Birmingham Airport Development Plan. Photo: Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport has unveiled an ambitious £2 billion masterplan to enable it to reach a capacity of around 30 million passengers a year over the next 15 years.
The plan, published yesterday (October8 ), includes a major upgrade of the airport’s infrastructure, expanding passenger facilities and improving transport to and from the airport.
According to forecasts, the implementation of the plan could add approximately £3.6 billion to the gross economic product of the West Midlands region, and support the creation of more than 50,000 new jobs, including approximately 3,800 jobs at the airport itself.
The first phase, which will begin in 2027, includes investments in baggage handling, restructuring and adding aircraft parking, improving access roads, and upgrading terminal facilities. The plan is based on better utilization of existing runway capacity, along with improving the port's ability to handle the expected increase in passenger traffic.
The airport's CEO, Nick Burton, said the proposed investment was unprecedented in scale for the airport and was designed to strengthen the region's international connectivity, encourage investment, and support economic growth.
British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said the plan is expected to bring investment and create tens of thousands of jobs.
At the same time, the port will launch an eight-week public consultation process on October 16, during which residents and business owners will be able to express their views. The final report of the consultation is expected to be published in 2027, and will be used to formulate the final master plan and decisions on further investments.