£10m aircraft project underway at Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport (BHX) is currently in the middle of a project to upgrade over £10m worth of aircraft stands, aiming to improve efficiency and reliability for customers.

The ongoing project includes adjusting existing aircraft parking areas, including power, lighting, and stand indication, to better accommodate A321 and B737-sized aircraft.

The taxiway has been realigned, with new lighting added, to create additional stands near the terminal.

The ongoing initiative focuses on ensuring that all stands in BHX’s South Terminal can accommodate popular aircraft models such as the Airbus 321 and Boeing 737, commonly used by many airlines.

Andrew Holl, airfield operations director at BHX, said: “Standardising these stands means, rather than having to wait for the right type of stand to become available, if any stand is free we can send an incoming aircraft straight to it.

“That makes our operation simpler and more resilient, reducing the chance of delays for customers and enabling us to process people on and off aircraft more efficiently. This investment is a key element of our growth plan to 18 million customers a year by 2033.”

This aircraft stands initiative is part of Birmingham Airport’s broader capital investment plan, totaling £300 million over the next decade.

The goal is to enable BHX to serve 18 million customers annually by 2033 and achieve the status of a carbon-neutral airport.

The completion of this project is expected in the summer of 2024.