New picture reveals Birmingham Airport's £40m runway extension

Birmingham Airport's £40 million runway extension is on schedule for a spring 2014 opening, with new destinations hailed as a boost for business and leisure passengers alike.

Airport chiefs have released this image of the development, which includes a new air traffic control tower, new radar equipment and the runway extension.

Thanks to the scheme, the airport will be able to run twice-weekly scheduled flights to both New York and Dhaka for the first time from next year.

David Lavender, a spokesman for the airport, said: "It's all on schedule. Spring 2014 has always been the aim and we're on track for that.

"It's all about connectivity for business and leisure passengers alike."

The airport has already sealed the deal with the first airline to make use of its runway extension.

It will allow Biman Banglandesh Airlines to fly its Boeing 777 passenger jets the 5,222 miles from Birmingham to Dhaka – the longest distance any aircraft has ever flown non-stop from the West Midlands airport.

Biman, the Bangladeshi national carrier, will also be launching services from Birmingham to JFK airport in New York. The airline will run twice weekly scheduled services to both destinations from next spring.

The airport will become only the third UK site to have direct flights to New York JFK and offer the only non-stop service between the UK and Bangladesh outside London.

Flights will be on sale early in the New Year.