text:
Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport, formerly Birmingham International Airport, is an international airport located 7 NM east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, 9.5 NM west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England.

Officially opened as Elmdon Airport on 8 July 1939, the airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry during the Second World War and used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy as RAF Elmdon. It was largely used for flight training and wartime production purposes. On 8 July 1946, the aerodrome was reopened to civilian operations.

Birmingham Airport currently holds a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P451) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. Passenger throughput in 2017 was over 12.9 million, making Birmingham the seventh busiest airport in the UK. The airport offers international flights to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Birmingham Airport is an operating base for easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair and TUI Airways.

Location
Birmingham Airport is 7 NM east-south-east of Birmingham city centre, in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. It is bordered by the National Exhibition Centre to the east, Marston Green to the north, Sheldon to the west, the village of Bickenhill to the south, and the village of Elmdon to the south west.

It is primarily served by the A45 main road, and is near Junction 6 of the M42 motorway. It is connected by the elevated Air-Rail Link with Birmingham International railway station on the West Coast Main Line.

The airport's location southeast of the city, plus the only operational runway being northwest–southeast (15/33), means that depending on wind direction, aircraft land or take-off directly over Birmingham. The former northeast–southwest runway (06/24) has been incorporated into a taxiway for aircraft accessing runway 15/33.

Construction and opening
In 1928, Birmingham City Council decided that the city required a municipal airport; thus soon thereafter a committee was established to work towards establishing such a facility. By 1931, several locations, including Shirley, Elmdon and Aldridge, were reportedly under consideration as potential sites. While Elmdon was considered to be an impressive and appropriate site for the airport, further progress was delayed due to spending cutbacks that had been initiated as a consequence of the Great Depression. By 1933, the project was revived and a new airport committee was formed during the following year to oversee the airport's establishment. Prior to any major construction decisions being taken, members of the committee visited various successful airports around Europe in 1935, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Lyon, Paris, Brussels and London.

During January 1935, the airport committee approached British architectural and engineering practice Norman and Dawbarn, inviting their attendance and seeking their participation as expert advisers on the airport's construction, the practice was subsequently appointed as the project's architects. In 1933, Birmingham City Council authorised the compulsory purchase of 300 acres of land for the use by the airport; another 214 acres were similarly acquired during the following year. During 1936, a private bill presented by the Birmingham Corporation was passed through Parliament, which authorised the acquisition of further land as well as the diversion of various roads and footpaths to permit the airport's development. Shortly following the bill's passing, various agencies, including the City Engineer and Surveyor, the Public Works Department and a firm of aeronautical consultants, including Norman and Dawbarn, commenced work on preparing the ground, designing both the terminal and hangar buildings, and planning out the airport's detailed layout.

By January 1937, Norman and Dawbarn had been authorised to finalise the design drawings; these were apparently completed by June 1937. In October of that year, various contractors were appointed to construct various elements of the airport's buildings, including its elaborate terminal. Reportedly, the project's total expenditure amounted to around £360,000. Construction work proceeded at a rapid pace; on 1 May 1939, the airport had been completed to such a degree that it was ready to handle traffic.

On 8 July 1939, the Duchess of Kent, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, accompanied by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, officiated at the opening of Elmdon Airport. Its terminal, which incorporated the airport's air traffic control tower, was designed by Norman and Dawbarn in an Art Deco style; this facility would continue to be used as a terminal until 1984 and subsequently as staff offices and for private flights; it is still intact as of 2023. The airport was owned and operated by Birmingham City Council. Initial services flew to Croydon, Glasgow, Liverpool, Ryde, Shoreham, Manchester, and Southampton; further services were added soon thereafter, although its use as a civilian airport would soon be interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Second World War
During the Second World War, Elmdon Airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry and was used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy as RAF Elmdon. It was largely operated as an Elementary Flying School and a base for the Fleet Air Arm. It was during this era that the original grass airstrip was replaced by two hard runways: 06/24 at 2469 ft and 15/33 at 4170 ft. Large numbers of Avro Lancaster and Stirling bombers were manufactured at the Austin Aero Company's shadow factory at Cofton Hackett, but were unable to take off from the short runways at Longbridge; thus, they were transported by road to RAF Elmdon, their wings being removed beforehand and re-attached after arrival. They were test flown from the aerodrome and, once declared airworthy, they were flown to their operational units. On 8 July 1946, the aerodrome was reopened to civilian operations, though it remained under government control.

1950 to 1980
During the post-war years, a number of public events, such as air fairs and air races, were held on the site. In 1949, scheduled services began with British European Airways (BEA) launching routes to Paris; the number of flights to the continent steadily grew over the years, including services to Zürich, Düsseldorf, Palma, Amsterdam and Barcelona commencing between 1955 and 1960. During 1960, the City of Birmingham resumed responsibility for the airport's operation again, ending central government control.

In 1961, an additional terminal building to handle the growing international traffic was opened, which was fittingly called The International Building. Furthermore, work to extend the airport's main runway to 7,400 feet (1.4 miles) was undertaken between 1967 and 1970, which permitted the launch of new services using turboprop and jet-powered airliners. Accordingly, a new service to New York using VC-10 airliner was launched during 1967. By the early 1970s, Birmingham Airport was reportedly handling around one million passengers per year, albeit through a relatively congested passenger terminal. In 1974, the newly formed West Midlands Metropolitan County Council took over management of the airport.

