Express & Star

Three big reasons to be cheerful after Birmingham Airport announces good news

Bosses at Birmingham Airport are in bullish mood. Big change is in the air and after the nightmare of Covid the future appears brighter than ever.

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It today provided a positive update on its project to transform its security operation on a day that two airliners announced an expansion of its services.

Airport expansion

More passengers from Ryanair and Jet2.com will be travelling through the airport than ever before – and thanks to its new £50 million security hall their experience will be enhanced.

The construction of the new hall has now officially reached the halfway point.

The complex project to transform the airport is one of several upgrades in its £300m capital investment programme, which will take it from more than 10 million to 18m passengers a year by 2033.

Work on the new security hall has made significant progress since April, with the facility due to open in June. New quicker scanning equipment will ensure the airport complies with new regulations that come into force in June and enable it to process customers more effectively and efficiently.

The airport says it is also using this as an opportunity to make the terminal more pleasant and welcoming for customers. A new, solar panel-clad roof is being built across part of the terminal, providing natural light, and helping power the terminal with green electricity.

The external facade of the terminal is being extended outwards and four 50-person lifts are replacing the existing escalators. This will create more space inside the building and make the walking route to the departures and the air-rail link station area simpler and easier for customers.

The project team is working 21 hours a day to get the work done safely and on time.

Stephen Barker, development director for the airport, said: “We have made great progress in the last six months. We are aiming for a more efficient pre-flight screening process capable of serving greater volumes of people more effectively.