacity, sucking demand away from BHX in particular. The proximity to LHR becomes a big problem for BHX (it's a problem already). This is possibly more likely if LHR bows to pressure and pursues a shorter runway rather than the 3000m runway that would give the same functionality as the existing runways i.e. it effectively becomes a short-haul focused runway.

However, there is one saving grace. The whole point of low cost operators is to provide flights at low cost. It isnt low cost if the flight operates from an airport 100 miles away with the transport to said airport, via private or public transport, costing more than the flight itself. For that reason, i expect there will remain a strong low cost demand at BHX. I also wouldn't expect the likes of Emirates to abandon the airport given they want to feed the DXB monster.

Several things are true, then;
- LHR expansion needed
- putting all the eggs in the LHR basket is probably not the best aviation solution for the UK
- regional airports have an important role to play and will expand, but possibly less than they would without LHR expansion

Hey all,

Just thought I'd mention something that I noticed was quite interesting.

So, Saudia, after their second half of summer season suspension, is back for Winter 2026 as per usual. I saw that all of their flights until March 25th, 2027, are listed as sold out on their website, and on their app.

Are they probably stopping new bookings as of present?

Nibbles said:

Several things are true, then;
- LHR expansion needed
- putting all the eggs in the LHR basket is probably not the best aviation solution for the UK
- regional airports have an important role to play and will expand, but possibly less than they would without LHR expansion

Click to expand...

If your only chance of success is ensuring a competitor is prevented from expanding, then that is not a good business.

Airlines fly where they feel there is a market. There clearly is demand at LHR since the airport constantly runs at 99%. There is spare capacity already at other regional airports, so there are few if any restraints in airlines starting routes to BHX/NCL/MAN etc. I am afraid the quoted report is quite simply indicative of why there is no growth in the UK.

Gatwick today given the go ahead for a second runway, and Luton given the go ahead to double in size by 2043 including a new Terminal. All this will put pressure on BHX to maintain what we have and grow new routes into the future. We need to get as many carriers as possible established while we have time!.

Never a good time for something like this to happen, but a Friday in school holidays must be one of the worst... 'Utter carnage' after baggage problems at airport

Seems to have continued into today to with an updated story Passengers left without baggage amid airport problems

BHX probably grateful that yesterday's issues at Bristol probably reduce their press exposure!

MB1 said:

Never a good time for something like this to happen, but a Friday in school holidays must be one of the worst... 'Utter carnage' after baggage problems at airport

Seems to have continued into today to with an updated story Passengers left without baggage amid airport problems

BHX probably grateful that yesterday's issues at Bristol probably reduce their press exposure!

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Indeed, Friday looks like it was BHX's busiest days ever

HPsauce said:

Gatwick today given the go ahead for a second runway, and Luton given the go ahead to double in size by 2043 including a new Terminal. All this will put pressure on BHX to maintain what we have and grow new routes into the future. We need to get as many carriers as possible established while we have time!.

Click to expand...

Haven't they already got 2 runways?

If not, and its being built in this country don't hold you breath eh.

Not really the parallel taxiway can be and has been used as an emergency runway and its that which is planned as a full second runway.
Work is due to start moving it 12m further north by widening it to meet separation rules and it is approx 2,500m long. Other works are required lighting,ILS etc.