On 16 September 1980, the supersonic airliner Concorde made its first visit to Birmingham Airport. On 20 October 2003, Concorde made its final visit to the airport as part of its farewell tour.

1981 to 2000
Birmingham Airport was once home to the world's first commercial maglev system in the form of a low-speed maglev shuttle that ran along a 620-metre line between the terminal and the nearby Birmingham International railway station. Following a year of testing and trial use, the Birmingham Airport Maglev was opened to great fanfare during April 1984. However, during 1995, the Maglev rail link was discontinued after 11 years; the closure has been attributed to the system's unreliability, it having suffered from frequent breakdowns. The original guideway lay dormant but intact for a time, while proposals for its restoration or adaption for other uses were considered. In 2003, a replacement cable-hauled system, the Air-Rail Link Cable Liner people mover, was opened, which reused the track and much of the existing infrastructure.

During 1993, the government limited public sector borrowing came into force and was applied to Birmingham Airport. This change meant that the airport could only expand by using private sector finance. 51% of the local council shares were sold to restructure the airport into a private sector company; this initiative led to the commencement of a £260 million restructuring programme in 1997.

2000s
During November 2007, Birmingham Airport published a master plan for its development up to 2030, called "Towards 2030: Planning a Sustainable Future for Air Transport in the Midlands". This set out details of changes to the terminals, airfield layout and off-site infrastructure. As with all large scale plans, the proposals were controversial, with opposition from environmentalists and local residents. In particular, the requirement for a second parallel runway based on projected demand was disputed by opponents. Plans for a second runway (a third when demand requires) on the other side of the M42 and a new terminal complex and business park have been published, and they could help to create around 250,000 jobs. It has been estimated that if these plans went ahead, the airport could handle around 70,000,000 passengers annually, and around 500,000 aircraft movements.

In January 2008, the shorter runway (06/24) was decommissioned. It had been used less often due to its short length, noise impact, and its inconvenient position crossing the main runway, making it uneconomic to continue operation. The closure also allowed for apron expansion on both sides of the main runway. However, runway 06/24 remains open as a taxiway and a helicopter airstrip. In the same month, plans for the extension of the airport runway and the construction of a new air traffic control tower were submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

In June 2008, work began on building the new three-storey International Pier; it was officially opened on 9 September 2009. As part of the airport's 70th anniversary, the airport welcomed the Airbus A380 as the first user of the pier. The special service was the first commercial A380 flight in the UK outside London Heathrow Airport. The new pier is 240 metres long and 24 metres wide. Departing passengers are accommodated on the top level, with arriving passengers on the middle level and office accommodation for airline and handling agents on the ground floor. The new facility provides air-bridged aircraft parking for seven wide-bodied aircraft and enough space for 13 smaller aircraft. It can accommodate 'next generation' environmentally-efficient wide-bodied aircraft such as the Airbus A340-600, the Airbus A380, the Boeing 747-8, and the Boeing 777X. The new pier also has a new lounge for business class Emirates passengers. In March 2009, the runway extension plans were approved.

2010s
In September 2010, it was announced that after the merging of Terminals 1 and 2 into a single facility in 2011, the airport would drop the "International" from its official name to become "Birmingham Airport'". A Midlands-based marketing agency was recruited to "create a new corporate identity that reflects Birmingham Airport's current position in the market place, as well as its future potential". Figures from Birmingham Airport show that 8 million people live within a one hour's drive of the airport, but less than 40% of them use it. It is hoped that the rebrand will make the airport "more visible to the market". In November 2010, the new name started to be used. The new logo, interlocking circles in shades of blue, and slogan, "Hello World", were designed to reflect the airport's new positioning as a global travel hub.

In January 2011 the viewing gallery, 'Aviation Experience And Gift Shop', closed indefinitely. In the same month, the airport merged its two terminals into a single terminal building, which involved the construction of two additional floors. A new lower ground floor accommodates the new Arrivals and Meet & Greet area, while the 3rd floor was built in the Millennium Link and the two terminals to accommodate the new Centralised Security Search area. In July 2011, construction of a new control tower began. The new control tower was completed in March 2012; it replaced the airport's original tower, which had been used since the airport opened in 1939.

On 23 February 2011, Birmingham Airport announced that the High Speed 2 railway could be a solution to runway capacity problems in London; management figures suggested that it would be quicker to get to London from Birmingham than from Stansted Airport once completed, and claimed that the airport had capacity for nine million more passengers.

Plans for the extension of the airport's runway, and the construction of the new air traffic control tower, were submitted to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in January 2008, and approved in March 2009. Originally, the target for completion was in time for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. An Olympic ceremony was held at the airport on 23 April 2012. The Olympic rings were unveiled on the tower and could be seen from the A45 road and the main terminal building. This was to commemorate the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. These rings were removed once the Olympic Games officially closed, just before the 2012 Summer Paralympics began. Work on the new runway eventually began in autumn 2012. The extension to the southern end of the runway originally required the A45 Coventry Road to be diverted into a tunnel under the extended section, but to cut costs, it was diverted south of the runway instead. In Summer 2013 the new air traffic control tower became fully operational; the old carriageway of the A45 was closed and the new carriageway was opened. In May 2014, the 400-metre runway extension was officially opened; the full length was first used on 22 July 2014, when China Southern Airlines operated its first charter between Birmingham and Beijing.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, a Canadian institutional investor, increased its stake in the airport to 48.25% in early 2015. It also owns 100% of Bristol Airport. Birmingham handled over 11.6 million passengers in 2016, a record total for the airport, making it the seventh busiest UK airport.

