Birmingham Airport sees itself as better alternative than an estuary airport
Birmingham airport, under Paul Kehoe, continues to push to expand. It hopes its runway extension will start in July 2012. It also hopes to have direct flights to China, and that this will boost the local economy. They want Birmingham airport to be the new hub, and effort and funding to be spent on that, rather than a Thames estuary airport. The airport says it has planning consent for as many as 30 million passengers per year.
Birmingham Airport and MG to cooperate; call for China flights
12.12.11 (UK Airport News)
A bid to boost trade between the West Midlands and China has been unveiled – with a new agreement between Birmingham Airport and MG Motor UK.
The two high-profile regional businesses have also highlighted the need for a direct air link to China.
The new tie-up between the airport and Chinese-owned MG centres on an agreement to foster trade links between the West Midlands and China.
Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said: ‘MG Motor UK has the Chinese connections – they are the guys who know who are buying the air tickets. As we embark on our runway extension project next year, we are keen to hear from, and work with, businesses that would benefit from a direct air link.’
William Wang, managing director of MG Motor UK, said: ‘We would welcome Chinese airlines to take advantage of the growing demand for air services between Birmingham and China. A Birmingham to Shanghai route alone would enable hundreds of business flights a year to operate, reducing the need for passengers to transit via other airports or take long car journeys to other UK airports to catch flights. This service would play an important part in the investment from China in Birmingham and the West Midlands.’
Building work on a 400 metre runway extension is scheduled to begin next July with completion by the end of 2014, which would make direct flights from Birmingham to the likes of China, Russia, India and the West Coast of America possible.
http://www.uk-airport-news.info/birmingham-airport-news-121211.html
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Business group calls on Government to back Birmingham Airport not Boris Island
01.12.11 (UK Airport News)
Birmingham business leaders have urged the Government to reject plans for a new ‘Boris Island’ airport in the Thames Estuary and turn Birmingham Airport into the UK’s new hub airport instead, the Birmingham Post reports.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce said the city’s airport would be ready to cope with up to 30 million extra passengers once a new runway extension is built.
Speculation that the Government is giving serious consideration to a new airport in the South-east was sparked by George Osborne said that ‘we will explore all the options for maintaining the UK’s aviation hub status with the exception of a third runway at Heathrow’ in his budget speech this week.
Some reports interpreted this as a hint that the Government will back proposals for a new airport on an artificial island in the sea North-east of Whitstable, in Kent, which are supported by London mayor Boris Johnson.
The Department for Transport insists that it has made no decision about how air capacity should be improved. A seven-month consultation on the future of the UK’s airports ended in October and Ministers are considering the responses.
The Chamber is pushing for the Government to make more use of Birmingham Airport – and argues that the planned high speed rail line from London to Birmingham, with a station planned at the airport, will make it an attractive solution for passengers from the south.
Michael Ward, president of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We have excellent transport links to London and once HS2 is built it will take the same amount of time to travel from Euston to Birmingham Airport as it would be to travel from Euston to Edgware Road on the Underground.’
http://www.uk-airport-news.info/birmingham-airport-news-011211.html
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Birmingham Airport slam CBI over support for London expansion
27.11.11 (UK Airport News)
Birmingham Airport has criticised the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) over its support for expansion of London airports, the Birmingham Post reports.
The CBI is urging the Government to build a third runway at Heathrow, or a new airport in the South-east of England, but the claim by CBI Director-General John Cridland that ‘Britain will be left behind in the premier league of nations’ if Ministers fail to increase runway capacity in or around London has infuriated Birmingham Airport, which sees itself as a natural site for expansion rather than the ‘overheated’ capital.
John Morris, Head of Government and Industry Affairs at Birmingham Airport, has written to the CBI requesting an urgent meeting with Mr Cridland.
He told the newspaper that the CBI appeared to be split over the issue, since the organisation’s West Midlands branch is supporting expansion of Birmingham Airport. He points out that other European countries have more than one major airport, including Germany which is building its sixth.
He said that Birmingham Airport has the capacity to take an additional nine million passengers a year immediately, with planning consent to expand towards 30 million.
http://www.uk-airport-news.info/birmingham-airport-news-271111.html
Pprune on 5.1.2011 (by Nigel Osborne) said:
Re runway extension;
It has now been reduced to 350 metres from the original 400m and the road diverted a bit more to put enough spacing between the end of the extension and the diverted road .
A bridge will therefore not be needed, although the RESA ( Runway end safety area) goes from the intended “recommended” to lesser “statutory” distance but enough space between to comply with CAA regs.
The 4 construction companies putting in tenders were confirmed today and one will be selected and announced in February.
Start date for diverting the A45 will be July 2012, start date for runway extension June 2013 completion 2014.
Nigel
http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airports-routes/459475-birmingham-5-a-23.html