Birmingham Airport Information

Birmingham Airport was opened at Elmdon, Birmingham on 8th July 1939. It was owned and operated by Birmingham City Council. Civil avation ceased on the outbreak of World War II and the Airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry. Still under government control the airport reopened for civil flying in July 1946. The City of Birmingham took over responsibility again in 1960. The newly formed West Midlands Metropolitan County Council took over in 1974. The county council incorporated the seven Metropolitan areas of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

As international flights became available, the terminal and the runway were expanded to accommodate these growing needs. However it soon became evident that a long term solution was required. By 1980, approval had been given (after an extensive public enquiry in 1979), to construct a new terminal close to the National Exhibition Centre, which itself had only recently opened and who’s close proximity had helped promote the airport. This terminal with a capacity of 3 Million passengers was opened in May 1984, by Her Majesty, The Queen.

In 1986 after the West Midlands County Council was abolished, ownership of the airport transferred to the newly formed West Midlands District Joint Airport Committee still comprising the seven district councils of the West Midlands administrative area. On 1st April 1987, following legislation requiring municipal airports with a turnover of over £1 million to become public airport companies, the ownership of the Airport transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc, a public limited company owned by the seven West Midlands district councils.

July 1991 saw the opening of Birmingham's second terminal - the Eurohub. Eurohub took the concept of the 'hub and spoke' principle by solving the complications of customs and immigration control which previously required seperate terminals. It was the first terminal in the world to combine domestic and international passengers.

In 1993, government public sector borrowing restrictions meant that future development had to be funded privately. The local authority owners then decided to reduce their shares of the airport to below 50% in order to restructure the airport into a private sector company and therefore make it possible to finance it's £260 million development programme.