Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[Coathanger16]

Previous plan:



Current plan:

Of course only indicative pictures and will have to wait and see the actual plans when they come out, but what we're now getting looks better to me than the previous terminal extension.

The previous plans equated to an extra 4200sqm of terminal space accessible to passengers - so not including offices, baggage and back of house space - over two floors, whereas the area currently occupied by security is roughly 4400sqm (taken from google maps).

The majority of seating in the previous terminal extension was associated with eateries as well, so there's very little difference in that regard.

Again, the master plan has not been thrown in the bin - the stand reconfiguration of the master plan is still progressing. As of yet there has been no confirmation from the airport that the previous terminal extension will no longer happen, and even if it does end up being cancelled we'd still be up one project as the redeveloped security area and the Eurohub queuing area weren't in the master plan.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, who are Birmingham airports shareholders, they only have the councils and Ontario teachers pension plan. I wouldn't have thought that the minority shareholders would make much investment contributions at all.

 

[rollo]

All the shareholders in BHX are minority shareholders ie none have a majority stake and any investment they make has to be in proportion to their holdings although funding is normally made by other means as in loans payed back out of profits.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

From the Annual Report 2022-2023 (full report can be found here - https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/media/7070/annual-report-2022-23.pdf)


34 Parent and ultimate parent undertaking
'Birmingham Airport Holdings Limited is owned by the Districts (see note 33), who hold 49 per cent of
the ordinary shares, Airport Group Investments Limited, who hold 48.25 per cent of the ordinary
shares and the Employee Share Ownership Plan who hold 2.75 per cent of the shares. No party or
group of parties have ultimate control of the Group'.

So, as rollo says there is no majority stake. The 48.25% held by Airport Group Investments Limited is a substantial shareholding.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, after just reading Birmingham Airports end of year report, in the airports future development sub heading, it refers to Birmingham Airport has been identified as aviation hub for the Midlands area, but also the airport managements ambition is to enable Birmingham Airport to engage itself and become one of the leading airports in Europe, with what it offers. When I read this quote, it made me laugh, the airport management are in another world, if Birmingham Airport is ranked in Europe as 40th best airport in Europe, then to quote saying, a leading airport in Europe, is an insult by its own management. They need to understand that Birmingham Airport, will never be able to compete with the big boys, or even the medium sized boys, as with passenger levels under 13 million passengers, doesn't promote a healthy statement, it will give out the wrong and negative image it already has, this won't help it at all.

 

[Timberwolf]

Previous plan:

View attachment 29853

Current plan:

Of course only indicative pictures and will have to wait and see the actual plans when they come out, but what we're now getting looks better to me than the previous terminal extension.

The previous plans equated to an extra 4200sqm of terminal space accessible to passengers - so not including offices, baggage and back of house space - over two floors, whereas the area currently occupied by security is roughly 4400sqm (taken from google maps).

The majority of seating in the previous terminal extension was associated with eateries as well, so there's very little difference in that regard.

Again, the master plan has not been thrown in the bin - the stand reconfiguration of the master plan is still progressing. As of yet there has been no confirmation from the airport that the previous terminal extension will no longer happen, and even if it does end up being cancelled we'd still be up one project as the redeveloped security area and the Eurohub queuing area weren't in the master plan.

I give up..
everything's brilliant, acres and acres of space for passengers plenty of seating to get 18 million passengers on.nNo need for any terminal expansion, into the mid 2030s.No need for any new stands just reconfig the ones they have.Sorted
Where's the drum gone

 

[Coathanger16]

I give up..

Thank f**k for that!

No need for any terminal expansion, into the mid 2030s

I never said so.

No need for any new stands just reconfig the ones they have.Sorted

Stand reconfiguration was the first part of the master plan. New stands were to come later.

You've been adamant that what we're now getting has been a downgrade and that parts or even the entire master plan has been dropped.

The former is your opinion which you are entitled to but haven't presented much if any reasons to back up your opinion, whilst there has been absolutely no evidence of the latter and even when presented with facts to the contrary you still persist.

F4A used to be a fun forum to come to, but ever since the pandemic it's been awash with negativity - there were some forum members who the other week thought easyJet were going to pull their base before it even opened!

Could the airport being doing better? Of course it could, but that will always be the case. Reading some comments on here you'd think the airport was the worst performing airport in the world.

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX is doing just fine and will add capacity when it needs to, we are under 11.5m pax and even 2024 probably wont be a record but as they strive to get to 18m by 2033 of course they will need to look at other capacity options but for now not needed.

 

[Brum X]

At the end of the day, this is a public forum and doesn't or shouldn't just be a place where only positive things are discussed. The simple fact that people moan and are negative is actually showing that they care and normally frustrated with the status quo, I know I am.

 

[Timberwolf]

Thank f**k for that!



I never said so.



Stand reconfiguration was the first part of the master plan. New stands were to come later.

You've been adamant that what we're now getting has been a downgrade and that parts or even the entire master plan has been dropped.

The former is your opinion which you are entitled to but haven't presented much if any reasons to back up your opinion, whilst there has been absolutely no evidence of the latter and even when presented with facts to the contrary you still persist.

F4A used to be a fun forum to come to, but ever since the pandemic it's been awash with negativity - there were some forum members who the other week thought easyJet were going to pull their base before it even opened!

Could the airport being doing better? Of course it could, but that will always be the case. Reading some comments on here you'd think the airport was the worst performing airport

Im disappointed with your first line.No need for that.

They stated they needed to spend £500 million on the masterplan into the 2030s.Then went onto their roadshows telling us all why.

Yet you seem to be saying all that can now be achieved by spending near half that amount of money, £300 million ,when you take into account high inflation.In the same time frame.

In the real World ,there will have to be big consequences when they now only have half the amount of money available they said they needed..

