Birmingham Airport gears up for busiest Christmas ever with more than half a million passengers set to jet off
Birmingham Airport is preparing for its busiest Christmas ever with an 11 per cent increase in passengers year-on-year.
More than half a million people are forecast to travel through the airport over the festive season, airport bosses have said.
Tenerife, Dubai and Alicante are among the top destinations for the holidays, with passengers jetting off for some winter sun. Amsterdam, Paris and Geneva are among the most popular destinations for festive city breaks and onward travel, with Krakow seeing the biggest surge in popularity compared to last Christmas with a 38 per cent uptick in passenger traffic.
Top 10 Christmas Destinations - December 19 to January 2:
Dublin
Dubai
Amsterdam
Tenerife
Belfast
Geneva
Paris
Alicante
Lanzarote
Krakow
The airport remains on track to experience its busiest year ever for 2025/26, with the start of winter bolstering this and record passenger traffic in November.
Al Titterington, terminal operations director of Birmingham Airport, said: “We’re delighted to be forecasting our busiest Christmas period this year with over half a million customers opting to fly from Birmingham Airport.
“This milestone follows a record-breaking year of growth here at BHX with nine record months for passenger traffic and the announcement of our biggest ever capital investment plan totalling £76.5 million.
“As part of this significant investment into our airport, passengers may notice more hoarding than usual when travelling through, but customers can be assured that there is no impact on operations, and these works are essential for the continuous improvement of our facilities."
“We encourage all our passengers to review our top tips and guidance for travel over the festive period.”
To bring a little seasonal cheer for the holidays, the airport will be hosting festive activities for passengers travelling through over Christmas including arts and crafts workshops, carol services and interactive displays.
Top tips and guidance for travelling in the festive period:
Passengers travelling with gifts are urged to avoid gift-wrapping them as security may have to unwrap items to fully screen them
Replica toy guns or weapons are not permitted through airport security in hand or hold luggage
Party poppers are not allowed in hold or cabin baggage
Crackers may be permitted in hold-only luggage but passengers should check with their airline for conditions of carriage
Liquids, pastes and gels can be taken in containers up to two litres in hand luggage, there is no limit on the number of containers that can be carried out of Birmingham Airport. Liquids do not need to be in plastic bags. But passengers should check the liquid restrictions with all airlines and airports that form part of the journey as not all airports permit two litres yet
Any dual skinned and vacuum flasks must be presented empty at security. These can be refilled at complimentary water stations once customers have processed through security
Do not pack vapes, e-cigarettes, power banks or devices containing lithium-ion batteries (such as DSLR cameras) in hold luggage (checked bags). While the majority of airlines permit such items to be carried in cabin baggage (carry-on), some airlines do not. Passengers should check the ability to carry e-cigarettes or vapes within their cabins with their airline. Contact details for all airlines that operate at Birmingham Airport can be found in the airport’s Airline Directory
Each airline has its own check-in time. Customers are reminded to turn up in line with when their check-in opens. This information can be found on the booking
Customers travelling with Jet2 or TUI can drop their bags off the day before with the twilight service for flights departing before 12.00. Passengers should check with the relevant airline for specific drop-off times
Passengers should ensure all personal belongings including luggage are kept with them at all times in the airport
Check-in zones in the terminal are as follows: ➡Zone A for Jet2 ➡Zone D for Emirates ➡Zones B & C for all other airlines
There have been new openings within the Departures Lounge over the past year including Popeyes Louisiana Chicken. Customers can plan ahead and check out menus for all eateries and information on specific dietary requirements on the BHX website. Opening hours may differ over the festive period
The BHX website has a Frequently Asked Questions page for customers to find the answers to common queries, and Customer Communication Agents are on hand to help via the airport’s digital live chat service on the BHX website
