Birmingham: Airport Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[Onlinespeedy]

Devil in the detail I think, I’ll wait to see materials etc.. glad it’s moving ahead. Do we know when the other phases will be restarted?

You can find the entire application and it’s associated 17 documents by clicking on this handy link below. It does include materials and examples within the design and access statement which is very much worth a read and a look at.

https://publicaccess.solihull.gov.u...s.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=REI4FMOELSO00

 

[juliet-fox-9]

The existing frontage isn’t great - like one of those small supermarkets that is bland and keeps a low profile, but this new one looks obnoxiously bad, like a multi-storey shopping centre rearing its blank walls over everything.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

I agree, the new structure looks very ugly.

Kevin

 

[Onlinespeedy]

It’s all very uninviting and it also seems that we will have retail units removed permanently including but not limited to the Burger King, travelex and cafe Nero with it also being likely that frankie & bennies, all bar one and game deck will all go too. This is certainly not the way forward in terms of providing a useful retail offering landside which is a part of the airport which some could say is deprived of much to do if passengers are faced with a long wait.

I just can’t fathom why they would build what they describe in the design statement as a “monolith” type structure which lacks character in the every way you look at it or describe it. There is no excuse for having the large, blank and overbearing walls either side as glass lift shafts do exist and do look quite stylish.

That being said I still can’t decide wether I dislike what’s there already or what’s going to be in its place within the next two years as the airport must unfortunately press ahead with this extension in order to still comply with DFT security regulations which come into force in 2024.

I finally thought with the terminal infill extension plans that the airport was finally taking a step in the right direction in terms of blending functionality and style together as I really do love the plans for the Infill extension. They match the quality of other airports with architectural merit (albeit on a smaller scale). However this just proves to me that even though they are completely clued up on what they should be doing but continue to forget they are a public building which sees millions of passengers a year, with those arriving seeing the airport as a first impression and a welcome to Birmingham. it’s not the welcome I would be seeking from a city the size of Birmingham.

 

[Brum X]

Let's hope Solihull MBC refuse just on the basis of not looking "Very Solihull"

At least give the damn thing some glass panels or something, not being funny but this is a bolt on your would expect at airports such as LBA or Cardiff, not BHX

Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry LBA and CWL, ha

 

[Brum X]

Btw Emirates is on the ATC Tower 👍

That is one thing that get's my full support and approval 😍

 

[Ray Finkle]

Can't disagree with the comments that the new frontage looks abysmal with yet another bland bolt-on adding to the drabness, but, we are not Hamed International or Changi trying to win worldwide awards, this is Birmingham we are talking about.

I think back to the airports I have used over the years and I can barely remember what most of them look like from the outside, it's the 'experience' that seems to count. How was the signage to check-in? Was security seamless enough? Once in departures could I find somewhere to sit and have a decent meal/drink? Were there enough shops to do a bit of browsing? Was boarding quick and efficient? And most importantly for some, were the dunnies up to standard? You can have the most glorious looking terminal building but get the basics wrong internally and the reviews will plummet.

So the travelling public pull up outside a bland looking box, as long as they get a decent airport 'experience' once inside that will be the long lasting memory, anything else will soon be forgotten.

 

[JENNYJET]

If someone can correct me if necessary, please do so. I have been to most UK Airports as part of a previous employment and compare BHX with Stansted. Both regional but so very different . Stansted was the result of a fine Architect and when arriving by car or bus one is greeted by a clean well designed structure whereas Birmingham in my opinion has grown organically since the current terminal building was opened. One is often greeted with congested traffic and drop off pick up situations creating a sense of stress. Space and the swinging of cats come to mind! I feel a personal connection with BHX and it hurts me to criticise but there is perhaps a need for redevelopment of the entire site to permit future growth.

Note. I would never swing a cat 🐱

 

[Coathanger16]

a need for redevelopment of the entire site to permit future growth

The trouble is the current terminal has the capacity to “supposedly” handle up to 18mppa, almost 50% more than we were seeing pre-covid. Whilst aesthetically a new terminal would be nice, until the airport gets anywhere near that capacity, from a business sense, the numbers just don’t stack up for a complete redevelopment.

Even if they did, you just have to look at the struggle LBA had in getting their new terminal approved, even though it was purely a replacement with no additional flights, and BHX is over 3 times as large.

Management were previously predicting hitting 18mppa around 2033. With Covid having set that back a few years, we’re likely looking at 15 years before any additional terminal capacity is needed, so probably at least a decade before we see any new plans. The plus side to that is hopefully by then, aviation will be making good progress with sustainable/hydrogen fuels and maybe even electric aircraft on some domestic routes, which might make expansion less politically toxic.

 

[A400]

Even if they did, you just have to look at the struggle LBA had in getting their new terminal approved, even though it was purely a replacement with no additional flights, and BHX is over 3 times as

The problem was that many normal people knew it was a better alternative and “greener and modern”

But sadly the greens just never rested until they got their wish.

I think this will be the case with most other airports who wish to improve their terminals that environmentalists will do anything in their power to stop it from succeeding.

