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Cheap Birmingham Airport Parking » Airport Information » History History of Birmingham AirportBirmingham International Airport
The fifth largest airport in the UK, which was voted "Best UK Business Airport", Birmingham International Airport began its service to the community in 1939 with a flight from Liverpool by Dragon Rapide. Originally operated by the Birmingham City Council, it went through various ownership situations, finally ending up as a public sector company.
Air Ministry took over the airport during the Second World War and made some improvements including the building of two hard runways. During this time, it did not serve the travelling public but was used for military purposes. The airport reopened in 1946, after the war ended, to serve the local public. The Birmingham City Council again took control of Birmingham Airport.
In 1954 the airport began to service flights to and from Dublin, Jersey, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Northolt and Belfast. By the 1960s international flights began to take off and land at BIA after an extension to the runway in 1959.
After another runway extension in 1964, jet service became viable. Within two years, jets were flying into BIA on a regular basis. The BOAC VC 10s started trans-Atlantic flights to New York from Birmingham. This service, however, lasted only a year and a half. When wide body jetliners began flying from BIA in 1972, the terminal proved to be too small at times for the crowds of people.
A newly-formed council took over control of Birmingham Airport in 1974. Under their leadership, new runways and an expansion of the control tower advanced.
The first of Boeing 747 jets began visiting and serving the needs of the Birmingham area in 1979, followed by the first visit of the Concorde a year later.
Seeing that the terminal was not sufficient, work began on a new terminal in 1981. This was closer to the National Exhibition Centre, NEC. The new terminal was opened by The Queen in 1984. It had taken three years to get the new terminal built. In the same year, it was decided to enlarge the terminal already. The airport traffic had increased enough that it was needed.
The area around the old terminal was turned into an expanded cargo facility by 1986. The service was expanding beyond passenger service by then.
Offering 8350 feet for takeoffs and now anticipating more international flights, Birmingham Airport became Birmingham Airport plc.
The world's first terminal to handle both domestic and international flights opened at Birmingham under the name of Eurohub. It was used by British Airways and its air partners. This was in 1991.
The local authority owners allowed the airport to become a public sector company in 1993, due to government public sector borrowing restrictions. This move allowed for financing of the planned 260 million pound development plan.
Up to thirteen charter plane companies were using the airport during summer months by 1999. These included flights to the USA. A year later, Emirates, a major world carrier from Dubai, began flying into and out of Birmingham, making it easier to fly to Australia and Asia.
The final visit to Birmingham of Air France's Concorde was in 2003. It was a part of the Concorde's farewell tour before discontinuing service.
BIA anticipates crowds of up to 10 million passengers a year very soon. New roads to the airport, new airbridges, and a satellite terminal are part of the expansion plans to help Birmingham International Airport the fifth largest in the country.
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