BIRMINGHAM - 5

[jamesferns]

Cannot see any more ZB expansion taking place, surely they just dont have the capacity at present and their losing a couple more a 300 and a 757 later this year, so unless they get more aircraft there just not in a postion to expand

[revo]

MON expansion

I believe the 10 new routes for the winter are the Italian routes they have launched this summer, although they have been operating since the end of March they are technically "new" for winter

Revo

[chinapattern]

Air Transat update

Despite initially set to be an A330 all season Air Transat is showing an A310 1st, 8th and 15th May switching to an A330-200 for the 22nd and 29th May and then to an A330-300 5th June through to 4th Sept reverting back to the A310 until the end of the season with the last flight showing 16th Oct. So no major change from last summer, just that the A330-300 will be more common type but hardly significant as they only have one more extra seat.

[kgoodall]

They are supposed to be phasing out the A310 over the next 3 to 4 years and going with all A330s.

I'm actually on the first flight arriving on the 2nd of May from Toronto. Its much easier driving from Ottawa to Toronto and then flying to Birmingham (i'm originally form Coventry) than going with Air Canada from Ottawa to Heathrow and getting the underground then train to Coventry carrying bags, kids etc...

It'll be my first trip with Air Transat so i'm looking forward to seeing what they are like.

[worcsbert]

If UA were to expand it would be to a 767-200 with 30 businessfirset 49 economy plus and 156 economy seats. I can't see it happening though, more chance of a ORD flight happening next year

[Skipness One Echo]

The B767-200s are going soon alas.

Am I correct in remembering that when Continental tried BHX-EWR twice daily with the additional CO32 / 33, profits collapsed?

[worcsbert]

sorry typo, I meant 300

[Centre cities]

United

I wouldn't get too excited about United double daily or 767's. My guess is that extra movements mentioned previously are Olympic related only. Perhaps the cancelations early July are related also.

Centre cities

[chinapattern]

I hope this doesn't breach the rules in advertising another forum but over on the Skyscrapercity pages their is a lovely shot of the Virgin 747 parked up at the international pier. Worth a look.

[nigel osborne]

Chinapattern,

Very dissapointing ,Canadian Affair just don't seem to like BHX.. 99% load factor last year, and bussed some up to Manchester they couldn't fit in... and they turn out the same capacity this year

There is a didfference with the A330-300s, that being 1 less seat abreast so more comfortable seating than the 200s.

Nigel

[crewmeal]

I found this from Midlands Today - April 1984, enjoy.

Birmingham Airport - New Terminal & Pier 04/04/1984 Part 1 / 2 - YouTube

[call100]

That brought back memories.....I did a 14 hour day and the day before.

[Hotel Tango]

Yes, and all those great views of the ramp since replaced with shops, shops, shops........and more shops, and an artificially lit cattle pen!

[Skipness One Echo]

So how long was it before much of that structure was demolished to build the Eurohub? Under ten years? So much hope and optimism back in those days, sky was the limit.

[potash]

A GOOD READ

Emirates began with 2 leased PIA aircraft: Jalil

[OltonPete]

Midlands Today - April 1984

A couple of interesting and what turned out to be ironic quotes, the obvious one about passengers having a good view of aircraft, which eventually BHX managed to turn into a virtual impossibility in T1 until the new pier was built.

The other was the opening had only a few teething problems or something similar. I always wondered if they actually did build a cellar within the airport boundary!

Okay a slight exaggeration but when we went to view the facilities before it opened we were politely told that the cellar for the bars had been difficult to place and how right they were. The word was that it was forgotten originally and only added later with a 3-500ft run for the beer (can't remember the exact length). Pipe cleaning was interesting as well as changing a barrel, especially explaining to the customer the time it would take.

How do you design four bars without a cellar or if they did why was it such a distance from the main bars, costing a fortune in wasted beer during cleaning the pipes (before you ask it was not put back).

Despite passenger figures were low at 1.6 million in general between 1979 and 1985 and as a youngster not having much insight into the future of aviation, still my fist thought when seeing the terminal from the inside, was where was the rest of it and it was not that surprising it didn't last in it's original format for too long. By 1989 I had long left but I would imagine things were getting tight for seating etc.

Here are the CAA figures before during and after the terminal was built: -

1979 - 1.608 million
1980 - 1.602
1981 - 1.535
1982 - 1.161
1983 - 1.161
1984 - 1.740
1985 - 1.701
1986 - 2.216 +27%
1987 - 2.272 +26%
1988 - 2.876
1989 - 3.431 +19%
1990 - 3.618
1991 - 3.396
1992 - 3.827
1993 - 4.202
1994 - 4.943
1995 - 5.328

Pete

[chinapattern]

So how long was it before much of that structure was demolished to build the Eurohub? Under ten years? So much hope and optimism back in those days, sky was the limit.

Less than that as Eurohub opened in July 1991. Does anyone recall how long it to to build? Working on two years would have meant that the smaller pier of the main terminal could only have been in operation for about five years or so. It's strange to think that when Eurohub opened it made the Main Terminal look quite dated externally and yet it was only 6 years old.

04/04/1984 was actually the day I was born; shame I don't remember my first flight (an Orion A300) to Palma but I was only 18 months at the time. Pity we never got a glimpse of the old bi-plane model that hung from the ceiling on the first floor in that video; I was always fascinated by that thing.

[AdamG1]

What were the destinations flown when the terminal was opened?

Adam

[Fairdealfrank]

Midlands Today - April 1984

Great bit of footage, anyone notice the BD desk with the "London" sign over it in the background of shots of the check-in area?

BHX-LHR flights: we're unlikely to see the likes of those again.

[call100]

Pity we never got a glimpse of the old bi-plane model that hung from the ceiling on the first floor in that video; I was always fascinated by that thing.

The original idea was to have a Spitfire hanging there......It was ditched as certain people thought it might have upset the Germans....