It took the government nearly a year to make a decision in which it wasnt the one we wanted. In the end it was the airport’s decision to scrap the plans.

It seems these days any airport development is a battle and a half to get it done.

 

[Stephen1991]

Hello, I have been a reader of this forum for years but have had issues previously registering!

I feel Birmingham airport should look at other issues, for example most airports in the UK and the world are increasing the number of airbridges/jetways, Birmingham it appears the old Terminal 2 (aka South, Eurohub, gates 1 to 20) none of those airbridges are in-use and some have even been removed. Yes Jet2 appears to of moved most of their flights there and when they used airbridges on the main international pier they tended to put a airbridge on the front door and steps on the rear door, but if the airbridges were in-use in this part of the terminal depending on your opinion a better passenger experience and make the airport look more ‘standardized’.

The newish (2009/2010) International Pier, I believe originally stand 56 (gates 54 and 55) & stand 57 (gates 56 and 57) were originally going to be double airbridge stands yet downscaled during construction to be single airbridge stands I believe.

The airbridge on gate 59 (stand 59) is no longer in use, I believe this was because stand gate 58 was reconfigured or widened following the addition of wiglets on 757’s, this kept gate 58 (stand 58) in use and able to accommodate a 757 with wiglets but caused the airbridge on gate 59 to be taken out of use. Obviously cost involved but maybe the airport should of looked at relocating that airbridge to a stand where the airbridge is no longer in-use.

It would obviously cost a lot of money but maybe once the departure lounge expansion is resumed/completed, could the eurohub/T2/south be replaced with a replica of the North International Pier retaining the Eurohub check-in area (if you can’t merge the two check-in halls into one as probably seems odd to none local people arrivals being in the middle of 2 x check-in halls).

The newish (2009/2010) International Pier is the biggest terminal investment I have seen at Birmingham in my adult life; shame the spending didn't continue, I remember years ago there was going to be a satellite pier for Terminal 1 unsure if access would be moving walkways or a people mover but this got shelved or withdrawn following 9/11 attacks I believe.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Welcome @Stephen1991 and its good to read your first post. Excuse me for being slightly confused but I see you say you had problems registering and yet your profile says you joined in 2017.
Please feel free to send me a private message if you hit any further problems.

Scottie Dog

 

[Stephen1991]

Thanks @Scottie Dog I think the issue was I tried to use Facebook or Google account when registering, then when re-registered it kept advising the e-mail address is in use, but today I did forgot password (like before) and it worked (luckily)! 🙂 🙂

 

[whateverg]

Each time I walk through arrivals and see the broken jet bridge I feel that it doesn't do much good for the image of the airport, particularly in such a visible area (every arriving passenger will walk past it). It really should be repaired/removed asap.

 

[Stephen1991]

Each time I walk through arrivals and see the broken jet bridge I feel that it doesn't do much good for the image of the airport, particularly in such a visible area (every arriving passenger will walk past it). It really should be repaired/removed asap.

Yeah Birmingham nice airport overall but the single air bridge stands where they park 2 planes on steps, stand 59 and the whole of the former eurohub/terminal 2, airports abroad look at installing air bridges not removing ones, I don’t think I have ever seen an airbridge gate permanently out of use in Spain, Tenerife South have just added 2 during refurb I believe. When I think about it there were more airbridges in use before the new international pier was built vs today. Maybe more long haul airlines would be attracted if the facilities were already in place. I was surprised when I came back from Tenerife on the 787 Dreamliner, only one door open, remote stand, steps didn’t feel overly stable and possibly only 1 x bus which had to make multiple journeys deployed for the entire plane plus it was raining 😂😂

 

[Stephen1991]

Also the airbridge that doesn’t look in best of shape I think you mean this one

 

[Brum X]

However will most people even know it is broken and care?? If you go to many US airports they use airbridges like this on little CR9 regional aircraft which are almost touching the floor. The airbridge is nearly bigger than the plane, lol

 

[Stephen1991]

However will most people even know it is broken and care?? If you go to many US airports they use airbridges like this on little CR9 regional aircraft which are almost touching the floor. The airbridge is nearly bigger than the plane, lol

True but the airbridges in the USA generally work to my knowledge, I’ve said before I like Birmingham airport but would be great if every airbridge worked, not a whole pier or terminal or zone where they don’t, would just be nice to see every stand that has one or can have one have a working one especially considering some less economically developed counties do such as Enfidha in Tunisia, Birmingham airport is a beautiful airport in terms of the terminal but would be great to see all the features installed or utilised like the check in hall does it’s job when staffed same as other facilities generally in my experience, it would just be nice to not see facilities lost

 

[Stephen1991]

However will most people even know it is broken and care?? If you go to many US airports they use airbridges like this on little CR9 regional aircraft which are almost touching the floor. The airbridge is nearly bigger than the plane, lol

Thanks for reply by the way but yeah valid point 😂😂

 

[juliet-fox-9]

There are posts in this thread from 2018 stating that the eurohub jet bridges were removed because Ryanair and Flybe wanted more stand space. I find this strange because neither were growing their route networks at the time.