On 28 September 2016, £100 million of investment was allocated to a new baggage handling system and two new car parks, including a drop-off car park.

Since 2020
British regional airline Flybe operated an extensive route network from Birmingham to destinations within the United Kingdom and mainland Europe until it entered administration on 4 March 2020, and has since resumed operations using the airport as its headquarters and main base of operations. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary mortuary was established in a hangar at the airport, with space for 12,000 bodies.

On 13 January 2023, Emirates announced that they will return to flying the iconic Airbus A380 on their daily flights to Birmingham Airport from 1 July 2023. Previously, Emirates had used the Airbus A380 on their flights to Birmingham since 2016, however they resumed using the Boeing 777 during the COVID-19 pandemic due to less demand.

In January 2023, regional airline Flybe, successor to the aforementioned airline of the same name, which maintained its main base in Birmingham, entered administration and ceased all operations.

Facilities and infrastructure
Birmingham Airport's current terminal complex combines the two old terminals via the Millennium Link in to one large terminal, with gates 1–20 in the old Terminal 2, and all other gates in the old Terminal 1.

Terminal 1 was opened on 3 April 1984, seventeen years after the original plans to construct a new terminal to ease congestion in the original Elmdon Terminal (Grade II listed since August 2018 and used for private and official flights). Since then, T1 has been extended multiple times to accommodate the increase in both passenger numbers and aircraft movements.

All check in desks and arrivals are on the ground floor. The central security area, along with airside shops and restaurants are located on the first floor.

Passenger
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter services to and from Birmingham:

Rail
Birmingham Airport is served by Birmingham International railway station. The station is on the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham and London, and trains are operated by West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Transport For Wales, and CrossCountry. Access between the railway station and the airport terminal is provided by the free Air-Rail Link.

Proposed High Speed 2
As part of Phase 1 of the High Speed 2 rail link, a new railway station called Birmingham Interchange will be built to serve both the airport and the National Exhibition Centre. The station will be built on the far side of the M42 motorway and connect to the airport using a "rapid transit people mover". High Speed 2 is currently planned for completion by 2029.

West Midlands Metro
There are plans to implement a new Line 3 of the West Midlands Metro to Birmingham Airport from Edgbaston, this would link Birmingham Interchange, Birmingham International and Birmingham Airport to the City Centre of Birmingham in 30 minutes travelling along the A45.

Bus and coach
National Express West Midlands operates the main bus routes calling at Birmingham Airport, those being the X1 to Birmingham city centre and Coventry, the X12 to Chelmsley Wood and Solihull, and the 96 to Chelmsley Wood, Erdington and Kingstanding. Other smaller operators also call at the airport. Bus stops are situated outside Terminal One. Most buses are operated by National Express West Midlands.

National Express Coaches operates various long-distance coaches calling at Birmingham Airport on the way to or from Birmingham coach station.

Taxi
Black cabs are available at the taxi-rank outside the arrivals area of the terminal.

Car
Birmingham Airport is accessible from the north and south via Junction Six of the M42 motorway. From Birmingham city centre, the A45 runs directly to the airport. Parking charges apply in some areas even for very short periods of time, with locations farther from the airport being cheaper than those near the airport.

Bicycle
The only cycle route available heads south over the A45 travelling towards Solihull. Birmingham Airport has however published "recommended routes" for cyclists. Free short term cycle parking is available close to the terminal. For longer stays, bicycles must be stored in the Left Luggage for a charge.

title: Birmingham Airport


text:
Talk:2003 California gubernatorial recall election

Untitled
I have already voted (absentee) and the article seems to miss the reason that many of my friends will also vote to remove Gray Davis as Governor. It is not about taxes, although our taxes have become a major deterrent to job creation, nor is it a result of the overall state of the California economy. Rather it is about perceived blatant abuse of office to the point where both Rebublicans and Democrats (I am a registered Libertarian) seem to feel sullied. Whether it is because of the money which flowed in from Indian gaming groups, the dumping of previously banned pollutants in San Francisco Bay, or the pandering to Labor bosses by moves such as pay raises for Prison guards or establishing a Union Shop in the California State University system. we believe that our government is for sale to the highest bidder. When it comes to selecting a replacement for Gray Davis you must admit we have a wonderful range to choose from! How about the Trekkie?

I changed the phrase "governor's mansion at stake" to "governor's office at stake", since the literal mansion has stood unoccupied since Jerry Brown declined to move into it in 1975. Also changed "had large control of" to "had enormous influence over" in the intro about Progressivism.

--

Now that this article exists I think that much of the text in Arnold's and Gray's articles about the recall can be moved here and replaced by summaries. --mav 22:20, 7 Aug 2003 (UTC)

---

The California SoS has stated a official list of candidates should be available on 13 Aug. Once this list is posted, I intend to Wiki it here...Any comments? --hoshie

 * There may be several hundred candidates. RickK, who thinks he's going to vote for Gary Coleman. :)

 * Just put the whole list at List of 2003 California recall candidates, but keep a short list of the top/most notable candidates here (yes, that includes Gary Coleman). --mav 21:24, 9 Aug 2003 (UTC)

- I have sought in vain for some kind of simple, coherent explanation of how this will actually be voted. News coverage around here focuses mostly on the rarity of the procedure and amused comments on the number and calibre of candidates.

