• Moderator
Birmingham Airport to invest £500 million to grow passengers to 18 million by 2033
View attachment 11161

  • The draft Master Plan outlines ambitious plans to grow by 40% to 18 million passengers per year by 2033.
  • Birmingham Airport is opening its plans to the public from today with an extensive consultation that will run to the end of January to seek views from local communities and stakeholders
  • The Plan reaffirms the Airport’s commitment to serve the region and its communities, increasing its contribution to the local economy from £1.5 billion to a forecast £2.1 billion a year and 34,000 jobs in 2033.
  • An investment of around £500m will increase capacity and vastly improve the passenger experience, to make Birmingham one of Europe’s leading regional airports.
bhx-checkin-2_.jpg


Birmingham Airport has today (Tuesday 6th November 2018) launched its draft Master Plan, titled,‘The Midlands Gateway to the World’. The Plan sets out in detail how the Airport will make a self-financed new investment of £500 million over the life of the plan to improve, modernise and extend facilities that will deliver increased capacity for our airline customers and enhance the passenger experience.

The draft Master Plan further reinforces the integral part the Airport plays as a catalyst for growth across the Midlands and in the UK’s economic prosperity. It outlines the Airport’s role in driving future economic benefit to the region which will increase by 42%, totalling £2.1 billion a year and 34,000 jobs by 2033.

A greater choice of flights and destinations, alongside improved regional connectivity and a direct link to HS2, are vital to the continued growth of the region’s thriving economy. The global markets to which the Airport connects help to drive international trade, investment, employment, inbound tourism and the success of the region’s many universities.

The Airport will continue to improve air links for people in the region, providing more flights to cultural hubs, business centres and a greater choice of outbound holiday destinations. It will continue to expand the existing wide range of short-haul and long-haul scheduled and charter services and destinations, with both full-service and low-cost airlines.

Building on existing commitments to sustainability and community support, the draft Master Plan demonstrates how growth to become one of Europe’s leading regional airports will be balanced with a responsibility to the environment and the people who live and work in the Airport’s vicinity.

This ambitious yet sustainable plan is focussed on addressing the key constraints to more rapid growth. This will involve a major expansion of the terminal facilities, the construction of additional new aircraft stands and working with national agencies and regional partners to deliver improved public and road transport surface access for passengers.

All of the forecast demand growth is fully achievable on the existing single runway which has the physical capacity to handle 25 to 30 million passenger movements a year. The draft Master Plan also follows recently restated Government policy of making the best use of the UK’s existing runways.

Simon Richards, Acting Managing Director, Birmingham Airport, said:

“Birmingham Airport is already the preferred national and international aviation hub for the Midlands and our ambition is to build on this to become one of Europe’s leading regional airports, acting as a key economic accelerator, delivering great service to passengers, and helping to showcase the region.

“Over the next 15 years, we will expand and significantly improve the Airport to maximise our potential as a single runway airport by investing £500 million. Our plans take account of our forecast growth and will increase operational efficiency for our airlines and partners and improve the experience for our passengers.”


Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

“Birmingham Airport is a key part of an economy that is growing faster than anywhere else in the UK and it is important we invest and grow this asset to ensure it keeps being a driver of prosperity.

“These bold plans will not only see a huge investment by the airport but commit to using the existing single runway to drive this growth. For my part, I will work with the airport and key partners like HS2 and the NEC Group to ensure we deliver the world-class facility our region and country deserves.”


Neil Rami, Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company, said:

“The West Midlands has firmly established itself as the UK’s driver of growth, fostering centres of excellence in business and leading the country’s traditional sectors – such as manufacturing and engineering.

“The region lies on the cusp of a period of great economic growth, supported by major infrastructure projects such as HS2, that will help attract more people and investment than ever before. To realise this potential, we are committed to working with our partners at Birmingham Airport to showcase the region to the world.”


Birmingham Airport details in the Plan its commitment to working closely with partners across the region, playing its part in driving growth. The Plan highlights how important factors such as public transport and highways improvements are to ensure the Airport is able to reach its potential.

Alongside the draft Master Plan, the Airport will be consulting on a new draft Surface Access Strategy. This will outline how it will meet growth requirements and targets, as well as continuing to work in collaboration with transport bodies and operators.

