Birmingham: Airport Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[IanFarquharson]

I have made a post on my page on X do you want me to credit you?

No need, it is not my story

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Councillors agree to monitor Birmingham Airport night time flights

Solihull planners will monitor Birmingham Airport's night flights after approving an increase, amid resident opposition over noise concerns

kenilworth.nub.news

 

[Ray Finkle]

Does anyone know what work is being done to gates 56/57 and beyond? It's sealed off inside for work with all departures from 54 down. Stands 57/58 out of action as a result.

Noticed it all closed off on Monday so was going to ask the same thing?

 

[G-MANS]

Noticed it all closed off on Monday so was going to ask the same thing?

Is the terminal infill extension still going ahead? Perhaps it is the start of that although I doubt it.

A side note is that twice in the last 6 months I've arrived and the usual CTA corridor has been closed. Instead we were bussed around to the end of the short pier and up the stairs through some old back corridors which still had the old 90s blue carpet in. It spat us out immediately behind the immigration e-gates and in to baggage rather than the usual CTA doors into the baggage hall.

 

[jamie_c]

Not sure why you would extend the runway acrross the A45 when it is full length runway already ?

Also my idea would be a big new single terminal with existing ones being demolised.

As shown on the pdf I've attached, originally it was supposed to have a starter extension for runway 33 which would have pushed the runway end safety area over A45, requiring it to be put in a tunnel. Obviously it was cut to save the cost of putting the road tunnel in. Although the paved length is now 3,052m, the declared takeoff run available at each end of the runway is 3,003m, likely due to runway end safety areas being increased. Is that full length? Manchester and Gatwick can offer 3,200m and 3,255m TORA from some runways. The proposed third runway at Heathrow is currently set at 3,500m and they said that would only allow 90 odd percent of existing LHR long haul departures to operate. I suspect BHX's runway as it is will more than likely do for any service likely to be offered from the airport though.

 

[Nibbles]

3000m is sufficient to run almost any aircraft, at max take off weight, to almost any feasible destination. There are only a handful of route/aircraft combos that would not be possible, mainly A340 operated. All of the big modern wide bodies (A350/B777/A380) can all get off in 3000m or less (barring one type of the B777 (i've not seen takeoff requirements for the B777X yet)). The B747, which we only have for cargo, can get off at almost max weight.

We might struggle if someone decides to run a regular pax service to max range points - Argentina or Australia, say - but anywhere else is achievable easily (including all the US west coast, all of Asia, etc.)

 

[jamie_c]

3000m is sufficient to run almost any aircraft, at max take off weight, to almost any feasible destination. There are only a handful of route/aircraft combos that would not be possible, mainly A340 operated. All of the big modern wide bodies (A350/B777/A380) can all get off in 3000m or less (barring one type of the B777 (i've not seen takeoff requirements for the B777X yet)). The B747, which we only have for cargo, can get off at almost max weight.

We might struggle if someone decides to run a regular pax service to max range points - Argentina or Australia, say - but anywhere else is achievable easily (including all the US west coast, all of Asia, etc.)

I agree with all that, at least for UK temperatures and altitudes. As I said, what BHX has will probably be sufficient for any likely future routes. But, you listed a number of limitations that I would say mean the runway is not "full length" and that was my point. A full length runway wouldn't have such limitations, hence why LHR has 2 runways over 3,600m. "A sufficient length for the airport's foreseeable needs" would seem a better description for BHX, in my opinion. There could be a possible extension needed in the future, however unlikely it seems at present.

 

[Nibbles]

Well - LHR has runways of that length for mainly legacy reasons; when they were built, many aircraft required that extra length. When the third runway was proposed, HAL argued that they needed a 3500m runway so that they could serve all the flights that currently operated on the other two - which is sensible from a resilience perspective but forgets that the fleet mix is vastly different now. Should having an A340 with hair dryers under the wings really require you to build an extra 500m of runway with all of its associated costs, or can you just manage that through operational planning?

So back to your point - there is nowhere that we could want a flight to from BHX, with any type of aircraft concievably likely to operate it, that couldnt get off the ground with the runway we have. Building an extra 500m of runway for 1 or 2 aircraft a year isnt going to make any sense.

