City News

Birmingham International Airport (BIA) has today released its Community & Environment Report for the 7th consecutive year, to highlight the achievements of the Midlands’ busiest airport in meeting targets on the environment, economic growth and community investment and involvement.

The report summarises the trend of growth in both Air Transport Movements and Passenger Numbers and details the progress made in achieving the company’s goal of encouraging economic development and social inclusion, whilst managing and minimising its environmental impact. 

Richard Heard, BIA’s Managing Director, said:
 “One of the main features of the last year has been the extensive dialogue that we have had with our local community over our long term development plans. This report further demonstrates how the Airport Company is committed to finding practical solutions to local issues and how we want to continue our process of environmentally-sustainable development.”

Working towards the company’s goal of managing and minimising its environmental impact Birmingham is the first airport to welcome the Embraer 195 (E195) aircraft to its services. Flybe, the aircraft’s operator, claims the new 5-star, eco-labelled performance aircraft, uses over 20% less fuel and reduces noise levels up to 35% compared to the BAe 146 it is replacing. The first aircraft bound for Glasgow will go into full scheduled service today, Friday 29 September.

Some of the highlights of the report include:

Community Investment & Involvement
• This year the airport has provided sound attenuation services to 148 private properties and 159 council properties with over £680,000 invested since 2003.
• Under the Vortex Protection Scheme almost 70 properties this year have received new roofs with tiles permanently clipped into place to avoid future damage from aircraft wake vortices. In all, more than £450,000 has been invested in 117 properties.
• Grants worth more than £65,000 have been awarded to nearly 30 projects this year through the Community Trust Fund.
Consultation & Communication
• A specially commissioned mobile exhibition, staffed by airport people, toured localities affected by the Draft Master Plan proposals, making more than 60 three-hour stops at prominent locations in neighbouring communities.
Aircraft Noise & Track-Keeping
• Sophisticated noise and track keeping systems are used to manage community complaints and to monitor aircraft operations and track-keeping performance.
Air Quality
• The Airport Company achieved its air quality target for all pollutants except ozone where similar exceedances were observed at other UK monitoring locations.
Surface Access Strategy
• A new information point in Terminal 1 International baggage reclaim area was completed in 2005 incorporating a display showing real time rail departures at Birmingham International Rail Station
• The Public transport modal share of surface access has increased to 19%
Employment
• BIA remains committed to the ‘Skills for Life’ programme, run in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Council and Solihull College. Some 200 learners have taken part and in 2005 58 employees were awarded nationally recognised qualifications, representing 8.1% of the Airport Company workforce.
• BIA is supporting a number of initiatives with community groups, to offer young people new opportunities and routes to employment. This includes the ‘Moving Forward’ project – designed to engender a greater understanding of engineering

A PDF copy of the document is available at www.bhx.co.uk by visiting the Environment and Planning page.