Birmingham Airport reopened after security incident investigated.

Birmingham Airport will slowly get back to normal after it reopened around 16:00 today following a suspension of all operations, and buildings being evacuated after a security incident. The police have said the evacuation is a "precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff."

The airport confirmed at 13:34 today that all flights had been halted due to what West Midlands Police have described as reports of suspicious vehicles on site. An airport spokesperson said:  “West Midlands Police is currently dealing with an ongoing incident on-site. Airport operations are currently impacted, and passengers should not come to the airport at this time. The Airport’s social channels will be updated as and when the situation changes. For passengers with immediate flights this afternoon they should contact their airline and check the Airport’s website for updates.”

Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airline for more details and to rearrange travel plans. Transport for West Midlands confirmed that buses were currently not able to stop at the airport, but Birmingham International stops are being served as normal.

A passenger has told ITV News Central they have been evacuated to a hall at the NEC and there is a bomb squad on-site at the airport.

 

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#INCIDENT | Birmingham Airport is currently being evacuated following a report of suspicious vehicle.

This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. pic.twitter.com/FG4Gbp6GAF

— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) October 23, 2024

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West Midlands Fire Service confirmed this afternoon it had been advised of the incident today around 12:20 and that officers are "working closely with police, ambulance, and airport staff. Local resources are on standby, ready to provide additional support if needed."

The latest update from a Birmingham Airport spokesperson: “Following a police investigation, some passengers were evacuated and we had to suspend departing flights for a couple of hours. That investigation has now concluded, and operations will slowly be returning to normal. All passengers are advised to check latest flight information from their airline.

Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience and disruption, the safety and security of everyone at the airport was our number one priority as we worked through this incident with police partners.”

Special discount on car parking at Birmingham Airport...................Jet2 to serve nine Italian destinations from the airport next year.......

Birmingham Airport is celebrating the opening of a new car park, Car Park 3 - Priority Parking by giving away 10% of all car parks at Birmingham Airport Parking.

Birmingham Airport celebrate Car Park 3 - Priority Parking opening with 10% of all car parks

The offer is valid for Car Park 1, Car Park 2/3, Car Park 4, Car Park 5, Car Park 7,

Birmingham Airport Valet & Premium Pre-Booked & Car Park 3 - Priority Parking.

The offer is valid for bookings from today until Wednesday 18th September 2024 inclusive

The offer is valid for entry until Monday 31st March 2025 inclusive

Minimum 3 day stay

Offer cannot be used in conjunction with a fixed-rate product or any already discounted product.

This offer applies to new bookings only and cannot be applied retrospectively to existing booking

Limited offer and subject to availability. Only one entry and one exit are permitted

Both car park and Pre-book NCP terms and conditions apply

10% Off All Official Birmingham Airport Parking........

Birmingham Airport is celebrating the opening of a new car park, Car Park 3 - Priority Parking by giving away 10% of all car parks at Birmingham Airport Parking.

Birmingham Airport celebrate Car Park 3 - Priority Parking opening with 10% of all car parks

The offer is valid for Car Park 1, Car Park 2/3, Car Park 4, Car Park 5, Car Park 7,

Birmingham Airport Valet & Premium Pre-Booked & Car Park 3 - Priority Parking.

The offer is valid for bookings from today until Wednesday 18th September 2024 inclusive

The offer is valid for entry until Monday 31st March 2025 inclusive

Minimum 3 day stay

Offer cannot be used in conjunction with a fixed-rate product or any already discounted product.

This offer applies to new bookings only and cannot be applied retrospectively to existing booking

Limited offer and subject to availability. Only one entry and one exit are permitted

Both car park and Pre-book NCP terms and conditions apply

UK airports forced to reintroduce restrictions on carrying liquids over 100ml.....

Following updated guidance from the UK's Department for Transport, a temporary 100ml restriction on liquids has been reintroduced for passengers travelling from a number of regional airports that had invested in Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC).

The Department for Transport said the reintroducing restrictions was not in response to a specific threat and  would "enable further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems" 

The change came into effect on Sunday morning and affects regional airports around the UK including including London Southend, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, London City, and Aberdeen. It has also been introduced at Jersey Airport in the Channel Islands.

