Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[Matt995]

Birmingham officially the worst airport for delays today!

 

[hishaq96]

Birmingham official the worst airport for delays today!

Any reason why so many delays today?

 

[HPsauce]

Any reason why so many delays today?

Any reason why so many delays today?

Possibly due to a few go-arounds due to high cross winds. Emirates was already late and went around.

 

[Matt995]

Average Arrival Delay was 48 mins, 65 flights arrived over 1 hour late

Average Departure Delay was 1 hour 11 minutes, and a staggering 86 fights were delayed by more than an hour.

Don't think the weather was the major reason for the delays, just wondering if the airport was slot restricted in bound and out bound for some reason?

 

[Ianbutty]

I have noticed recently from FR24 that it is now frequently showing the numbers of movements for BHX in the upper 50s or lower 60s. This may include those annoying ground vehicles they show, which I cannot seem to turn off, but nonetheless, it was mainly peaking at lower to mid 50s this time last year.

 

[RichL]

Can someone help me and its probably a very stupid question already answered in the other 196 pages of this thread but still...

Traffic departing on 33, almost ten times out of ten they turn right after take off?

Is it because of the mountain terrain (joke) over Birmingham City centre if they turn left? Can you not turn left with a departing aircraft in case it crashes in town on take off (crashes are very, very rare let's face it) or some other reason?

There are some limited services that do turn left after departure but not as many that turn right.

However, go arounds on 33 always seem to turn left.

Thank you.

 

[Nethercote2019]

Can someone help me and its probably a very stupid question already answered in the other 196 pages of this post but still...

Traffic departing on 33, while almost ten times out of ten they turn right after take off?

Is it because of the mountain terrain (joke) over Birmingham City centre if they turn left? Can you not turn left with a departing aircraft in case it crashes in town on take off (crashes are very, very rare let's face it) or some other reason?

There are some limited services that do turn left after departure but not as many that turn right.

However, go arounds on 33 always seem to turn left.

Thank you.

Great question as I wondered about that … departures that use left turn used for a few Canary & Faro flights I’ve noticed
Also arrivals to 15 from south most go down left about a third down right side

 

[Nethercote2019]

Can someone help me and its probably a very stupid question already answered in the other 196 pages of this thread but still...

Traffic departing on 33, almost ten times out of ten they turn right after take off?

Is it because of the mountain terrain (joke) over Birmingham City centre if they turn left? Can you not turn left with a departing aircraft in case it crashes in town on take off (crashes are very, very rare let's face it) or some other reason?

There are some limited services that do turn left after departure but not as many that turn right.

However, go arounds on 33 always seem to turn left.

Thank you.

& tonight’s Emirates 777 did missed approach 33 and steep left turn over Shirley

 

[rollo]

Can someone help me and its probably a very stupid question already answered in the other 196 pages of this thread but still...

Traffic departing on 33, almost ten times out of ten they turn right after take off?

Is it because of the mountain terrain (joke) over Birmingham City centre if they turn left? Can you not turn left with a departing aircraft in case it crashes in town on take off (crashes are very, very rare let's face it) or some other reason?

There are some limited services that do turn left after departure but not as many that turn right.

However, go arounds on 33 always seem to turn left.

Thank you.

Here's a theory!

Right turn off runway 33 is for noise abatement purposes while a go round is sent left as its easier to feed it in for another approach if it has a safety/emergency issue of some sort.

 

[HPsauce]

Here's a theory!

Right turn off runway 33 is for noise abatement purposes while a go round is sent left as its easier to feed it in for another approach if it has a safety/emergency issue of some sort.

I would agree with that, and add that as far as i can remember, from the changes made by the CAA about 3 years ago, 33 departures climb straight ahead to 4 miles out ( which is roughly over Spitfire Island, Castle Vale). They then make their ( mostly right ) turns if heading south.
There are many caveats to this though, particularly for Ireland and Scotland bound aircraft.