The launch of this draft Master Plan triggers the start of a 12-week public consultation for stakeholders to feed back their views on the Airport’s Plans. A number of public exhibitions will take place throughout the West Midlands from the 12th November to the 22nd January 2019. The consultation period will end on the 31st January at 23:59.

Full details of the plan and how to feedback can be found at www.bhxmasterplan.co.uk
 
At first glance I honestly felt somewhat underwhelmed - 18mppa by 2033 hardly seemed groundbreaking or ambitious and the bulk work of the master plan seems to be stand reconfiguration, an extension to the departure lounge (previously announced) and a small extension of security toward the apron. To some airports that would be a one off package of work separate from any master plan.

On reflection, 2033 is 'only' 15 years away and 18mppa represents a c.40% growth. Looking back 15 years to 2003 and the airport has grown by c.40% in that time as well. In that time have we seen any radical changes to the airport? The biggest changes were the new International Pier (which essentially was just replacing an outdated pier) and the runway extension.

My biggest concern here is how well the airport plans to deal with the various choke points:

- I've rarely had to queue for check-in in recent years, so the only improvement I'd like to see here would be automated self check-in/bag drop (mentioned in the master plan).

- We all remember seeing (or experiencing) queues at security last summer (2017), and the airport has already expanded security somewhat for this summer (2018), and this plan looks to expand it further.

- Certainly during the peak summer period the departure lounge can get very busy. The extension to the lounge should help in the near future, but I think by the mid 2020's (certainly the late 2020's) the departure lounge will once again be very busy.

- I've rarely had to queue for more than 10 minutes at immigration recently. Hopefully that remains the case though the master plan only makes a vague comment about the possible need for expanding immigration at some point in the future. Something that did catch my eye here though was the suggestion that a link corridor could be built connecting the Eurohub arrivals to Terminal 1 arrivals with the potential to create a single unified immigration point.

- Baggage reclaim: IMO this needs gutting and completely replacing. That was always unlikely to happen, so good to see a new longer belt will be built for larger aircraft. Having flown in on the A380 twice now, that will certainly be an improvement.

Overall this master plan feels very much like business as usual. "Unless it really needs to happen, we won't do it". What they have proposed should allow the airport to handle 18mppa, though the 'customer experience' may start to suffer towards the end of the 15 year time frame. As the airport grows past 18mppa big changes will be needed - at least by then the implications of HS2, Heathrow third runway and Brexit will be known.
 
At first glance I honestly felt somewhat underwhelmed - 18mppa by 2033 hardly seemed groundbreaking or ambitious and the bulk work of the master plan seems to be stand reconfiguration, an extension to the departure lounge (previously announced) and a small extension of security toward the apron. To some airports that would be a one off package of work separate from any master plan.

On reflection, 2033 is 'only' 15 years away and 18mppa represents a c.40% growth. Looking back 15 years to 2003 and the airport has grown by c.40% in that time as well. In that time have we seen any radical changes to the airport? The biggest changes were the new International Pier (which essentially was just replacing an outdated pier) and the runway extension.

My biggest concern here is how well the airport plans to deal with the various choke points:

- I've rarely had to queue for check-in in recent years, so the only improvement I'd like to see here would be automated self check-in/bag drop (mentioned in the master plan).

- We all remember seeing (or experiencing) queues at security last summer (2017), and the airport has already expanded security somewhat for this summer (2018), and this plan looks to expand it further.

- Certainly during the peak summer period the departure lounge can get very busy. The extension to the lounge should help in the near future, but I think by the mid 2020's (certainly the late 2020's) the departure lounge will once again be very busy.

- I've rarely had to queue for more than 10 minutes at immigration recently. Hopefully that remains the case though the master plan only makes a vague comment about the possible need for expanding immigration at some point in the future. Something that did catch my eye here though was the suggestion that a link corridor could be built connecting the Eurohub arrivals to Terminal 1 arrivals with the potential to create a single unified immigration point.

- Baggage reclaim: IMO this needs gutting and completely replacing. That was always unlikely to happen, so good to see a new longer belt will be built for larger aircraft. Having flown in on the A380 twice now, that will certainly be an improvement.

