Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[Ray Finkle]

The piano keys will be moving back slightly, they're currently just short of taxiway 'C' but will be moved back roughly in line with taxiway 'E' (which is where the existing runway starts/ends) so the landing distance available should be increased.

Work is well underway now the outline of the rerouted road can clearly be made out. I'll try and get a picture update soon.

 

[Aviador]

Hi Ray,

Ah yes, I've just checked that. It looks like a gain of about 200m in landing distance once the runway extension is complete.

Thanks for keeping us up to date, it's much appreciated.

 

[Ray Finkle]

No problem. It's difficult to nip down and get pictures after work now the clocks have changed, I'll have to try harder to get an hour free on the weekends

Here's a couple of short videos showing a snippet of the A45 divert works along with enabling works for the extension. There's some planes in them too!

http://www.youtube.com/video_response_v ... n_GtBHd7RY

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un_GtBHd7RY[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFnKhrLZM0I[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rP8EhAgS5s[/video]

 

[Aviador]

Cheers Ray. It's good to see work in progress.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Interesting.

http://www.d5architects.net/index.php/html/news

 

[Aviador]

Good find Ray. It also shows Monarch's commitment to BHX. Any idea where it will be located?

 

[Ash]

Opposite the Eurojet hangar over the other side of the old 06/24 runway, where the compass base is.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Good find Ray. It also shows Monarch's commitment to BHX. Any idea where it will be located?

Indeed it does, should hopefully bring some much needed employment to the area too. There's been rumours circulating for a while about Monarch building a hangar for the 787 but I'm sure I read they've recently invested a considerable amount of money upgrading their Luton facility for the Thomson 787 maintenance, so what this will be I don't know. I guess we'll find out in due course.

 

[Ash]

Whoops! D5 has pulled the article from their site. Somebody will be getting a telling off

 

[Ray Finkle]

A video update of the runway works. The new road layout is definitely visible now when driving past, the spoil looks like it's being 'dumped' where the extension will be to raise the ground.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwYwMUaMrtw&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[Ray Finkle]

Not much in the latest consultative committee report just this little snippet about the possible new hangar.

SMBC have confirmed that the provision of a new hangar on the Elmdon site (adjacent to Eurojet)
constitutes permitted development and does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment.
The new hangar will provide a significant boost to the Airport and the local economy. The new
hangar will be used by Monarch Airlines for the maintenance of their fleet, and Birmingham Airport
has been chosen by Monarch after an extensive search at airports across the country. The
proposal would also result in a significant number of high-quality, highly skilled jobs being brought
into the area, with the estimated total number ranging from 130 jobs in 2013, rising to 180 jobs in
2017 under a base level projection, to 229 jobs in 2013 rising to 440 jobs in 2017 under a higher
growth scenario.

http://www.ukaccs.info/bham/211112it4.pdf

 

[Aviador]

They seem to be making good progress. When is the runway extension due to be completed does anybody know?

 

[Ray Finkle]

The diverted road is due to open around April next year with the runway roughly 12 months later. Mr Kehoe has optimistically said that if they can get ahead it could be operational by the end of next year, but with the horrendous summer we had I think works are a week or two behind, so early 2014 is probably realistic.

 

[Ray Finkle]

No real surprise but good news nevertheless. The first link has a picture of the location.

MAEL's new state-of-the-art facility

MONARCH Aircraft Engineering (MAEL), the award-winning independent aircraft maintenance provider, today announces plans to significantly expand its operations with a new 110,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art maintenance facility, creating 150 new jobs, with the potential for a further 150, at Birmingham Airport in the UK.

Due to be completed and operational by the end of 2013, the new MAEL facility will incorporate industry-leading design and build standards and is the first UK hangar to have the capacity for Boeing 787 Dreamliner maintenance, with sufficient capacity for other wide body aircraft, such as Boeing 777, 747 and Airbus A350. The facility will be large enough to accommodate two Boeing 777-300ER aircraft or 10 narrow-body aircraft and will contain a number of component-repair and back shops.

The new facility at Birmingham Airport will complement MAEL’s existing heavy maintenance facilities in the UK at London Luton and Manchester Airports and supports the recent and continuing growth of MAEL’s high-quality aircraft engineering activities.

Today, some 60% of the world’s airline carriers outsource heavy maintenance work to create a global market worth $49 billion, and this is predicted to grow to $65 billion over the next 10 years (Source: Aerostrategy). MAEL’s own third-party (i.e. non-Monarch Airlines) maintenance activities have grown to 27% of business in 2012 from 18% in 2010, and over the next three years this is planned to increase to almost 40% of turnover and to consolidate MAEL’s position in the top 10 largest airframe maintenance and repair organisations (MRO) in Europe.

MAEL operates globally, supporting clients throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia and North America, where it applies superior knowledge of maintaining both legacy fleets and new technology aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for which it is one of only six worldwide Boeing-approved GoldCare providers. Current MAEL operations include an extensive global line maintenance network, engineering technical management team, component maintenance and spares trading organisation as well as a new purpose-built training academy.

As a division of The Monarch Group, the leading UK-based travel group, MAEL also provides high-quality aircraft maintenance and engineering services to Monarch Airlines’ fleet, contributing significantly to the scheduled leisure airline’s efficiency and reliability. Birmingham Airport is one of Monarch Airlines’ six UK bases, and during 2012 the airline also expanded its services from the airport.

