Birmingham Airport unveils £2bn plan for 30 million passengers

Birmingham Airport has announced a £2bn expansion plan which bosses say could more than double passenger numbers and create thousands of jobs.

The draft plan, a spokesperson said, sets out the use of existing runway capacity alongside “significantly enhanced” passenger facilities over the next 15 years.

Unveiling an eight-week public consultation, chief executive Nick Barton said the scheme aims to ensure the airport was “ready for the future” but needed a “fair and stable taxation environment”.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the government was “backing our aviation sector to continue growing, right across the country”.

In 2025, the airport said it had seen a record year with more than 13 million passengers travelling through it. Bosses want to see this rise by more than double, up to 30 million a year.

Airport chiefs said the proposals set out a “clear commitment” to continue serving the region and create more than 50,000 jobs, including 3,800 at the airport site.

They added that they wanted to make sure the growth was “delivered responsibly and sustainably” for the people living closes to the site.

The first stage of development could start in 2027, with significant investments in areas such as baggage and terminal facilities, additional aircraft stands and improvements in surface access.

Hundreds of passengers were affected by issues with the airport’s baggage system in August, with many left without their luggage.

People can give feedback on the plans online, by post or attend any of the 20 events, which start in Hampton on Arden on 16 October, external.