Birmingham Airport: Miles And Feet Explored

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, is located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre. The airport is 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km; 10.9 mi) west-northwest of Coventry and is found slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England. The airport is a global travel hub, only 10 minutes from the city centre, and is accessible by rail, road, and bus.

Birmingham Airport's location

Birmingham Airport is located in the heart of the UK's motorway network, enabling easy access for up to 35 million people within a 2-hour driving time. The airport is about 8 miles east of Birmingham city centre and is well served by the road network. It is also linked directly to Birmingham International Train Station by a dedicated monorail with a journey time of around 1.5 minutes.

The airport is 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre and 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km; 10.9 mi) west-northwest of Coventry, slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England. It is bordered by the National Exhibition Centre to the east, Marston Green to the north, Sheldon to the west, the village of Elmdon to the southwest, and the M42 motorway to the north.

Birmingham Airport is accessible from the north and south via Junction 6 of the M42 motorway. From Birmingham city centre, the A45 runs directly to the airport. The postcode for the airport is B26 3QJ.

The airport's location southeast of the city means that, depending on wind direction, aircraft land or take off directly over Birmingham.

Transport to and from the airport

Birmingham Airport is located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. The airport is easily accessible by car, train, bus, and even bike.

If you are travelling by car, the airport is accessible from the north and south via Junction Six of the M42 motorway. From Birmingham city centre, the A45 runs directly to the airport. There are several parking options available, including long-term, short-term, and satellite parking lots.

For those travelling by train, Birmingham Airport is served by Birmingham International railway station, which is on the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham and London. Trains are operated by West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Transport For Wales, and CrossCountry. There is a free Air-Rail Link that provides access between the railway station and the airport terminal.

National Express West Midlands operates multiple bus routes that call at Birmingham Airport, including the X1 to Birmingham city centre and Coventry, the X12 to Chelmsley Wood and Solihull, and the 96 to Chelmsley Wood, Erdington, and Kingstanding. Bus stops are located outside Terminal One.

Black cabs are also available at the taxi rank outside the arrivals area of the terminal.

For cyclists, Birmingham Airport has published "recommended routes" for those who wish to cycle to the airport. Free short-term cycle parking is available close to the terminal, while long-term bicycle storage is available in the Left Luggage area for a charge.

The airport's history

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, is located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre. It was officially opened as Elmdon Airport on 8 July 1939, after Birmingham City Council decided in 1928 that the city required a municipal airport.

The airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry during the Second World War and used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy as RAF Elmdon. It was largely used for flight training and wartime production purposes. On 8 July 1946, the aerodrome was reopened to civilian operations.

In 1961, an additional terminal building was opened to handle the growing international traffic. This was followed by work to extend the airport's main runway to 7,400 feet (1.4 miles), which allowed for the launch of new services using turboprop and jet-powered airliners.

In 1974, the newly formed West Midlands Metropolitan County Council took over management of the airport. On 16 September 1980, the supersonic airliner Concorde made its first visit to Birmingham Airport.

In 1993, the government limited public sector borrowing came into force and was applied to Birmingham Airport, meaning the airport could only expand by using private sector finance. This led to the commencement of a £260 million restructuring programme in 1997.

In 2007, Birmingham Airport published a master plan for its development up to 2030, which included controversial proposals for a second parallel runway. In 2010, Terminals 1 and 2 were merged into a single facility, and the airport dropped "International" from its name.

In 2011, Birmingham Airport broke ground on a comprehensive Terminal Modernisation Project, which was completed in 2014. This project nearly doubled the airport's footprint, but with minimal impact on the community and environment.

Airlines and destinations

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, is located 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre. The airport offers international flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent.

Airlines

Birmingham Airport is an operating base for several airlines, including:

• EasyJet
• Jet2.com
• Ryanair
• TUI Airways

Other airlines that operate from Birmingham Airport include:

• Aegean Airways
• Aer Lingus
• Air France
• Air Transat
• Astreaus
• Aurigny Airlines
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• BH Air
• Boliviana de Aviacion Airlines
• British Midland International (bmi regional)
• Brussels Airlines
• Cathay Dragon (Dragonair)
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Southern Airlines
• Continental Airlines
• Cubana de Aviacion Airlines
• Cyprus Airways
• Czech Airlines
• EasyJet
• Emirates
• European Air Charter
• Eurowings
• Excel Airways
• First Choice Airways
• Flybe
• Gol Transportes Aereos Airlines
• Iberia
• Islandsflug
• Jet2
• KLM
• Korean Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Mahan Air
• Middle East Airlines
• Monarch
• MyTravel Airways
• Pakistan Airlines
• Qantas Airways
• Qatar Airways
• Ryanair
• Saudia (Saudi Airlines)
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Skyways
• Swiss
• Swiss International Airlines
• Thomas Cook Airlines
• Thy Turkish Airlines
• Turkmenistan Airlines
• Uzbekistan Airways
• Virgin America Airlines
• Virgin Australia Airlines
• Wizz Air
• World Atlantic Airlines