How exactly will it be voted? There are apparently multiple Republican opponents, a few Democrats, and quite a few unclassified candidates. Is Gov. Davis out if any one candidate draws more votes than he gets? or if his three hundred opponents collectively get more votes? Is there any procedure for a runoff? If so, who becomes governor in the interim? Or does the top vote getter in the October election become governor?

Where is Emperor Norton when you need him? -- IHCOYC 14:59, 10 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * I am not an elections expert, but this is my impression from the news coverage:

 * First, you vote for or against the recall.

 * Secondly, you vote for one of the replacement candidates (which does not include Gov. Davis). You can vote for a candidate whether or not you vote for the recall. The candidates are running as individuals, not as party members.

 * If the recall passes (simple majority? of votes for/against the recall), the replacement candidate with the most votes (plurality of votes for replacement candidates) becomes the new governor. If the recall doesn't pass, Davis serves out his term. There are no runoffs. --Brion 15:07, 10 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * Thanks. It looks like someone added the information since the last time I looked at the article.  The mechanics have not been in any of the local papers that I can recall, and I was curious as to how it worked. -- IHCOYC

 * According to MSNBC:  Davis will lose if he gets 49.9 percent or less on Oct. 7. So, If my thinking is correct, Davis needs 50.1% of voters to vote NO on question #1 to stay in office.

 * As to question #2, CNN says:  if voters agree to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis -- a candidate needs only a simple plurality of votes. If my thinking is correct on question #2, a replacement candidate could win with 25% or less, depending on turnout. --hoshie

 * Technically, if a plurality is all that is needed, and there are more than 100 candidates, it is possible (though unlikely) that the winner may have fewer than 1% of the votes. Of course, having this many candidates increases the likelihood of ties as well.  --- IHCOYC

 * So someone could be elected on 1) fewer votes than it took to elect Davis and 2) fewer votes than it takes to throw him out. .... Yeah, that makes sense.  At least there's no need to worry about hanging chads.  Koyaanis Qatsi 03:30, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * Actually, there is hanging chad potential. Davis tried to get the election delayed on the basis of the fact that some counties will not have updated to more modern systems of voting by the time of the election, but this appeal was denied. So punch cards will be used, and we may get chad recounts after all! -- Someone else 03:42, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)~

 * Excellent. Maybe it's not too late to get a Bush involved ... Maybe Neil this time; he hasn't been doing much since the S&L scandal.  ;-)  Koyaanis Qatsi 03:43, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * Saying '49.9% or less' seems to me an odd way to phrase it unless you wanted imply that he could get a minority of the vote and stay on. Merric

My Gawd! As an American I'm embarrassed by our "democratic" system of government. First Bush won even though more people voted for Gore and now it looks like some nit-wit with possibly less than 10% of the vote will be the next governor of the largest and most powerful state in the Union. This says nothing of our choices, which include; Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger, Garry "What you talk'n about Willis!" Coleman, Leo "Smash-o-matic" Gallagher, "Billboard babe" Angelyne, and my favorite, Larry "The smut peddler" Flynt. Whose next? These are sad times for the USA.... Altough I'll probably end-up voting for the Running Man just to oust Davis (whom I despise). --mav

 * Oh, come now. How, you ask, could a gubernatorial contest get any better? Here's how: [[Media:Arnold.jpg]] :) -- Someone else 07:52, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * LOL. He's got the gay vote (he is pro-gay rights too, BTW). --mav 08:13, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * He may lose the robot vote, though. ;) --Brion 08:31, 11 Aug 2003 (UTC)

 * In a Fox News Network interview on 27 August 2003, Arnold (stating he supported domestic partnerships but not gay marriages) seems to have made the amusing mis-statement that he believes "homosexual marriage should be between a man and a woman".  At least I think that's what I heard... -- Someone else 19:28, 27 Aug 2003 (UTC)  (Confirmed, more or less: he actually said "Gay marriage should be between a man and a woman."  But it looks like no one's jumping on it.  Imagine if Bush had said this during a campaign! -- Someone else 06:59, 28 Aug 2003 (UTC))

Travis Kalanick is not on the list. -- 213.73.161.245 00:12, 14 Aug 2003 (UTC)

I removed the following candidates from the notables list:

Georgy Russell Audie Bock Angelyne Gallagher

The reason they were not removed is that have no recieved coverage in the mainstream news. --hoshie

 * Gallagher and Angelyne are both very notable, so they were put back in. --mav

 * CA news is giving plenty of coverage to Coleman, Gallagher, and even Angelyne as candidates. I also say keep them in. --Zippy

inauguration photos
Security at the event was extreme so I wasn't able to get any photos of Arnold, but these other ones may be useful. However, I'm at work right now and don't have the software needed to crop and resize these images. If somebody else can do this before I get home then that would be great. Otherwise I'll get to it latter tonight. Image:Newsvans at Schwarzenegger inauguration_.JPG, Image:Arnold Schwarzenegger inauguration-crowd.jpg, Image:Arnold Schwarzenegger sexual harassment protestors.JPG. --mav 21:31, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

 * Done; 300 and 750 px wide images of each; check my contribution list for filenames. - Hephaestos 21:57, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