 

[Matt995]

for departures off 33, there are 4 SIDS (standard instrument departures)

BRUMI 1M departure, which invoices a straight climb out for 4.1 nm, then a turn left onto 253 degrees - mainly used for departures to the canary islands, portugal

ADMEX 1M or UNGAP 1M departure which involves a straight climb out for 1.8 nm, then a turn to the right, for departures routing over europe

LUVUM 1M departure, straight climb for 1.9 nm, then a right turn on to 007 degrees for departures heading north, ie Ireland, Scotland

for missed approaches to 33, the aircraft is instructed to climb straight ahead to 3000ft, then as directed by ATC, so they usually turn them left, so they could if required put the aircraft in the Grove hold, if the aircraft should need to hold, or vector them back to 33 to join any other inbound traffic that might need to be vectored from the Honiley NDB.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Liquids in containers up to 2 litres are now allowed in hand luggage.

https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/important-updates-customer-advice-on-liquids-when-travelling-out-of-birmingham-airport/

Apologies it this is already known, I've only just seen it.

 

[Knotty]

Liquids in containers up to 2 litres are now allowed in hand luggage.

https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/important-updates-customer-advice-on-liquids-when-travelling-out-of-birmingham-airport/

Apologies it this is already known, I've only just seen it.

Can see some 'issues' here with returning pax. Here in ALC, still strictly 100ml, yet I'm sure there will be some who whilst being allowed 2L outbound, will assume same applies for their return flight.

 

[RichL]

for departures off 33, there are 4 SIDS (standard instrument departures)

BRUMI 1M departure, which invoices a straight climb out for 4.1 nm, then a turn left onto 253 degrees - mainly used for departures to the canary islands, portugal

ADMEX 1M or UNGAP 1M departure which involves a straight climb out for 1.8 nm, then a turn to the right, for departures routing over europe

LUVUM 1M departure, straight climb for 1.9 nm, then a right turn on to 007 degrees for departures heading north, ie Ireland, Scotland

for missed approaches to 33, the aircraft is instructed to climb straight ahead to 3000ft, then as directed by ATC, so they usually turn them left, so they could if required put the aircraft in the Grove hold, if the aircraft should need to hold, or vector them back to 33 to join any other inbound traffic that might need to be vectored from the Honiley NDB.

That's a great answer and thank you for that. I guess these are years old and just never change?

 

[thunderchild]

My folks returned from Thessaloniki last night, they said that while the queuing situation had certainly improved from last year they can’t understand why the place is still a building site - nothing seems to have changed in twelve months. Arrivals on the Jet2 side is a bit of a shambles, walking through the “garage” as my dad called it, then outside, then back inside only to join a massive queue for passport control with no e-gates. He used to fly with BA for work back in the day and he said now it’s just not big enough to handle an operation the size of Jet2.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Article linked below giving a little insight into Al Titterington who is the Terminal Operations Director.

There's nothing new in there but I found it an interesting read.

Al Titterington: International Airport Summit 2025 speaker spotlight - International Airport Review

International Airport Summit takes a look at one of this year’s speakers – Al Titterington, Terminal Operations Director at Birmingham Airport

www.internationalairportreview.com

 

[Matt995]

The name titterington absolutely suits the guy

thats a bit dissrespectful Ant, have you ever met the guy, I guess no, so you can't really comment can you?, I just hope his family are not reading this, how would they feel?, you need to be more mature and respectful with your comments please!

 

[Creguk]

So I was just about to board my Tui flight to be told Air traffic has gone down. Loads of flights are now delayed!

 

[smithy108]

So I was just about to board my Tui flight to be told Air traffic has gone down. Loads of flights are now delayed!

FR24 reporting about 1 hour delays on most of the flights that were due to leave from about 3.15pm onwards although quite a few are showing their original departure time but not yet airborne

 

[Ianbutty]

Talk of BHX renaming to Ozzy Osbourne International. Big petition to do so. Not sure myself, but it would be a great tribute.