Destinations

Birmingham Airport usually serves more than 150 destinations, including:

• Belfast
• Birmingham
• Bucharest
• Budapest
• Cluj
• Corfu
• Dalaman
• Dubai
• Dublin
• Düsseldorf
• Edinburgh
• Enfidha
• Faro
• Fuerteventura
• Geneva
• Glasgow
• Gran Canaria
• Heraklion
• Innsbruck
• Istanbul
• Iasi
• Jersey
• Kos
• Kraków
• Larnaca
• Lisbon
• London
• Madrid
• Málaga
• Marrakesh
• Milan
• New York
• Paris
• Prague
• Rhodes
• Rome
• Rovaniemi
• Sharm El Sheikh
• Tenerife
• Zurich

Accidents and incidents

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, has been the site of several accidents and incidents over the years. Here is a detailed summary of some notable occurrences:

1973: Under Carriage Failure

On January 19, 1973, a Vickers Viscount passenger aircraft, G-AZLR, experienced a severe port undercarriage failure upon landing at Birmingham Airport. The plane had arrived from Leeds Bradford Airport.

1975: Beechcraft Baron Crash

On November 29, 1975, a Beechcraft Baron plane, G-AZUJ, crashed while attempting to land in heavy fog. The aircraft was on its third attempt to land when it overshot the runway, resulting in the deaths of all four people on board.

2002: Bombardier Challenger Crash

On January 4, 2002, a Bombardier Challenger CL-600, N90AG, crashed shortly after takeoff from Birmingham Airport due to airframe icing. Unfortunately, all four occupants of the plane perished in the accident.

2006: Mahan Air Airbus Incident

On February 23, 2006, a Mahan Air Airbus A310 en route from Tehran, Iran, encountered a serious incident while approaching Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft descended below the minimum altitude despite being far from the runway threshold. Birmingham air traffic control instructed the plane to climb, but the crew had already initiated a missed approach after receiving a GPWS alert. The plane was guided for a second approach, during which the crew again initiated an early descent. This time, the radar controller instructed them to maintain altitude, and they successfully landed. The investigation revealed that the crew used the wrong DME for the approach, coupled with a breakdown in Crew Resource Management.

2006: TNT Airways Emergency Landing

On June 15, 2006, a TNT Airways cargo 737-300 made an emergency landing at Birmingham Airport due to damaged landing gear. The aircraft, registration OO-TND, was initially flying from Liège, Belgium, to London Stansted but diverted to East Midlands Airport due to poor visibility. However, the weather there was also unfavourable, leading to a full autopilot approach. During this approach, the autopilot momentarily disengaged, causing the plane to veer off course and hit the grass beside the runway, resulting in the detachment of the right main gear. The crew initiated a go-around and diverted to Birmingham. The pilots were unharmed, but the company attributed the incident to human error, and both pilots were dismissed. The subsequent investigation highlighted various contributing factors, including poor weather information and pilot error.

2010: Cessna Citation Crash

On November 19, 2010, a Cessna Citation aircraft, registration G-VUEM, crashed during final approach to Birmingham Airport in thick fog. The plane was arriving from Belfast International Airport, and both crew members on board were injured, with one requiring airlift to the hospital. Notably, the plane was transporting a human liver for a transplant operation, which was successfully completed despite the crash.

2013: Birmingham Airport Fatality

On March 22, 2013, a tragic incident occurred at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport when a newly installed "multi-user flight information display" cabinet fell onto four members of the Bresette family from Overland Park, Kansas. The family was on a layover in Birmingham while en route from Florida. Heather Bresette and three of her children were pinned under the cabinet, which was estimated to weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Bystanders and emergency officials rushed to their aid, and Mrs. Bresette was treated at UAB Hospital while her children were taken to Children's Hospital. Sadly, Luke Bresette, aged 10, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The incident sparked a negligent wrongful death lawsuit against the architects and contractors involved. The family reached a settlement in September 2014, and a bronze plaque commemorating Luke was dedicated on February 3, 2016.

2018: Norwegian Air International Diversion

On June 16, 2018, a Norwegian Air International Boeing 737-800 en route from Keflavik Airport to Madrid Airport experienced a hydraulic failure and was diverted to Birmingham Airport. During the landing, tyre debris exploded, and small flames were observed. Everyone on board was safely evacuated, but the incident led to flight cancellations from Birmingham Airport for about four hours.

Frequently asked questions