 * I had cropped them [from note on Arnold Schwarzenegger talk]; rv if not correct (I didn't know Hephaestos was croppin' them too); mabey links on the all the img desc pg could be place in? JDR

 * Thanks! Here are the photos for anybody to place in this article:

Newsvans at Schwarzenegger inauguration [[media:Newsvans at Schwarzenegger inauguration750.jpg|larger image]]

Sexual harassment protestors [[media:Arnold Schwarzenegger sexual harassment protestors750.jpg|larger image]]

Crowd watching Schwarzenegger inauguration [[media:Arnold Schwarzenegger inauguration-crowd750.jpg|larger image]]

--mav 22:23, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Opps! I forgot I even took this one. Image:California Secretary of State building on October 7, 2003.jpg. --mav

--

Tom McClintock is referred to as 'state Senator', 'State Senator', and 'state senator'. I'm not sure based on Typo/capitalization whether it should be 'state senator' or 'state Senator', but it should be consistent. This page is listed in Typo/capitalization-21. The relevant entry should be removed once the capitalization is fixed. Adjusting

Recall alphabet
Just for reference: R, W, Q, O, J, M, V, A, H, B, S, G, Z, X, N, T, C, I, E, K, U, P, D, Y, F, L.. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 02:10, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

John and Ken
Their role in this event needs to be touched on, especially the stories they undcovered on Gray "Gumby" Davis and tofu berry shakes...

Merger of Results into main page
Given the length of the respective pages, I think that the suggested merge is impractical. Since it has been proposed for months without comment, I am boldly removing the tags. Eluchil404 21:48, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

No mention of "Car Tax"
One major issue that I recall from the recall campaign was the so-called "car tax", which isn't mentioned in this article. California has a vehicle license fee (VLF) which is charged annually to every owner of a California-registered motor vehicle. As of 2003, this fee was by law equal to 2% of the vehicle's market value (according to a statutory depreciation scale), but legislative action since 1998 had gradually reduced the rate to 0.65%, one-third of its original amount. I believe it was described as a "temporary" but indefinite reduction. In 2003, with the budget now very tight, Governor Davis, by executive order, reinstated the 2% rate, effectively tripling the "car tax", as it started to be called by opponents. This was not only an unpopular move but also one of controversial legality, in light of California's constitutional requirement that tax increases be approved by a 2/3 vote of the legislature. There was some question as to whether this applied to ending the "temporary" reduction, or whether the VLF should be considered a tax. In any event, much was made of this move by Governor Davis's opponents in the recall campaign, and it may have significantly contributed to the success of the recall. In fact, upon assuming office, one of Governor Schwarzenegger's first moves was to cancel the VLF increase and order refunds issued to those who had paid the higher rate. 132.239.145.181 (talk) 21:17, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

 * I agree, the Car Tax should definitely be in there. That was a huge issue in ads and fueled opposition to Davis. Ryratt (talk) 19:46, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Davis recall petition.pdf
Image:Davis recall petition.pdf is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 21:20, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Davis-recall-petition.jpg
Image:Davis-recall-petition.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 21:23, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Grammar pedantry
This is really a pretty minor point in the grand scheme of things, but me and Blindman shady seem to disagree on the grammar of the sentence:

"California is one of only 15 states that allow[s] recalls."

To wit, whether the "s" should be there or not. Blindman shady argues that the verb "allows" should agree with "California" (so be singular), whereas I believe the verb should agree with "15 states," and so be plural. Now, "that allow[s] recalls" is a restrictive clause which could in principle modify either "California" or "15 states"; the sentence is grammatically correct either way, although the placement of the clause makes it more natural, to my mind, to read it as modifying "15 states." More significantly, though, the different constructions have different meanings. If the clause modifies "California," the sentence would be equivalent to "There are only 15 states, and California is one that allows recalls." This doesn't seem right to me, because this sentence doesn't explain the relevance of the 15 states. Hence my preference for my version (without the "s"), which is equivalent to "There are only 15 states that allow recalls, and California is one." I'd be interested in people's thoughts on this.VoluntarySlave (talk) 19:42, 16 June 2008 (UTC)
 * but me and Blindman shady seem

Blindman shady and I*... had to do it XD  Blind man   shady  01:15, 17 June 2008 (UTC)
 * The one without the "s" is grammatically correct. Restrictive clauses always follow the noun they modify in order to be clear. Thus, the way the sentence is currently written, the clause modifies "states" and must take the plural form of the verb for number agreement. In order for the clause to modify "California," the sentence would have to be recast as follows: "California, which allows recalls, is one of only 15 states to do so." -- Crazy Legs  KC  14:14, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Write-in candidates with zero votes
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name is not on the ballot. On the table of final results, there are five names listed as write-ins with zero votes. If they were not on the ballot and nobody voted for them, then why are they listed? In fact, why do we bother listing 170 people in the table when only four of them even got one percent of the vote and only 12 with one-tenth of one percent? Yes, Wikipedia is to be comprehensive, but there is a link to the complete by-county results if someone wants to know that. Reywas92 Talk 22:32, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
 * It's my understanding that write-in candidates had to register as such. Why someone would bother to register as a write-in candidate and then not bother to ask anyone to vote for him or her, or even vote himself or herself, is a good question, however. Qqqqqq (talk) 22:49, 22 November 2008 (UTC)
 * California requires write-in candidates to register, so the write-in candidates who got no votes appear in the official election results (see note 8). VoluntarySlave (talk) 23:15, 22 November 2008 (UTC)

why is there no mention of "Lester Terry Tate Speight"? http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/business/the-media-business-advertising-the-reebok-campaign-joins-the-california-campaign.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.95.22.155 (talk) 13:25, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress which affects this page. Please participate at Talk:Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election, 2012 - Requested move and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RM bot 21:04, 4 June 2012 (UTC)

