Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[Aviador]

Are any of the forum members in touch with @JENNYJET ? She hasn't been on the forum for some time and we are wondering if anyone is in a position to be able to check if she is OK?

 

[rollo]

I haven't been in touch with JENNYJET but have wondered if she is O.K. hopefully she is.
I do know roughly where she lives in a fairly rural area called "The Ridgeway" Astwood Bank outside Redditch.We used to live not too far away but recently moved to Alvechurch some distance away.

Hopefully she will read thread this and get in touch if able.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

We're near Beoley, not too far away and need to go up to Astwood Bank in the next week or two.
DM me Jenny's address and I'll try her house when we go up there.

 

[rollo]

We're near Beoley, not too far away and need to go up to Astwood Bank in the next week or two.
DM me Jenny's address and I'll try her house when we go up there.

Sorry but I don't know her address just know she lives on the Ridgeway from previous conversations not far from the Why Knott pub I believe.

By the way we lived quite close to you down the hill towards Abbey Park golf club, my wife was a regular at St. Leonards Church but now mostly attends Alvechurch. - small world as they say.

 

[Aviador]

The forum doesn't have an address. The only thing I can suggest is to ask in the vacinaty. If it's only a small village hopefully someone might know.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Sorry but I don't know her address just know she lives on the Ridgeway from previous conversations not far from the Why Knott pub I believe.

By the way we lived quite close to you down the hill towards Abbey Park golf club, my wife was a regular at St. Leonards Church but now mostly attends Alvechurch. - small world as they say.

Small world indeed. We used to use the pool & gym @ the Abbey.

We also pop down to the White Swan & Red Lion every so often - maybe catch up one day.

The forum doesn't have an address. The only thing I can suggest is to ask in the vacinaty. If it's only a small village hopefully someone might know.

I will ask when we pop up there - we need to go to aget a job done on The Ridgway.

 

[Scottie Dog]

I'm delighted to say that @JENNYJET has been in touch with me. She is currently taking a break from F4A whilst she recovers from illness, and the loss of her beloved dog Peggy.
I'm sure that you will join me in wishing her a full recovery and all the best for the future.

 

[Scottie Dog]

Just as an update, @JENNYJET has asked me to pass her thanks to all who have sent their best wishes.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The article is behind a paywall but the Sunday Times are reporting that Macquarie are finalising a deal for Birmingham, along with LCY and BRS.

 

[Karl C]

The article is behind a paywall but the Sunday Times are reporting that Macquarie are finalising a deal for Birmingham, along with LCY and BRS.

Let's hope that Macquarie do better at BHX than they've done at Thames Water .....

 

[Ray Finkle]

One things for sure the place needs some serious investment sooner rather than later. I can't see it being too long before terminal capacity constraints start to impact growth. I'm not convinced that the current set up can comfrtably handle 18mppa.

 

[rollo]

Interesting they previously bought a 24% stake for £84 million in BHX in 2002 and sold it to Ontario Teachers Plan in 2007 for £210 million and now looking to buy back in.
The proposed deal includes BRS and LCY.

One things for sure the place needs some serious investment sooner rather than later. I can't see it being too long before terminal capacity constraints start to impact growth. I'm not convinced that the current set up can comfrtably handle 18mppa.

Yes I am getting the feeling we are heading down the Luton route of sticking bits on which is not what the likes of Emirates, Qatar, Lufthansa etc really want. Price of Ryanair and EasyJet so a balancing act .

Andy, nobody has a majority shareholding BHX and that will still be the situation if the share sale goes through. The fact that no single organisation has control could well be the biggest reason holding BHX back but to be fair we're not doing too bad these days in my view

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all, the issue with Birmingham Airport over the last 10,20 or 30 years, there has never been significant investment allowcated to properly improve and expand the airport, to attract real businesses to use it. Because with a minority shareholder, they can invest as little or nothing at all, but because Birmingham airports majority shareholder are the seven metropolitan councils in the West Midlands, they are allowed to fund any investment of expansion, this can only be from a private investment company. This is why Birmingham airport is always behind with future vision, or playing catch-up to airports that have already done this.

 

[Ray Finkle]

To me it's felt like BHX has been playing catch up for as long as I can remember. Although the runway extension, new tower, new maintenance facility, new pier and terminal upgrades won't have come cheap they were probably a decade or two later than ideal.

I appreciate that it was extremely unlikely to ever happen but it feels like a golden opportunity was missed in not moving the airport to link in with HS2.

I just can't see how much more they can get out of the current site. Adding more stands is great but you still have to process those pax and (based purely on my own experiences and some I've heard from others) at peak times it already seems a struggle.

The obvious solution to me would be to expand the apron south into car parks 4 & 5 along with a new, much bigger, T2. That's a big job though and one that won't come cheap.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Macquire sold their shareholding in BHX back 2012 so maybe buying it back cheaper than they sold it for ?

 

[HPsauce]

The article is behind a paywall but the Sunday Times are reporting that Macquarie are finalising a deal for Birmingham, along with LCY and BRS.

In the BHX case, Maquarie are looking to take the OTPP ( Ontario Teachers Pension Plan) stake, which is 27% in Birmingham's case.
Let's hope they can inject some badly needed finances, In light of Birmingham City Council's bankruptcy.

 

[nwoody2001]

In the BHX case, Maquarie are looking to take the OTPP ( Ontario Teachers Pension Plan) stake, which is 27% in Birmingham's case.
Let's hope they can inject some badly needed finances, In light of Birmingham City Council's bankruptcy.

OTPP own 48.25% of BHX so assume these the size of the stake Maquarie would control...

 

[HPsauce]

OTPP own 48.25% of BHX so assume these the size of the stake Maquarie would control...

I thought the figures sounded odd, but The Sunday Times definitely says OTPP owns 27% at BHX, 55% at BRS and 25% at LCY.

 

[rollo]

Ive been digging and as ever financial affairs are not always totally transparent. Apperntly it turns out both the figures of 27% and 48% are correct.

There is a company called Airport Group Investments Ltd j(AGLL) jointly owned by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation it is AGLL who actually own the 48% of shares and I assume the OTTP share of AGLL amounts to the 27% of BHX referred to in in the Sunday Times article.

Hope thats clear,time for a lie down

 

[Ray Finkle]

It seems as if the sale, 26.5%, has been agreed subject to regulatory approval.

Macquarie said it plans to support the airports over the long term by expanding route networks, improving passenger experience and working with management and stakeholders on sustainability strategies.

Macquarie buys stakes in three UK airports from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

Macquarie Group has agreed to acquire ownership stakes in Bristol, Birmingham and London City airports from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

www.capitalbrief.com

Macquarie Asset Management buys back into UK airports

Macquarie, one of the world’s largest private infrastructure investors by assets under management, has bought into the Bristol, Birmingham and London City Airports.

www.afr.com