(though i accept that, if you were building an airport in the middle of a flat and featureless patch of land, you would build it as long as possible).

[silly] Whilst writing this it reminded me of one of the ideas that got to the final shortlist of the Airports Commission, baffling as it was, was to double the length at the western end of the existing LHR northern runway, so you could have landings at the end whilst simultaneously having takeoffs starting from the middle, of a ~6000m runway. Lets ignore the fact that building it there would've been harder than where the 3rd runway was proposed. But anyway, how about that at Birmingham 😉 [/silly]

 

[jamie_c]

Well - LHR has runways of that length for mainly legacy reasons; when they were built, many aircraft required that extra length. When the third runway was proposed, HAL argued that they needed a 3500m runway so that they could serve all the flights that currently operated on the other two - which is sensible from a resilience perspective but forgets that the fleet mix is vastly different now. Should having an A340 with hair dryers under the wings really require you to build an extra 500m of runway with all of its associated costs, or can you just manage that through operational planning?

So back to your point - there is nowhere that we could want a flight to from BHX, with any type of aircraft concievably likely to operate it, that couldnt get off the ground with the runway we have. Building an extra 500m of runway for 1 or 2 aircraft a year isnt going to make any sense.

(though i accept that, if you were building an airport in the middle of a flat and featureless patch of land, you would build it as long as possible).

[silly] Whilst writing this it reminded me of one of the ideas that got to the final shortlist of the Airports Commission, baffling as it was, was to double the length at the western end of the existing LHR northern runway, so you could have landings at the end whilst simultaneously having takeoffs starting from the middle, of a ~6000m runway. Lets ignore the fact that building it there would've been harder than where the 3rd runway was proposed. But anyway, how about that at Birmingham 😉 [/silly]

at least they didn't go for this!......

 

[Ianbutty]

at least they didn't go for this!......

Genius. Repurpose Coventry ring road!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Revamped gates 58-60 are now open.

https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/latest-news/birmingham-airport-unveils-latest-investment-for-passenger-experience/

 

[tompo]

World Duty Free is seeing a massive reconfiguration at the moment, the entrance has been moved so it's closer to the exit of the security hall and the store its self is being changed around to accommodate this.

Further news |

Aspire business lounge will be moving further down the corridor which will allow three more f+b units to open, the first being in March 2026.
Also an Indian Brewery is to be opened on the international pier too.

Are you stating that a brewery is being established on the International pier or just a sales outlet of an Indian brewery. I doubt very much that HMRC would sanction the siting of a brewery airside.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Company is called Indian Brewery company

Indian Brewery alraedy has too pubs in Birmingham City Centre, one of them houses the brewery.

 

[Nethercote2019]

Are you stating that a brewery is being established on the International pier or just a sales outlet of an Indian brewery. I doubt very much that HMRC would sanction the siting of a brewery airside.

Munich airport has its own brewery in the terminal & has a beer garden … both have been tested in the name of research obviously 😄

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Munich airport has its own brewery in the terminal & has a beer garden … both have been tested in the name of research obviously 😄

A nice layover on the way back from Oktoberfest!

 

[Ray Finkle]

The Indian Brewery on Livery Street is an excellent venue.

This will be a great addition for BHX 👍

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Need to focus on viewing areas especially R33 where Airport action have been booted off the mound,Car park 5 and multi-storey car park.

Now he streams from an awkward angle.

 

[Matt995]

Need to focus on viewing areas especially R33 where Airport action have been booted off the mound,Car park 5 and multi-storey car park.

Now he streams from an awkward angle.

never going to happen Ant, why should the airport spent any money on viewing areas, unless they charge for it and can make a profit 🤣

I would much rather the money be spend on the airports terminal/airfield facilities.

The other YT streamer has no problem streaming on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from the location at the end of 33

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

unless they charge for it and can make a profit 🤣

If they do charge then I hope it’s good decent prices for a public space.

The other YT streamer has no problem streaming on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from the location at the end of 33

That area permanently opens up end of the October/November

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

https://www.acl-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BHX-W25-Maintenance-Update_Stands-August-2025-1.pdf