Air travel trends: How Birmingham Airport bounced back to new highs

This blog was written as part of the 2025 Birmingham Economic Review, an annual report produced by University of Birmingham/City-REDI in partnership with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Read the full report.

Five years on from a pandemic that temporarily stalled the aviation industry, Birmingham Airport has bounced back to new highs thanks to its continued growth in its market share of low-cost carriers, says the airport's CEO Nick Barton. 

Birmingham Airport is on its way to record passenger traffic this year with a milestone of c.14 million passengers forecast to travel during 2025/26.

Following a global pandemic that saw the aviation industry grind to an unprecedented halt and unexpected regulatory U-turn on liquids screening rules last year, resulting in significant operational disruption beyond our control, we have bounced back with our passenger traffic now towering well above pre-pandemic figures.

This remarkable growth is a clear outcome of our ongoing work to maximise the true potential of our airport and handle at least 17 million passengers by 2029.

A crucial part of our strategy as a regional transport hub has always been the continued development of our low-cost carrier (LCC) offerings which provide much needed accessibility, value and choice for our passengers.

Over the past 10 years, we have consistently grown our low-cost air travel offerings with low-cost passenger numbers increasing by 62 per cent.

This accelerated growth has been aided by strategic airline partnerships and the arrival of new based aircraft. In the past 18 months alone, easyJet has significantly expanded its operations at BHX, more than doubling its routes since launching a base here in March 2024. Ryanair and Jet2 have also announced expansions, adding new routes and boosting capacity on popular destinations.

This recent growth in our market share for leading LCC’s has been backlit by a turbulent period of economic uncertainty for the consumer illustrating the resilience of this airline category.

Whilst air traffic and economic health have traditionally run in converse, as with many things, once certain conventions are now shifting. The accessibility of LCC has transformed air travel from an occasional luxury to an essential commodity especially for younger generations.

Recent research has found that travel experiences are now among the top priorities for consumers with 77 per cent of UK travellers reportedly planning more or the same number of trips for 2026. This phenomenon has been coined ‘the experience economy’ and can be seen as key driver behind the success of the LCC.  

However, we are not solely focused on LCC at Birmingham Airport. Our overarching strategy is to continue to diversify our offering with scheduled, charter and long-haul operators.

To enable our growth plans, we have recently announced our most ambitious investment plan to date which will see £76.5 million invested each year for the next four years.

The record investment will result in the enhancement of facilities around the site including new baggage belts, airfield improvements to taxiways and a redeveloped departures lounge.

Looking further ahead, the eagerly awaited arrival of HS2 will transform our national connectivity.

For the first time ever, you will be able to reach BHX from London in less than 40 minutes, effectively positioning us within Zone 5 of the underground map. 

We’re confident that our continued investment and forward-thinking strategy will deliver a modern airport fit for the future that our region can truly be proud of.