The larger and busier airports, including London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester are not affected by the change as they still have the restrictions on liquids in place as the new scanners have not yet been installed there. 

London Southend Airport stated "passengers travelling through London Southend Airport can still keep everything, including all liquids and large electrical items, in their cabin baggage when passing through security.  Any liquids above 100ml will not be permitted to travel and must be voluntarily abandoned. Water bottles can be refilled after Security."

Ports of Jersey advised passengers would need to put all liquids, aerosols, gels and pastes carried in their hand luggage into the security trays for screening, adding that there was "no need" to place them in a plastic bag.

Nick Barton, the chief executive of Birmingham Airport condemned the temporary reinstatement of restrictions saying he was "very disappointed" by the news.  He also blamed passengers for the long queues at the airport, telling local media "A non-compliant bag with liquids over 100ml can add up to 20 minutes to each passenger's journey through security."

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Security incident halts flights at Birmingham Airport

Flights at Birmingham Airport were halted today after a suspect package was found on an Emerald Airlines flight that had just taken off and was heading to Belfast.

A number of flights were either delayed or had to be diverted as the Emerald Airlines ATR aircraft operating the flight on behalf of Aer Lingus, returned to Birmingham and its passengers and crew off-loaded and investigations took place.

West Midlands Police confirmed they were called to the airport at around 16:00 following the discovery of the suspicious package.  In a statement, they said, "All passengers and crew were evacuated and specialist officers including the dog unit searched the plane."  

A spokesperson for the airport confirmed some flights were diverted during the two hours the airport was closed. Train services were also affected at the nearby Birmingham International Railway station.  Network Rail confirmed that at 18:20 all rail lines had reopened but disruption was likely to continue for some time. 

The undeclared item was later advised to be not a security risk. 

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Pegasus Airlines starts flights from Birmingham

The low-cost carrier from Turkey, Pegasus Airlines has started operations between the UK's Birmingham Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The route started on 21st December and will run three times a week with flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

 On the launch, Nick Barton, CEO of BHX, said: “This is a lovely early Christmas gift for us and for the many customers in our region who now have even greater options for travelling to Türkiye and beyond. I have no doubt these new services to SAW will be very popular with sunseekers, pilgrims, business travellers and people going to see family both in Türkiye and across the vast array of destinations offered by Pegasus’s strong onwards network covering Asia, Europe and Africa.” 

 

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (UAE), Doha (Qatar), Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada (Egypt), Beirut (Lebanon), Karachi (Pakistan), Tbilisi and Batumi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Yerevan (Armenia), Baghdad, Erbil and Basra (Iraq), Tehran and Tabriz (Iran), Medina and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Almaty, Astana and Shymkent (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Amman (Jordan), Bahrain and Kuwait are among the more than 130 destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe served by Pegasus from its SAW hub. In addition to its extensive international flight network, Pegasus connects guests to Türkiye’s top tourist destinations including Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, and Izmir. 

Pegasus is one of the fastest-growing airlines post-pandemic having fully recovered its operating capacity and profitability during 2022. It is actively seeking to decarbonise its operations in line with its commitment to IATA’s Net Zero by 2050 pledge and global imperatives to protect the planet. Investing in fuel-efficient, new generation aircraft is a significant part of Pegasus’ sustainability strategy, which positions the airline as having one of the most modern fleets in Europe, with an average age of 4.6 years as of September 2023.

These ambitions are mirrored by BHX, which is aiming to have become a carbon net zero airport by 2033 by implementing low-carbon alternatives into its operation. A project is currently under way to install 12,000 solar panels across BHX’s northeast boundary. By May 2024 the green power this installation produces will cover 20% of BHX’s electricity requirement.

Pegasus Airlines is launching a three-times-a-week route between Birmingham Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

Low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines is to start flying three times a week between Birmingham Airport and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport with one-way fares from Birmingham Airport starting at £39.99. 

From December 21 Pegasus will offer the flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Pegasus serves more than 130 destinations in 49 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe from its SAW hub. 

Nick Barton, CEO of Birmingham, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Pegasus Airlines into the BHX fold. Pegasus is a very impressive low-cost carrier whose commitment to sustainable long-term growth is matched by our own here at Birmingham. 

