Aerospace

BHX upgrades aircraft stands

Posted 20 December 2023

Birmingham Airport (BHX) is halfway through more than £10 million worth of aircraft stand upgrades to make its operation more efficient and reliable for customers.

Above: Code-C Stands by day/by night.
Courtesy BHX

The project is making all the stands on BHX’s South Terminal capable of accommodating Airbus 321 and Boeing 737 aircraft, which many airlines use.

Andrew Holl, Airfield Operations Director at BHX, said: “Standardising these stands means, rather than having to wait for the right type of stand to become available, if any stand is free we can send an incoming aircraft straight to it.

“That makes our operation simpler and more resilient, reducing the chance of delays for customers and enabling us to process people on and off aircraft more efficiently. This investment is a key element of our growth plan to 18 million customers a year by 2033.

The work involves reconfiguring existing aircraft parking areas, including power, lighting and stand indication, to dimensions which suit A321 and B737-size aircraft. The existing taxiway has been realigned with new lighting to allow the creation of more stands close to the terminal. This project is due to be complete in summer 2024.

The aircraft stands project is part of £300 million of capital investment over the next decade to make BHX capable of serving 18 million customers a year by 2033, when it also aims to have become a carbon-net zero airport.