Commenting on the new MRO facility at Birmingham Airport, Mick Adams, Managing Director of MAEL, said: “Our new state-of-the-art hangar at Birmingham Airport combined with our existing facilities at London Luton and Manchester, and large line maintenance operation at London Gatwick, will ensure that MAEL is uniquely positioned to provide its international and domestic customers with a high-quality and leading maintenance and repair service in key, strategically-important MRO locations across the UK. “MAEL’s leading MRO business is underpinned by the expertise of our people and our apprenticeship scheme is renowned within the industry for developing high-calibre aircraft engineers. We look forward next year to welcoming 150 talented people, with the potential for a further 150, to our new facility at Birmingham Airport, where they will complement our expertise across existing locations and join in our exciting plans for further growth.”

Iain Rawlinson, Executive Chairman of Monarch Group, commented: “Monarch Aircraft Engineering is at the forefront of aviation maintenance technology, and The Monarch Group’s investment in a new state-of-the-art facility at Birmingham Airport is a signal of our intent to drive the further growth of this strategically-important division of the Group. “The 150 new employment opportunities MAEL is creating with this new facility, with the potential for a further 150, underlines The Monarch Group’s position as a significant employer in the Midlands region and the contribution it can make to the UK industrial landscape. We are very pleased to be able to give this support to the region.”

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the Airport for Monarch Group’s UK engineering expansion, following the growth of its flight operation in Birmingham this year. The decision to create this state-of-the-art facility in the West Midlands demonstrates Monarch’s long-term commitment to the region, creating job opportunities for skilled engineers and young people looking to start a career in aircraft maintenance.

Caroline Spelman, Member of Parliament for Meriden, which includes Birmingham Airport, said: “I am delighted to hear about the engineering facility Monarch are investing in at Birmingham Airport. The creation of 300 jobs through this facility and the opportunities for apprentices is a vote of confidence in the airport and the great heritage in engineering our area has.”

http://www.monarchaircraftengineering.c ... etails/104

Monarch Aircraft Engineering - part of the Cosmos and Monarch Airlines is creating 300 jobs at Birmingham Airport to service aircraft. The engineering arm of the group has been servicing aircraft since 1967.

It's going to build a hangar one and a half times the size of Wembley football pitch to accommodate the largest planes in service including the Dreamliner 787.

The company won't just service its own aircraft but will service planes operated by other airlines including Emirates and American Airlines. The hangar will be built at the old Birmingham airport site at Elmdon.

Building work will start in January and it'll be operational by 2013.

http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2012-11-20/300-jobs-created-at-birmingham-airport/

 

[Aviador]

Looks good. It looks like it's going to be located near the old cross runway?

 

[Ray Finkle]

On this link it will be located where the compass base currently is, the new compass base is already being built up towards Lima 1. What this means for parking stands 505 and 506 I don't know.

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic ... -06-28.pdf

 

[Ray Finkle]

And, we're up and running.....

Work Starts on Birmingham Airport's Runway Extension

28 November 2012

Birmingham Airport has officially marked the start of its runway extension development, which will see the existing runway length increase to 3,003 metres and give aircraft unlimited range from the Midlands.

By extending the existing runway by 405 metres, aircraft will be able to take off from Birmingham with more fuel and fly direct to destinations currently out of reach, such as China, South America, South Africa and the West Coast of the USA.

The development, opening in early 2014, will generate spare long haul capacity in the region and help to take cars off the road, saving thousands of unnecessary surface journeys each year.

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s CEO, explained, “The strong economic profile of the Midlands means that businesses are crying out for direct connectivity from their local airport so it makes no sense that 3.3 million passengers from the West Midlands last year flew from airports in the South East, adding congestion on the roads and at Heathrow, which is already 99.2% full.

“Redirecting this traffic back to the Midlands would release high value, long-haul capacity at London airports and boost the UK’s trading potential.

“We have plenty of spare capacity at Birmingham now. Our passenger numbers could double from the current nine million a year to eighteen million today, and the runway extension will allow us to increase beyond thirty six million in future years.

“Our passenger growth could create in excess of 243,000 jobs in the region according to a new report by the West Midlands Economic Forum. Making greater use of the spare capacity at airports across the country will help generate sustainable long-term economic growth and help to rebalance the UK economy.”

With the runway extension opening up so many new long-haul route opportunities from Birmingham, the Airport is actively talking to existing and new airlines to explore new markets and routes from the Midlands. A new team of route development experts and a trade sales team have been employed by the company to ensure that the Airport is represented globally at key trade events and meetings, and it is working with local brands such as MG Motors and JLR to help develop relationships with key overseas markets.

The Company has also been lobbying the UK government to assign ‘National Airport’ status to key gateways to UK markets. For instance, Birmingham, as a National Airport, would be recognised as the gateway at the heart of UK manufacturing.

Such an endorsement would help the Airport to encourage new routes, by demonstrating Government’s commitment to the whole of the UK’s long-term aviation strategy.

On behalf of government, an independent commission has been tasked with reviewing all options for future UK airport capacity. The utilisation of spare capacity which is available immediately at regional airports such as Birmingham, is regarded by many not only as a pragmatic solution, but as a way of encouraging greater growth and resilience in the UK economy.

The runway extension will be wholly funded by the Airport Company at a cost of £33 million. In addition, the Airport is making a further investment of £13 million for the construction of a new air traffic control tower and radar system, which will be operational in early 2013, plus £9m on resurfacing the entire runway.

A dedicated website about the runway extension scheme is available at www.hellomoreworld.co.uk

http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/meta ... nsion.aspx

 

[Ray Finkle]

A couple of clips of the extension works.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_3-W-TffSo&feature=player_embedded[/video]


[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=642J6EbASoE&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[Aviador]

Thanks again for the update with the Youtube videos Ray it's much appreciated.

 

[Ray Finkle]

No worries. To be honest I'm keeping up to date via these videos too, with the dark nights and a new born it's difficult to find time to get down and see what's happening.