“I have no doubt these new services to SAW will be very popular with sunseekers, pilgrims, business travellers and people going to see family both in Türkiye and across the vast array of destinations offered by Pegasus’s strong onwards network covering Asia, Europe and Africa.” 

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (UAE), Doha (Qatar), Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada (Egypt), Beirut (Lebanon), Karachi (Pakistan), Tbilisi and Batumi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Yerevan (Armenia), Baghdad, Erbil and Basra (Iraq), Tehran and Tabriz (Iran), Medina and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Almaty, Astana and Shymkent (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Amman (Jordan), Bahrain and Kuwait are among the destinations served by Pegasus from its SAW hub. 

The nicest sunny destinations for 2024 promises Corendon Airlines

The Turkish leisure carrier Corendon Airlines will be offering over 300 flights a week to the most beautiful sunny destinations in Spain, Greece, Morocco, Egypt and Turkey during the summer of 2024 according to their new schedule which has just been released. The airline will also launch a new route between Tel Aviv and Cologne/Bonn which will operate twice a week.

Next summer, Corendon Airlines will again be flying from numerous airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to the most beautiful sunny destinations around the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Red Sea.

The airline will also be linking Birmingham with Antalya three times a week and with Dalaman with times a week. 

Everything your heart desires: whether the sunny Canary Islands of Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife, the world's most popular Spanish holiday island Mallorca or the beautiful Greek islands of Corfu, Crete, Rhodes and Kos. Whether the Turkish holiday paradises on the Mediterranean around Antalya and Izmir or Bodrum on the Aegean and Dalaman on the turquoise Lycian coast... or are you feeling more partial to the Egyptian beach and diving paradises around Hurghada or Marsa Alam?

Dalaman

The region of Dalaman gains its fame from its turquoise coast and beautiful crystal-clear waters along the coastline, perfect for sun worshippers and water sports enthusiasts.

Antalya

Antalya offers a lot for your summer holiday, including a nice beach holiday, immersing yourself in some culture, or perhaps discovering nature in some of Antalya's most peaceful areas.

Three major Middle Eastern airlines have started flights to Birmingham Airport

Three major Middle Eastern airlines have started flights to Birmingham Airport this month in what its chief executive called “a glimpse into our future.” The trio of airlines have vastly expanded the range of destinations now available from the airport, either directly or with one stop.

Saturday July1 - Emirates brought back its iconic 615-seater A380 ‘superjumbo,’ adding capacity on its popular twice-daily Dubai service.

Sunday July 2 – Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudia Arabia, began flying thrice-weekly to and from Jeddah, its vibrant second city and commercial centre.

Thursday July 6 - Qatar Airways returned to BHX, following a three-year absence, with daily services to Doha.

 

Nick Barton, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said: “This is a glimpse into our future ... World-class airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates and Saudia serving the global gateway of the West Midlands as we eagerly await the arrival of the new HS2 railway, which will make BHX the journey time equivalent of London’s zone 5. 

“The West Midlands region is home to six million people contributing to an economy the size of Hungary's and currently boasting Britain’s strongest foreign direct investment and job creation performance outside London and the Southeast. 

“Customers travelling for business, leisure, family, and religious purposes will benefit from our best-ever direct Middle Eastern connectivity. While for some, Doha, Jeddah, or Dubai will be the destination, others will head on to one of the many cities offered on each of these airlines’ onward networks, including Australasia, Africa, Asia and North and South America.” 

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We all know how important global connections are to the West Midlands economy, and so I am delighted that Qatar Airways have returned to Birmingham Airport. The daily direct flights to Doha being offered by Qatar Airways comes on top of the return of Emirates’ iconic A380 for their daily flights to Dubai, and Saudi’s new thrice-weekly Jeddah service. These new services and investment are not only a big economic boost to the region as our global ties grow, but they’re also a significant vote of confidence in the future of the West Midlands from three of the world’s biggest airlines.” 

Impact of Birmingham airport strikes to be more severe after High Court ban on agency workers

High Court ruling banning agency workers could have a devastating effect on Birmingham Airport's future.  

Unite union members at Birmingham Airport reject pay offer of more than 10%

A strike by 150 security and technicians at Birmingham Airport could have a much greater impact following a decision by the High Court to ban the airport from bringing in agency workers during strike action, in order to keep the airport safe. 

