World’s largest airliner returns to Birmingham as Gulf carriers boost capacity

The biggest passenger plane in the world will be making a comeback to Birmingham airport as Gulf airlines increase their seating availability.

After a long hiatus caused by the pandemic, Emirates is set to reintroduce its impressive 615-passenger capacity Airbus A380s on one of its two daily round-trip routes between the West Midlands airport and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This marks a significant milestone in the airline industry's recovery.

Most of the A380s worldwide were stored during the peak of the virus crisis, leading to speculation that they might never be used again because of the availability of more eco-friendly planes.

However, due to its capacity to accommodate a larger number of passengers compared to other planes used for commercial purposes, the model is experiencing a revival.

At the same time, Saudia, an airline company, will commence operations at Birmingham airport starting from Sunday. They will be offering three roundtrip flights per week to Jeddah, which is located in Saudi Arabia.

Qatar Airways is set to resume operations at the airport on July 6 after a three-year hiatus caused by the pandemic situation. They will now offer daily flights back and forth to Doha, Qatar.

Birmingham airport is aiming for these measures to encourage more travelers to see it as a viable option instead of London terminals.

The aim is to cater to approximately 12.5 million travelers in the present fiscal year and intends to boost the yearly number to over 18 million in the next ten years.

According to Nick Barton, the CEO of the airport, our business and leisure customers now enjoy enhanced connectivity with the Middle East, which is at its peak.

Emirates, Qatar, and Saudia are prominent international competitors, providing direct connections from Birmingham airport to their central airports. These airlines have extensive networks that cater to different regions including Australasia, Africa, and the Far East.

According to Mr Barton, a number of esteemed companies such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Accenture, and HSBC have recently set up their main offices in Birmingham.

He continued: "Emirates, Qatar, and Saudia view Birmingham and the West Midlands as a British area inhabited by six million individuals, possessing an economy comparable to that of Hungary. This region is currently experiencing significant growth and has yet to fully tap into its future economic potential."

The attraction of the West Midlands becomes even more compelling when we take into account the possibilities presented by the upcoming HS2 train line. This railway, set to be fully operational in the early 2030s, will provide a direct connection between London and Birmingham airport terminal in an astonishingly short span of 32 minutes - a notion that may be hard to fathom.

"We are thrilled to reintroduce our famous A380 aircraft to Birmingham," stated Richard Jewsbury, the Divisional Vice President of Emirates UK.

The comeback will facilitate enhanced connectivity for a larger number of travelers to in-demand far-flung destinations such as Thailand, Australia, and undoubtedly the lively metropolis of Dubai during the summer season and beyond.

In addition to fulfilling the growing needs of customers, companies in the area will have the opportunity to make the most of the available cargo space.

"We take great pride in our collaboration with Birmingham airport and our continuous dedication to the broader Midlands area."