Results table
I have edited the results table at the end of this article to only include candidates who received 1.00% or greater of the popular vote. I did this because, with well over 100 candidates included, the table was bulky and incomprehensible. While we should aspire to be as comprehensive as possible, listing over 100 names who received a minimal portion of the popular vote (many of the candidates did not even win a tenth of a percent, and at least half a dozen received only one vote, presumably their own) seems a bit overkill. As such, I have reduced the table to include only the five candidates who won at least 1.00% of the vote, and condensed the remainder into a single "other" row.

If anyone has a reason to include a greater number of candidates, please let me know. Nathaniel Greene (talk) 21:01, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
 * This is an online encyclopedia that should preserve data. Room on a piece of paper is not an issue. Perhaps we can "condense" by having a table with a hide/show option. Victor Victoria (talk) 17:39, 8 July 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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Contradiction in article: can Davis run again?
In the lede to the article, it says: "Davis was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits after the recall election." But then in the first section, it says: "As Davis's recall transpired before he had served half of his term as Governor, he remains eligible to serve another term, should he win a future election for the California Governor post." Neither is cited. Which is correct? Alternately, both sentences could be removed, as Davis's political career was destroyed by the recall and the chance of him running again is remote. --Jfruh (talk) 22:23, 4 June 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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Link to Wikipedia User Page?
If a gubernatorial candidate is also a Wikipedia editor can their name be linked to their user page? If so, what is the best way to do that? Jasonagastrich (talk) 06:10, 4 August 2019 (UTC)

 * User pages are not encyclopedic articles, and this would confuse readers, and cross the user pages with the encyclopedic articles. So, from my judgement, I'd give a firm "no". SecretName101 (talk) 07:22, 19 September 2021 (UTC)

A mess
The two successive "background" sections seem to duplicate each other. The petition and candidates are introduced, then introduced again in a successive section. Possibly (talk) 04:52, 2 February 2021 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport

Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport, formerly Birmingham Municipal Airport and later Birmingham International Airport, is a civil-military airport serving Birmingham, Alabama. The airport also provides scheduled airline service for the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa metropolitan areas. It is located in Jefferson County, five miles northeast of Downtown Birmingham, near the interchange of Interstates 20 and 59.

BHM served 3,056,215 passengers in 2023, and is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Alabama by passenger volume. The airfield can handle all aircraft types. The main runway is 12007 ft long. The secondary runway is 7099 ft long. A CategoryII ILS allows operations in visibility as low as a quarter-mile. The airport was renamed in July 2008 after Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, founding president of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and a leader of the Birmingham campaign during the civil rights movement.

The airport carries the designation of an international airport and has a staffed U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility on site. There have been scheduled seasonal international flights to the Bahamas, Canada, and Mexico in the past, but as of March 2020, there are no scheduled international flights. However, air ambulance operator AirMed International regularly operates to and from destinations throughout the world; corporate aircraft routinely depart and arrive from foreign destinations, as well. The Southern Museum of Flight currently operates on Airport Authority property, to the east side of the north–south runway. There are plans for it to relocate to a new site near the Barber Motorsports Park.

History
Commercial air service to Birmingham began in 1928 by St. Tammy and Gulf Coast Airways, at Roberts Field on the west side of Birmingham on a route from Atlanta, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana. Delta Air Service began service to Birmingham in late 1929 with six seat Travel Air airplanes along a route from Love Field in Dallas, Texas to Birmingham. When American Airways (now American Airlines) began their Atlanta, Georgia to Fort Worth, Texas route, Birmingham was not included because their Ford Tri-Motors could not land at Roberts Field. Thus, Birmingham began construction of what is now Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport.

The airport opened on May 31, 1931 with a two-story, white, Georgian style terminal and a single east–west runway. The terminal was just east of the later 1962 and 1971 terminal complexes. No remains of the 1931 terminal or landscaping are visible. With the addition of American Airlines in 1931 and Eastern Airlines in 1934, air traffic increased enough to warrant a second runway.

World War II saw the airport leased to the United States Army Air Forces for $1 a year to support national defense. Birmingham Army Airfield was a section assigned to the Third Air Force as a fighter base, operated by the 310th Army Air Force Base Unit. The Army Air Forces considerably improved the airport with land acquisitions, paving of additional taxiways, and construction of a control tower and an aircraft modification center south of the terminal, now operated by Stewart Industries for aircraft disassembly and disposal.

Around the 1940s, Birmingham was considered as a potential air transportation hub for the Deep South. However, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines and the United States Postal Service each opted to use Atlanta for this purpose instead. One factor was an aviation fuel tax imposed by the City of Birmingham in the 1940s; other factors included Birmingham's location in the Central Time Zone, which placed it at a disadvantage in accommodating traffic between East Coast points, and a relatively strong sales and marketing campaign by Atlanta under Mayor William Hartsfield.