According to Unite general secretary Sharon Graham the high court ruling "Is a total vindication for unions and workers. The government’s decision to allow employers to recruit agency workers to undermine legal strike action was a cynical move to back their friends in business and weaken workers’ legal rights to withdraw their labour.

It was entirely counterproductive as, rather than weaken industrial action, it has hardened attitudes and unnecessarily extended strikes. Birmingham Airport should be aware that this will happen if it decides to use strikebreakers in the short time it has to use them before the strikes begin and the ban comes into place. The only way this dispute will be resolved is with an acceptable offer from the company."

Workers at Birmingham will begin an all-out continuous strike on 18 July following a rejection of the 10.5% pay offer from the airport management.  

Airlines set to have flights cancelled and passengers' travel plans ruined include TUI, easyJet, Wizz, Ryanair, Lufthansa and Emirates.

A spokesperson for the airport said "Union members have rejected a fresh pay offer of 10.5 per cent despite a recommendation to accept it from their union representatives, for whose support we are grateful.

We continue to make preparations to minimise the impacts of strike action on our customers. Our advice to customers remains to arrive at the airport in line with guidance from their airline."

The strike action may have a more far-reaching impact as one of the airport's biggest shareholders is said to be currently reviewing its UK investments due to the impacts of the economy and limited future development. 

The UK's worst ranked airports for cancellations.....

UK’s airports ranked on performance ahead of summer holidays

220m passed through UK airports in 2022

Glasgow cancelled the most flights with 1,500 in 2022

Belfast & Stansted were reliable with only 0.8% & 0.7% of flights cancelled

The latest research by tax specialists, RIFT, reveals that while Heathrow may be the UK’s busiest major airport, Brits heading abroad this summer are best to avoid Glasgow Airport, as it ranks as the worst when it comes to the proportion of flights being cancelled.

RIFT analysed the number of annual flights and cancellations at each of the UK’s 10 busiest airports to see which provides the most efficient service to passengers. 

Last year (2022), a combined total of 221.8 million passengers passed through the UK’s 10 busiest airports. 

28%, or 61.6 million, of these people travelled through Heathrow, making it the busiest airport in the nation. 

Gatwick handled 32.8 million passengers (15%), while Manchester and Stansted (10.5%) each served an estimated 23.3 million passengers (11%).

However, when it comes to the possibility of flight cancellations throwing a spanner in the works for UK holidaymakers, it’s Glasgow Airport that is most likely to kick off your holiday on a sour note. 

In 2022 2.5% of all flights from Glasgow were cancelled and while this might not seem like many, it equates to almost 1,500 cancellations. 

Heathrow does rank second when it comes to the frequency of cancelled flights. Of the 367,000 flights that were due to take off last year, Heathrow saw a cancellation rate of 1.7% or 6,391 flights.

Gatwick (3,472) and Edinburgh (1,363) also rank high with 1.6% of flights taken off the board.

Meanwhile, Birmingham airport handled almost 69,000 flights in 2022 and managed a cancellation rate of just 0.6%, equivalent to less than 400 flights. 

Stansted (0.7%) and Belfast International (0.8%) were also impressively reliable. 

Check the tables online here RIFT Holiday cancellations and passports 

What to do if your flight is cancelled

If your flight is cancelled, you have a legal right to either a full refund or a replacement flight to your intended destination. 

If you are halfway through a journey and the cancelled flight is, for example, a connecting flight, you also have the right to a free flight back to the airport you originally departed from. 

If a cancellation delays your journey for more than two hours, and occurs less than 14 days before the scheduled flight time, you are also entitled to compensation to cover your costs, such as food or accommodation when required. 

Compensation ranges between £100-£500 depending on how many miles the cancelled flight was going to take you and how many hours late your eventual arrival was. 

Be passport prepared

While cancelled flights are a common cause of holiday frustration and disappointment, it’s more common for holidays to be disrupted by passport issues. 

If your passport is out of date, it needs renewing before you can travel. The timeline for receiving a new passport is around 12-29 days after submitting your application. But His Majesty’s Passport Office recommends you allow for a waiting time of 10 weeks. 