Overall this master plan feels very much like business as usual. "Unless it really needs to happen, we won't do it". What they have proposed should allow the airport to handle 18mppa, though the 'customer experience' may start to suffer towards the end of the 15 year time frame. As the airport grows past 18mppa big changes will be needed - at least by then the implications of HS2, Heathrow third runway and Brexit will be known.

Not yet looked at the master plan but the headline of 18 mppa by 2033 is 360,000 increase per annum or 3% pa. Not exactly ambitious and more of a natural increase rather than planned growth. I hate to say this but they have given up! What happened to the 30 mppa plus claims once HS2 was in place?
 
My thoughts in brief:

1) Disappointing to see no exterior alterations to the Eurohub. Hopefully the extended canopy will hide most of the front.
2) The interior of the departure lounge extension looks very good. I approve of the growing trend among UK airports to use timber decoration on the interior of new terminals/extensions. Also... I hope they keep the living wall shown in the CGI :)
3) I hope the new "station" for the people mover at the airport end is more substantial than what the renders show which currently looks like the kind of "quick buck build" being thrown up at Luton.
4) Maybe with the closure of the old AirRail there is an opportunity for another terminal extension? Can't see what they'd put there besides retail space though.
5) Biggest disappointment is no terminal extensions to the north. With that departure lounge extension there was an opportunity to add a new pier running alongside the railway, joining the terminal in a newly created space less likely to be a bottleneck.
 
Are they having a joke, is it April fools ?

Im sorry but i am totally underwhelmed by this, the terminal looks exactly the same and all they have done is reconfigured some stands near the old Eurohub terminal and im assuming for Lo Cost carriers. And built a new taxiway, oh and increased passengers by 5 million by 2033.

Well as Ian has commented they have indeed given up and looks like all they are aiming for is to become a lo cost airport just like Luton.

P-ss poor effort in my opinion. In fact i cant even be bothered to look at those pathetic renders again. We have been waiting all this time for this ? :rage:

No offense to LBA but im more impressed with there new arrivals terminal which is planned than this load of rubbish.

Nah, they have set the bar so low the ambition is just pathetic. There isnt even any extension to our international terminal that's how pathetic it is.

Brum X this evening is a very dissapointed forumer indeed. In fact i could cry that our airport has come to this. :cry::cry::cry:

Sorry for the rant folks
 
Last edited:
Like most people on here underwhelmed to say the least . Looking at the pic of the terminal and taxi ways it just looks like a few extra wide body stands and the extension of the parallel taxi way all along the length of the runway . There's no high speed run offs from the runway to speed things up . Building this taxi way if they do build would be an ideal time to extend the international pier and have another 4 air bridge gates .
Where's the plan to build a pier by the railway as those pics showing just that we're doing the rounds not so long ago titled (BHX Development Programme Short- Medium Term)
Overall as several people have said on here and on ***Links to other Social Media platforms are not permitted***- what they have put out today is nothing more than on going developments nothing out of this world to get anyone exited about .
Other airports have released there Master plans and have been Robin Hood proposing doubling the terminal and building up to 4 piers , Cardiff building a new terminal every airport in ambitious except BHX some will say reality has hit and this is all we can do .
 
Blimey BHX can’t win - if they’d have come out with a masterplan for 30 million passengers, a new terminal and a second runway I can think of a few people who would arguing they were being over ambitious and wasting money. IMHO what we have here is a very realastic masterplan - let’s face it; Heathrow’s third runway and HS2 will no doubt draw more premium traffic away while MAN continues to pull away the loco traffic. There are no other airlines likely to be setting up a large operation anytime soon so natural growth is the only way forward as far as I can see.
 
Blimey BHX can’t win - if they’d have come out with a masterplan for 30 million passengers, a new terminal and a second runway I can think of a few people who would arguing they were being over ambitious and wasting money. IMHO what we have here is a very realastic masterplan - let’s face it; Heathrow’s third runway and HS2 will no doubt draw more premium traffic away while MAN continues to pull away the loco traffic. There are no other airlines likely to be setting up a large operation anytime soon so natural growth is the only way forward as far as I can see.

Bye bye to our ambition to become a proper international airport.

Welcome to Luton Part 2
 
C'mon a major facelift for the terminal with significant changes to the way it looked was definatley expected by most on here so to see that the airport from the outside looks exactly the same is a load of rubbish.

