In this Coronation year when England very nearly won the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup, the return of Qatar Airways was among the highlights for Birmingham Airport (BHX).
The airline came back in the first week of July, following a Covid-induced absence, with its daily Doha services. In the same week, Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, began operating at BHX, flying three times a week to Jeddah, and Emirates boosted capacity on its twice-daily Dubai service by bringing back its 600-seater A380.
BHX renamed the month ‘Giant July’ to celebrate direct Middle Eastern connectivity being its best-ever thanks to the three Gulf-based carriers’ long-term commitment to the region.
This autumn easyJet announced it was bringing forward the opening of its three-aircraft base at BHX to the middle of March 2024 in a move which will create 100 local jobs. Ryanair confirmed it would increase its BHX-based aircraft from six to seven next summer.
Pegasus, the Turkish carrier, started flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçe. Jet2 based a 14th aircraft at BHX and promised a 15th next summer. easyJet Holidays entered the package holiday market, competing against TUI and Jet2 - increasing options for customers while keeping prices affordable.
This month TUI flew the first of its weekly winter flights direct to Singapore, transporting customers sailing on its Marella Discovery cruise ship.
In the 12 months from 1 January 2023, BHX served 11.5m customers. In the financial year ending 31 March 2024, BHX expects to have served around 12m customers, on or near level with pre-pandemic volumes, as it prepares for more than 13m in 2024/25.
Nick Barton, chief executive of BHX, said: “If summer at BHX was all about improved long-haul connectivity, autumn was all about low-cost growth. Both are key to our long-term growth plan as we prepare to serve more than 13 million customers next year.
“In 2024 we look forward to unveiling our +£50m new security hall, which will vastly improve the experience for customers, switching on our new customer website, and generating 20% of our electricity needs from a 12,000-panel solar array currently under construction.”
BHX aims to serve 18m customers and to have become a carbon-net zero airport by 2033. For more information on the £300m investment programme to help make these aims a reality, see BHX’s ‘We’re on our way’ video.
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2023 at BHX - how it happened
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Month
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Customer
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Highlights
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Jan
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0.637m
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- Customer thanks BHX staff for saving his life.
- EasyJet starts BHX flights to Naples.
- Jet2 extends summer Verona and Lake Garda flights to October.
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Feb
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0.660m
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- Birmingham Airport’s 10 millionth Customer Of The Year Surprised by Free Turkish Airlines Tickets
- BHX announced a long-term partnership with ZeroAvia, leader in hydrogen-powered aircraft technology.
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March
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0.778m
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- Qatar Airways announced it would resume daily BHX-Doha services from July 10.
- BHX Community Trust Fund grants of £3,000 to Saheli Hub Cycling Club in Ward End Park.
- Emerald Airlines, operator of Aer Lingus regional services, increases flight frequency between BHX and Belfast City Airport.
- Saudia, flag carrier for Saudi Arabia, announced it would begin thrice-weekly Jeddah flights from July 2.
- BHX issued guidance for customers about changing walking routes around the construction site for its state-of-the-art new security hall, due for completion in June 2024.
- Aegean Airlines return to BHX with twice-weekly Athens flights.
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April
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0.861m
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- 414,000 customers passed through BHX over the Easter half-term holiday – 15% more than 2022.
- BHX received Airport Carbon Accreditation.
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May
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1m
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- easyJet, the UK’s biggest airline, announced it would open a base for three of its aircraft at BHX from March 2024.
- BHX updated customers the project to build its new security hall, warning of different walking routes to normal.
- Easyjet announced BHX flights to Paris and Lyon from October.
- BHX and ZeroAvia said they were considering concepts for a hyrogen refuelling facility on an area of land at the airport.
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June
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1.13m
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- Sir Hugh Robertson was announced as Chairman of BHX.
- An overflow marquee was set up outside the BHX to accommodate customers on busy summer days as work continues to build its new security hall.
- easyJet announced 15 new BHX routes for Spring 2024.
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‘GIANT July’
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1.23m
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- Emirates’ A380 returned to BHX boosting capacity on its twice-daily Dubai services.
- Saudia began flying three times a week to Jeddah.
- Starbucks opened a new airside outlet creating 38 new jobs.
- Qatar Airways returned to BHX with daily Doha services.
- Three major Middle Eastern airlines this week announced deals with BHX - “a glimpse into our future.”
- BHX warned customers of an upcoming strike after its pay offer of 10% was rejected by union members.
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Aug
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1.3m
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- BHX’s journey to become a net zero carbon operation by 2033 remains on track, report confirmed.
- Work began to install a 6.8-megawatt (MW) solar array to provide at least 20% of BHX’s on-site electrical power.
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Sep
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1.2m
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- Greenhouse gas emissions within BHX’s control fell 25% in 2022/23 compared to 2019/20.
- Team UK departed from BHX for the Invictus Games.
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Oct
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1.1m
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- BHX shared exclusive imagery of its new security hall as it reached the halfway point of the project.
- Jet2 announced flights to Agadir and Marrakech in Morocco.
- BHX sponsored the FIG World Trampoline Championships.
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Nov
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0.765
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- Members of BHX Highflyers apprenticeship scheme introduced.
- Pegasus Airlines announced it would begin three-times-a-week BHX- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen services from December 21.
- An adventure playground in Chelmsley Wood received a £5,000 grant from the BHX Community Trust Fund.
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Dec
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0.8m
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