What’s really important to know is that even if your passport is within its expiry date, it still might not be valid depending on your destination of choice. 

Some countries, such as the US, simply require your passport to be in-date for the duration of your trip, but many popular destinations require you to have at least three months left on your passport, including Spain, Greece, Italy, and France.

Anyone who isn’t aware of this can be in for a nasty surprise when they get to the airport and cancelled flights will be the least of your worries. 

Be prepared and make sure you check the rules specific to your destination well ahead of travelling. 

Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, commented: “Given how many flights leave UK airports every day, it’s fair to say that the industry is highly efficient and reliable with cancellations kept at a minimum. 

In fact, if your holiday is going to get scuppered at the airport, it’s far more likely to be a passenger error than an airline error. Forgotten passports and out of date passports are always going to be leading contributors to ruined holidays. 

You’ve got to double check your passport well before you travel. And don’t forget, when a flight is cancelled by the airline, there’s a good chance of getting your money back. But if it’s your own fault that you can’t travel as planned, you’re not going to get any compensation whatsoever.”

Birmingham to be next base for easyJet.

One of the leading low-cost airlines in Europe, easyJet has today announced it will be expanding its UK network by opening a new base at Birmingham Airport.  The carrier is set to base three A320  aircraft at the airport and this new base will create around 100 direct jobs for pilots and crew and around 1200 support jobs in total. 

The move is a part of easyJet’s strategy to take advantage of key growth opportunities across its network and follows the return to growth this summer in the UK which will also see easyJet operate its biggest-ever UK summer flying programme, flying around eight per cent more capacity than pre-pandemic and over 1 million more seats in peak summer and 57 new routes, including 23 from the UK.

easyJet already serves key domestic connections and international routes from Birmingham to popular beach and city destinations including Amsterdam, Geneva, Milan, Naples, Lisbon, Faro and Palma de Mallorca. The addition of more aircraft at the airport will enable the airline to further expand its network from Birmingham with new routes that will prove popular with customers flying from the UK’s second-largest city, for holidaymakers and business travellers alike.

Birmingham Airport to transform passenger security experience with new CT screening technology

Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today announces that it has been selected to supply fully integrated checkpoints throughout Birmingham Airport as part of its £20m security screening upgrade.

The new security checkpoints will feature Smiths Detection’s HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX, a computed tomography (CT) X-ray scanner, which produces high-resolution volumetric 3D images for quicker and deeper baggage assessment and low false-alarm rates. Implementation of the new scanner will allow passengers to leave their liquids and electronics in their hand luggage, which in turn will help to speed up security screening, whilst ensuring that safety is not compromised. The HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX is ECAC EDS CB C3 and TSA Certified.

Other new solutions to be supplied to Birmingham Airport includes the iLane, an automatic tray return system, and additional X-ray systems which will also be deployed at staff and visitor checkpoints. In addition, Smiths Detection will deliver a comprehensive training programme that includes face-to-face trainings for Supervisors and Operators and five years of service support.

Smiths Detection UK Head of Market, Andy Evripides, said, “We’re delighted that Birmingham Airport has selected Smiths Detection to provide it with leading technology to enhance security outcomes and improve efficiency for a smoother passenger experience. Smiths Detection was awarded this contract due to our leading-edge technology solutions, consultative design process, innovative five-year support service, as well as our ongoing commitment to future technology enhancements such as automatic threat detection algorithms that can be easily integrated into our technology.”

easyJet announces new BHX-Milan route

easyJet will begin flying three times a week between BHX and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in June 2023.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK country manager, said: “Whether they’re on their holidays, visiting friends and family or on business, the addition of Milan to our Birmingham network provides yet another convenient direct connection and even greater choice for customers looking to book a great-value trip to one of Europe’s most popular city destinations.”

Tom Screen, aviation director at BHX, added: "We're thrilled easyJet is adding further connectivity between the second cities of Britain and Italy. I have no doubt these regular BHX-MXP flights will be well subscribed by customers from both countries."

This is the UK-based carrier’s 11th route from Birmingham. Its flights to MXP will go on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays from 26 June 2023.

UK Border Force to screw up Christmas for millions of travellers........