 

[Brum X]

I know most if not all members of this forum were hardly jumping into the sky with excitement when the last masterplan was announced, I remember it well. Damp squib comes to mind so it's hardly surprising some (including me) are jumping for joy at this latest news no matter how much some people want to dress it up.

 

[Timberwolf]

I know most if not all members of this forum were hardly jumping into the sky with excitement when the last masterplan was announced, I remember it well. Damp squib comes to mind so it's hardly surprising some (including me) are jumping for joy at this latest news no matter how much some people want to dress it up.

Totally agree. Brum X.

Whats shocking here is that just over 2 months ago BHX gave a presentation to a Transport construction consortium where they were STILL peddling the £500 million expansion showing the modular building extension to fill in the gap between the main terminal and the Intetnational pier on the 3 levels.Showing a dozen different drawings including thr 40% increase to the then lounge extension and lots more rows of seats in inside and the escalators up to the new eateries.

Yet here we are just 2 months later and its gone ,as have £200 million from the masterplan budget.

As i said before, it is what it is now. Passengers and the airport will have to make the best of the much smaller budget and the consequences of that.

 

[jfy1999]

Im disappointed with your first line.No need for that.

They stated they needed to spend £500 million on the masterplan into the 2030s.Then went onto their roadshows telling us all why.

Yet you seem to be saying all that can now be achieved by spending near half that amount of money, £300 million ,when you take into account high inflation.In the same time frame.

In the real World ,there will have to be big consequences when they now only have half the amount of money available they said they needed..

I agree that the first comment was uncalled for. I hope the discussion can continue civilly.

But do you disagree with his argument that the existing floor space is poorly utilised? If you can make more floor space available for passengers by spending £300m than £500m then why would you not go for the £300m option first?

I don’t find it hard to believe that the £300m option provides more floor space. The terminal extension from 2018 looks like it was going to have a big two-storey atrium. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, just the opposite in fact, but having an atrium means a lot less floor space.

it’s unfortunate but if the 4400 square metre figure is correct, then I can see their logic.

On the bright side? I think what they are doing now, means that if the 2018 extension is ever built in future, it’ll be less likely that they have to fill in that atrium to make more floor space

 

[Ray Finkle]

I don’t find it hard to believe that the £300m option provides more floor space. The terminal extension from 2018 looks like it was going to have a big two-storey atrium. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, just the opposite in fact, but having an atrium means a lot less floor space.

I travel through BHX at peak school holidays time and one thing that I've noticed is whilst the T1 departure lounge is absolutely heaving, often with a long wait to get a table, the T2 lounge is not far off empty. I've left Wetherspoons where people are circling desperately waiting for somewhere to sit and walked down to All Bar One where barely 50% of the tables are occupied.

If done correctly I hope this new area will entice pax to spread out a little more making the most of the space available and hopefully the extension is on the back burner to be added when needed.


Looking at the video below it suggests that there will be an 'upgrade' to baggage reclaim and arrivals along with stand changes to accept more aircraft. It'll be interesting to see those plans when they are announced.

 

[Brum X]

Oh that's interesting as I wondered what those things were poking up on the grass at the end of Runway 15, seen them on YouTube videos when they have been filming from Sheldon Country Park. They are going to be Solar Panels.

;-)

 

[Ray Finkle]

Lifts about to be bought into use.



BHX TAKES IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN SECURITY HALL BUILD

Birmingham Airport (BHX) has begun bringing into use four 50-person lifts as part of its +£50m project to build a state-of-the-art new security screening hall for customers.

In January 2024 BHX will take delivery of its new security screening equipment, which will then be installed before staff are trained on it ahead of the planned operational switch-on in June 2024.

In preparation for this, between now and January, BHX will phase into use the four Sheridan lifts. These will become the main means of moving between the ground and first floors of the terminal, ultimately replacing the temporary lifts and staircases in use since the summer.

Old escalators connecting the ground floor check-in area and the first-floor departures area have been removed and the external façade of the terminal building moved outwards, creating more space for customers as they enter the terminal.

Once completed the new security screening area will deliver a more efficient process and a better experience for customers.

Stephen Barker, Development and Construction Director for BHX, said: “Phasing the new lifts into use is an important step in our work to transform the BHX terminal. It will deliver a more efficient pre-flight screening process and will make us compliant with new Government regulations.

“Customers will have seen the extent of the work we are doing as they have passed through the airport since April 2023. We thank both customers and airport staff for bearing with us as we work towards delivering this fantastic new facility.”

Project teams have been working on-site 21 hours a day to safely deliver the project on time. Above the new security hall is a newly constructed insulated roof clad with solar panels. These panels will generate green electricity to help run the airport as it progresses towards its goal of becoming a carbon net zero operation by 2033.

The Next-Generation Security (NGS) hall project is part of BHX’s £300m capital investment programme over the next decade to create a more efficient terminal capable of serving 18 million customers a year by 2033.

https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/media-information/news/2023/12/bhx-takes-important-step-forward-in-security-hall-build/

 

[Matt995]

does that mean the only way to get from the ground floor to the first floor is by these 4 lifts? Is there now no stairs or escalators to use? Not everyone is happy to use lifts?

 

[IanFarquharson]

does that mean the only way to get from the ground floor to the first floor is by these 4 lifts? Is there now no stairs or escalators to use? Not everyone is happy to use lifts?

That is correct Matt
The space saved by not have escalators creates a lot more floor space so this with the old screening area becoming extra lounge / retail space takes some pressure off the current set up and should mean the airport can get to 18m without re-strarting the planned lounge extension.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

At the moment the Airport looks like it’s creating an series of episodes of X files.Especially outside

 

[Kevin Farnell]

What about fire regulations? I thought lifts weren't supposed to be used during a fire evacuation.