After the airport returned to city control in August 1948 Southern Airways began service. In March 1951 four runways were in use, Runways 5/23 (now 6/24) and 18/36, and runways at about 45/225 degrees north of Runway 5/23 and 85/265 degrees mostly south of Runway 5/23. Runway lengths were about 4000 ft to 5500 ft. The runway at 45/225 degrees is now largely removed, though a paved portion remains crossing taxiway F near the Alabama Air National Guard facilities, used for airport equipment and helicopter landing/parking. The runway at 85/265 is also mostly removed, with remaining segments making up taxiway A5 and a portion of taxiway F east of Runway 18/36.

By 1959 Runway 5/23 was 10000 ft and service was started to Birmingham by Capital Airlines with Vickers Viscounts. The first scheduled jets were Delta Convair 880s in October 1961, flying ATL-BHM-MSY-LAX and back. Birmingham then had nonstops to Newark and Washington, DC, but no other nonstops beyond Charlotte, Memphis and New Orleans, and no nonstops to Florida. In the late 1960s Douglas DC-8, Douglas DC-9, Convair 880 and Boeing 727s were all scheduled to BHM.

During the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, pilots and crews from the Alabama Air National Guard's 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Birmingham were selected to train Cuban exile fliers in Nicaragua to fly the Douglas B-26 Invader in the close air support role. Although the 117th was flying the RF-84F Thunderflash, it had only recently retired its RB-26C Invaders, the last squadron in the Air Force to do so; thus the 117th was seen as the logical choice for the CIA's secret mission. Seven of the volunteer aviators participated combat operations during the final day of the invasion, on August 19, 1961. Birmingham natives Leo Baker, Wade Gray, Riley Shamburger, and Thomas "Pete" Ray were killed when their (two) aircraft were shot down. While American involvement had been suspected since before the invasion even began, Ray's frozen body was kept as concrete proof of U.S. support.

Continued growth in passenger traffic by 1962 resulted in the construction of a second passenger terminal and a new air traffic control tower, built west of the original 1931 terminal. This was dedicated on February 11, 1962 as the Birmingham Air Terminal. Charles H. McCauley Associates was the supervising architect and Radar & Associates was the designing architect. It consisted of a single story building of repeated bays with steeply pitched roofs, which flanked a wider, higher center bay at the south end of the building for ticketing. A long, flat roofed northern section comprised the ground-level aircraft gates. The air traffic control tower, completed in 1962 and located immediately southwest of the terminal, was 87 ft tall. The 1962 control tower was demolished in 2004 after being replaced by the 2001 air traffic control tower. This terminal was demolished to make way for the 2011 terminal expansion; the 1962 terminal being located in the area now covered by the aircraft apron for Gate A1.

In 1973 a semi-circular terminal was completed west of the 1962 terminal and air traffic control tower. It had 15 aircraft gates and a 1,600 space parking deck. Allegheny Airlines (later US Airways) began service from Birmingham to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the late 1970s. Deregulation of the airline industry saw airlines such as Comair, Florida Express, People Express, Air New Orleans, L'Express Airlines, and Southwest Airlines enter the Birmingham market. The city unsuccessfully lobbied Piedmont Airlines to establish a Birmingham hub in the 1980s; American Airlines considered Birmingham as the site for a new north–south hub around the same time, but opted to establish hubs in Nashville and Raleigh/Durham instead.

The original 1931 terminal was finally demolished between 1970 and 1992. With the introduction of flights to Canada and Mexico, the official name of the airport was changed to Birmingham International Airport on October 20, 1993. Also in 1993, the airport marked the completion of a $50.4m terminal renovation.

In the early 1990s Runway 18/36 was extended to 7,100 feet, allowing use by airline jets. By the early 2000s, Birmingham had completed improvements to the air cargo areas, including a new facility at the far west end of runway 6-24 which houses FedEx and United Parcel Service. A new FAA air traffic control tower located south of the terminal parking deck and measuring 198 ft in height entered service in the Summer of 2001. The 1962 blue and white air traffic control tower was demolished in 2004. In 2006 Birmingham International Airport celebrated its 75th year. In July 2007 an 2000 ft eastward extension to Runway 6/24 was completed. Now 12007 ft in length, Runway 6/24 allows a fully loaded Boeing 747 to land or take off.

On June 23, 2008 Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford announced his proposal to rename the airport as the Fred L. Shuttlesworth International Airport, in honor of civil rights activist Fred Shuttlesworth. On July 16, 2008, Mayor Langford and the Birmingham Airport Authority voted to change the name of the airport from the Birmingham International Airport to the Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport after the former civil rights activist. The name change cost about $300,000. The FAA approved the name change and signage of the airport took place on April 3, 2009.

In 2011, The Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport broke ground on a comprehensive Terminal Modernization Project. This project was completed in phases over three years, retaining with extensive renovations the 1973 landside terminal, demolishing the 1962 terminal and 1973 airside concourses and gates (portions of the 1973 Concourse C structure were reused), and constructing all new airside facilities with 19 gates equipped with jetways. Completed in 2014, the completed provided a beautiful new terminal that nearly doubled the airport's footprint, but with minimal impact on the community and environment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Delta Airlines stored several of their widebody jets as well as many narrow body jets at BHM during the downturn in global travel demand.

Facilities
Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport covers 2,170 acres (878 ha) at an elevation of 650 feet (198 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt runways: 6/24 is 12,007 by 150 feet (3,660 x 46 m) and 18/36 is 7,099 by 150 feet (2,164 x 46 m).