Photo by Yolanda Suen on Unsplash

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has confirmed that its members working for the UK's Border Force workers will strike at six major UK airports for at least eight days over the Christmas period screwing up travel plans for millions.

The union has called strike action between 23rd and 26th December, and then from 28th to 31st December and will affect the UK's major airports London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff.  A strike will also impact the south coast port of Newhaven, which would have devastating consequences for the only loss-making route to Dieppe by Transmanche Ferries / DFDS.  These dates have been chosen by the union, it says,  to have the maximum impact by causing the most disruption to passengers. 

PCS Mark Serwotka told media that 40,000 of its members were having to use food banks, while 45,000 were claiming in-work benefits. Although, union reps couldn't say how many of those going on strike were included in those numbers.   The union are calling for a 10% pay increase, better job security, with no cuts to pensions or redundancies.  

eGates should remain operational throughout the strikes for those with biometric passports from EU countries, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.

Most civil servants have received just a 2% pay rise this year and after a pay freeze for a number of years. PCS said 86% of its 100,000 members across 124 government departments and public sector employers have voted in favour of strike action and promised more strikes - over all departments would be called next year.  So far only a few jobcentres and benefits offices will take strike action in the coming weeks, however, the union is already making plans for most Universal Credit service centres to see crippling walkouts in the new year. 

The Christmas action will affect millions of people who had been planning getaways over the festive period and to reunite with relatives from overseas.  Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister called the strike "unjustifiable and will ruin the plans of thousands of families and businesses across the country. - While we are working closely with all UK ports and airports and have robust plans in place to minimise any delays if strike action goes ahead, passengers should be prepared for their plans to be severely disrupted."

Gatwick Airport said it will deploy extra staff on strike days to help with the welfare of stranded passengers and were in consultation with Border Force over mitigation however, delays of between 4 and 6 hours should be expected.  

The Business Travel Association warned  "The entire travel support system will once more be plunged into dealing with cancellations and disruptions rather than bookings with no financial recompense.  - further strike action puts British workers’ Christmases at risk. Hard workers up and down the country will be stranded, struggling to get home."

A spokesperson for London Heathrow Airport claimed that "Our priority is to ensure passengers get through the border safely and as quickly as possible. We are working closely with airlines and Border Force on mitigation plans for potential strike action by Border Force officers and these plans will now be implemented for the notified days."

Manchester Airport said "It is hugely regrettable that the PCS Union has chosen to disrupt one of the most important times of the year for international travel by calling a strike by Border Force officers at several UK ports, including Manchester Airport, for 23-26 December and 28-31 December.  We urge union and Government representatives to work together to find a solution to avert this strike action."

It added: "We will be working with our airlines to provide passengers with as much advance notice of cancelled services as possible, so that people have the chance to rebook their travel around the strike days. Arriving passengers should also be prepared for much longer immigration queues on strike days, owing to reduced Border Force staffing levels.  Those due to travel during the affected period should look out for communications from their airlines over the coming days."

Birmingham Airport sees post COVID bounce back......

Birmingham Airport is preparing for 89% of pre-pandemic customer volumes over the upcoming Platinum Jubilee weekend as Britain’s aviation bounce back continues. 

Over the four-day weekend - Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June, more than 147,000 people are booked to fly in and out of Birmingham Airport. That’s: 

144 times more than over the 2020 late May bank holiday (Friday May 22nd to Mon 25th May) when Britain was in Covid-19 lockdown 

over 10 times more than the 2021 late May bank holiday (Friday May 28th to Monday 31st) when Covid-19 restrictions were still in force 

89% of the numbers who passed through the airport over the 2019 late May bank holiday (Friday May 24th to Monday 27th) - before Covid-19 took hold 

Two years ago, Britain was in the grip of Covid-19 lockdown and stringent travel restrictions had all but switched off aviation. Over the Friday leading up to it and three days of the late May bank holiday itself, just over 1,000 people arrived and departed from the airport.  During the four equivalent days in 2021, 14,300 passed through the Midlands travel hub. 

On March 18th this year, all Covid-19 travel restrictions were suddenly scrapped prompting a strong bounce back in demand, including from people who’d been forced to postpone trips due to Covid-19. 

