Busiest-ever November and Christmas travel advice.
Birmingham Airport has recorded the busiest November in its history, as almost 650,000 passengers passed through the terminal last month, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year.
The airport handled a total of 646,945 passengers in November, beating its previous record for the month set in 2008 by 4.2%.
Last month’s figures also saw a rise in the number of passengers flying on long-haul services from Birmingham, up by 3% compared to November last year. Scheduled traffic in November accounted for 88.6%, with charter flights making up the remaining 11.4%
November was the sixth record-breaking month for Birmingham Airport in 2014, as April, May, June, July and August also saw records smashed. The Midlands airport looks set to finish the year with another strong performance in December, as approximately 340,000 passengers are expected to travel through Birmingham during the Christmas period – an increase of 7.4% over the same period last year.
The news comes at the same time as Air India and Emirates have announced plans to increase their services into Birmingham.
Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s CEO, said: “Following news of yet another positive performance in November, which was our sixth record-breaking month of the year, we’re now looking forward to a busy Christmas period.
“The busiest days over the festive period are likely to be the 21st, 22nd and 23rd December as people jet off in time for Christmas day, to visit friends and relatives, catch some winter sun or hit the ski slopes. The airport will remain open throughout Christmas and New Year, with around 6,400 passengers travelling through on Christmas Day. Flights will be departing to Montego Bay, Istanbul, Dubai, Sharm El Sheikh and Delhi, as well as many other European destinations.”
Passengers travelling through Birmingham Airport over the Christmas period are being advised not to take wrapped presents in their hand luggage or take party poppers or Christmas crackers on board. If in doubt, passengers should contact their airline directly for more information.
Birmingham Airport has recently announced a number of new flights starting next year, including American Airlines to New York, Norwegian to Barcelona, Malaga and Madrid and Vueling to Barcelona.