I wasnt expecting to have an airport with 30m passengers and a second runway but this masterplan is to the other extreme, its no masterplan at all. I dont even know why they bothered.
 
Bye bye to our ambition to become a proper international airport.

Welcome to Luton Part 2

I don’t think we’re quite Luton Part 2 - but you can’t argue that the airlines have spoken; United gone, American gone, Icelandair gone, Aegean gone, Air Transat gone....perhaps BHX has been too over ambitious in the past and instead of chasing the impossible dream it’s time to get realistic. It’s dissapointimg I agre but perhaps a change of approach is what’s needed?
 
I don’t think we’re quite Luton Part 2 - but you can’t argue that the airlines have spoken; United gone, American gone, Icelandair gone, Aegean gone, Air Transat gone....perhaps BHX has been too over ambitious in the past and instead of chasing the impossible dream it’s time to get realistic. It’s dissapointimg I agre but perhaps a change of approach is what’s needed?

Stansted Part 2 ?

Dare i say lots of Ryanair and Easyjet and a few wide bodies every day ?
 
Stansted Part 2 ?

Dare i say lots of Ryanair and Easyjet and a few wide bodies every day ?

Lol! I just think BHX had egg on it’s face far to often lately....an ambitious masterplan with talk of 30 mil passengers, parallel runways and direct flights to LAX, HKG, PEK etc is just unrealistic at the moment and the airport would look silly again when it doesn’t happen. Let’s face it, four years on and the runway extension only serves a couple of TUI charters!
 
The key part of the plan is the restraint placed on the airports growth due to Heathrow runway 3.

As a professional town planner, this is not the way I would have approached the master plan. Sure you want an airport that is not a white elephant and the terminal improvements are welcomed. But the starting point is what does the city and region need? Where is the city in the Europe and world hierarchy?

I dont doubt their growth assessment but to feebly settle for 18 mppa by 2033 which is not far off the current capacity and drop the ambitious 24 mppa high growth scenario which would have shown real ambition just says to me that they have given up.

I fear that this poor and unambitious plan will not match the city aspirations and will not attract new airlines and routes. The growth of 3% pa is low and suggests catering for nothing more than catchment population increase and economic growth rather than expanding the network.

There is nothing to support the expansion of engineering. Nothing exciting at all about the old Elmdon site...even for the now listed original terminal. No plans for cargo. And the terminal extensions are very limited.

Even as just reported on Midlands Today there was a downbeat air and even Andy Street failed to lift the mood.

So where will this put the? Way behind our friends up north when we should be ahead. No scope for significant long haul east or west and without the growth network you will find at simialr economic Europe cities such as Milan, Munich and Barcelona.

Disappointing. I am thinking of a formal response. If I do I am happy to share.
 
I am having problems accessing a copy of this plan but watching the BBC has sent me hunting for my Tramadol!!

How about sending in the military to sort this out?

Give them a problem, be sure that they will work it a create a solution that works.
 
Positives

The departure lounge extension looks fantastic. Lots of natural light in the mezzanine level and a very much needed expansion of the restaurant offer. Really looking forward to this (y)

DrT2yQTWkAAgEKq.jpg


I also think that the revamped check in hall looks very impressive. It is clean, fresh, modern and a far cry from what it is now. Looking at the image below it appears that the airline ticket desks are to be removed or located which will hopefully make the space much brighter and give much more space.

1_Birmingham-Airport-CGI-1.jpg
 

Upload Media

Upgrade Your Account

Subscribe to help support your favourite forum and in return we'll remove all our advertisements. Your contribution will help to pay for things like site maintenance, domain name renewals and annual server charges.



Forums4aiports
Subscribe

NEW - Profile Posts

9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
5 trips done and 45 miles walked,. Also the RAF has had 4 F35B Lightning follow me yesterday and today....
My plans got altered slightly as one of the minibus companies had to cancel 3 trips and refunded me but will be getting nice discount when I rebook them.
wondering why on my "holidays" I choose to get up 2 hours earlier than when going to work. 6 trips in 6 days soon coming up with 3 more days to sort out

Trending Hashtags

Advertisement

Back
Top Bottom
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock