Birmingham International Airport History

Birmingham International Airport was opened at Elmdon, Birmingham on 8th July 1939. Birmingham International Airport is owned and operated by Birmingham International City Council as a municipal airport, it was designed to meet the needs of the residents and the industry of the city and its immediate surroundings.

At the start of the Second World War, civil aviation ceased at Birmingham International Airport when the airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry. Still under government control, the airport re-opened for civilian flying in July 1946. The City of Birmingham took over responsibility again in 1960.

After the City took control of Birmingham International Airport again international flights became available, the terminal and the runway were expanded to cater for these growing needs. It soon became evident that a long term solution was required and in 1984 Birmingham International Airport's new terminal was opened, with a capacity for 3 million passengers.

During 1986 the West Midlands County Council was abolished and ownership of Birmingham International Airport transferred to a newly formed West Midlands District Joint Airport Committee. The Airports Act 1986 introduced legislation requiring municipal airports with a turnover in excess of 1 million to become Public Airport Companies and on 1st April 1987, the ownership of the Airport transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc, a public limited company owned by the seven West Midlands district councils.

Further growth at Birmingham International Airport led to the opening of the Birmingham International Airport's second terminal in 1991- the Eurohub. A concept already developed in the United States for domestic operations, Eurohub took the 'hub and spoke' principle a stage further by solving the complications of customs and immigration control which previously demanded separate terminals.

In 1993, government public sector borrowing restrictions meant that future development could only be funded by using private sector finance. The local authority owners therefore decided to reduce their shareholding in Birmingham International Airport to below 50% in order to restructure and make it possible to finance its 260 million development programme.

In August 1995, the seven West Midlands district council shareholders agreed to begin detailed negotiations with its 'preferred partner' Aer Rianta with a view to the Irish airports' operator joining a restructured Birmingham International Airport Company.

Birmingham International Airport celebrated a milestone on Sunday 31st August when one million passengers used the Airport in a single month.

Birmingham International Airport has achieved record passenger numbers every month this year and is now set to smash through the nine million passenger mark by the end of 2003.

Commenting on the milestone, Peter Vella, the Airports Business Development Director said: This is a significant achievement for Birmingham. It demonstrates that our investment in facilities and infrastructure and our reputation as one of the most efficient, accessible Airports in the UK is being recognised by more and more travellers.



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