“We are so pleased to see customers back at BHX again,” said Birmingham Airport’s chief executive Nick Barton. 

“In the darkest days of lockdown, there were eerie moments when birdsong was the loudest sound on our airfield. Much as I love the sound of birds singing, I’m relieved to hear the buzz of airport activity once again as customers take to the skies in large numbers.” 

Nick added: “I’d like to thank customers who present compliant baggage at our pre-flight security screening - with liquids, gels, pastes and larger electrical items removed. This helps us help you keep moving. It also helps our security officers in their vital task of keeping everyone safe.” 

As a result of travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, 43% of Birmingham Airport’s employees were made redundant. In anticipation of restrictions being lifted, Birmingham Airport began a recruitment campaign back in November 2021.

Since the start of 2022, the airport has increased its pool of deployable security officers by 19% and its front-of-house customer service teams by 20%. Recruitment continues at the airport to rebuild its resources to a level that enables it to give the great customer service its customers expect. 

 

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More flights and holidays to Turkey and Greece from Birmingham Airport from Jet2

Jet2 has added more flights and holidays to Greece and Turkey from Birmingham Airport for Summer 20 on the back of demand from customers in the Midlands looking to enjoy some Greek and Turkish sunshine.

The leading leisure airline and package holiday specialist is giving customers even more choice and flexibility to visit Turkey and Greece this summer, thanks to over 15,000 additional seats on sale from Birmingham Airport.

Customers are flocking to Turkey in their droves, and Jet2.com and Jet2holidays has responded quickly to this demand by adding over 6,000 seats to Antalya and Dalaman. This increases the company’s total capacity to Turkey (Dalaman, Antalya and Bodrum) this summer from Birmingham Airport.

Jet2.adds additional flights and holidays to Turkey and Greece from Birmingham Airport on back of demand

Jet2 has added more flights and holidays to Greece and Turkey from Birmingham Airport for Summer 2020 on the back of demand from customers in the Midlands looking to enjoy some Greek and Turkish sunshine.

The leading leisure airline and package holiday specialist is giving customers even more choice and flexibility to visit Turkey and Greece this summer, thanks to over 15,000 additional seats on sale from Birmingham Airport.

Customers are flocking to Turkey in their droves, and Jet2.com and Jet2holidays has responded quickly to this demand by adding over 6,000 seats to Antalya and Dalaman. This increases the company’s total capacity to Turkey (Dalaman, Antalya and Bodrum) this summer from Birmingham Airport.

Loganair starts Aberdeen - Birmingham

The Scottish regional airline Loganair has from Monday 1st June resumed passenger flights at Birmingham Airport, re-establishing non-stop jet services to Aberdeen as the first step to restoring full services at the Midlands airport after the Covid-19 pandemic and the collapse of Flybe.

The first flight took off at 18:20 from Birmingham to Aberdeen and services will initially operate four times each week – on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays – ahead of an increase to two flights each way per weekday linking Birmingham with Aberdeen from 31 August.

Loganair’s flights between Birmingham and Inverness will resume on 6 July, and will also fly on four days per week initially before building to a daily service during August. The airline is also pressing ahead with its plans to restore the former Flybe route linking Birmingham with the Isle of Man. Subject to continued progress on easing of lockdown restrictions and travel quarantine restrictions in the Isle of Man, Loganair expects to make a formal announcement about the launch of this service in the coming weeks.

Construction work ready to begin at HS2’s ‘Interchange’ station site near Birmingham Airport

Preparatory work has almost been completed and now major structures are being put in place on the site of HS2’s new Interchange station - the brand new public transport gateway serving the Midlands, close to Birmingham International station, the NEC and Birmingham Airport.

Pictured left is the new station which will be net zero carbon in operation, adopting the latest environmentally friendly design and sustainable technologies.

The site, covering an area of 150 hectares, is located within a triangle of land formed by the M42, A45 and A452. Current work includes construction of modular bridges over the M42 and A446, and remodelling of the road network in the area to facilitate access to the new station, as well as easing access to and from Birmingham Business Park.

Around 200 people, including graduates and apprentices, are working on the site, from HS2’s Early Works contractor LM, a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and Murphy. This is set to increase to 250 people over the coming months as the construction of new bridges and access roads ramps up.