Atlantic Aviation operates two general aviation fixed-base operator facilities, and there are numerous corporate hangars north of Runway 6/24 and east of Runway 18/36. AirMed International, a fixed-wing air ambulance company, operates its main hub from here. There is a large, full service aircraft modification and maintenance facility on the south side of the airport. It was originally built during World War II, but was subsequently expanded. While little work is now performed at the complex, the facility sits on approximately 180 acres of land and has 1.7 million square feet under its roof. It has 10 aircraft pull-through bays with space under the roof for 54 737-size aircraft.

In the year ending November 30, 2023, the airport had 98,681 aircraft operations, an average of 270 movements per day. Itinerant aircraft movements broke down as follows: 41% general aviation, 35% scheduled commercial, 17% air taxi, and 8% military. A total of 230 aircraft were then based at this airport.

Commercial aircraft
In September 2020, typical commercial passenger traffic included Boeing 737s, Boeing 717s, Embraer 170s, Embraer 145s, CRJ 900s, CRJ700s, CRJ550s, and CRJ 200s models on about 128 takeoffs or landings daily. Currently, Delta Airlines operates the Boeing 737 and 717 to BHM. Southwest utilizes Boeing 737s for all flights. United Express (GoJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Republic Airways) operate the Embraer 170/175, Embraer 140/145, and the CRJ-550 for their flights. American Eagle (PSA Airlines, Envoy Air, Mesa Airlines, and SkyWest Airlines) operate the ERJ145, ERJ175, and CRJ700/900 family. Recently, American Airlines also offered service on the Airbus A320 to their hub at Dallas/Fort Worth. The CRJ700/900 family was the most common regional aircraft, being used by American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express. The Canadair Regional Jets and ERJ 145 shared the second spot for regional jets, being utilized by the airlines above as well as American Eagle. Southern Airways Express formerly operated on-demand charter flights to select cities on the Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (which was the only scheduled passenger service to BHM on turbo-prop aircraft). Mountain Air Cargo also operates daily flights to Memphis using the ATR-72 twin-turboprop aircraft on behalf of FedEx Express. FedEx operates their Boeing 757-200; while UPS uses their Boeing 767-300F as well as the Airbus A300-600F, these are the only wide-body aircraft to routinely use the airport. Numerous other aircraft are used for frequent charter flights. Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport is also a primary diversion airport for Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport due to its 12,007 ft runway, which frequently brings brief but unique visitors.

Military aircraft
Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base is located at the airport. It covers approximately 147 acres and essential facilities to support the mission of the 117th Air Refueling Wing (117 ARW), an Alabama Air National Guard unit operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC), as well as its KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.

The 117 ARW occupies 101 facilities including offices, mission support structures, maintenance hangars, a petroleum/oil/lubricants (POL) storage and refueling station, a joint Army and Air Force evacuation hospital, as well as 24/7 Security Forces, Fire Response, Base Defense Operations Center, and Base Command Post. The 117 ARW has nine KC-135R Stratotankers allotted among two squadrons the 106Th Air Refueling Squadron (ANG), and the 99Th Air Refueling Squadron (USAF). The current complement of personnel is over 300 full-time personnel, including military and civilian employees. This expands to over 1,300 personnel for Unit Training Assembly (UTA) weekends and during activation.

The Alabama Army National Guard (AL ARNG) and U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) have facilities and units co-located on the base. Alabama Army Aviation Support Facility #2 provides aircraft hangar and maintenance facilities for companies of the 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment which operate CH-47D Chinook and UH-72A Lakota aircraft. The Armed Forces Reserve Center Buildings 1&2 provide facilities for the 109th Evacuation Hospital, 20th Special Forces Group (1st Battalion), and a Detachment of the 450th Military Police Company (USAR). The (AL ARNG) Field Maintenance Shop #11(FMS-11) facility is also on base.

Terminal and concourses

BHM currently has one new terminal building with three new concourses, which opened on March 13, 2013 (Concourses A, B) and on August 14, 2014 (Concourse C). The landside terminal (the area before the security threshold) has two levels. The upper level has ticketing and check-in facilities, a business center, and a large function room. The lower level has baggage claim facilities, airline baggage offices, airport operations offices, and meeting rooms available for use. The airport has its own police force with offices on the lower level of the terminal. There are vending machines and ATMs throughout both levels, pre-security.

Terminal A referred to the former 1962 terminal, which was still in use as office space until it was closed in 2011. The former ConcourseB was closed in June 2011 and demolished alongside TerminalA for the first phase of the terminal modernization project to make way for two new concourses, AandB, which opened on March 13, 2013. ConcourseC was closed on March 13, 2013 upon completion of Concourses AandB. ConcourseC was not demolished, but was completely gutted and structurally modified, removing the rotunda at the end of the old concourse and changing the structure to make a rectangle shape with the same width from end to end. It then underwent an intensive remodel covering all aspects of the concourse, culminating in the opening of the concourse to flights on August 14, 2014.

There is a rental car facility in an annex on the ground floor of the parking deck. Eight rental car companies are housed within this facility. The airport offers a parking deck with over 5000 spaces available for hourly and daily parking. A remote lot is available for long term parking, with over 700 spaces. A shuttle runs between the terminal and the remote lot continuously throughout the day. There is a free cell phone waiting lot with a digital flight display for people waiting on arriving passengers.

Beginning in December 2015, Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority introduced two new express Airport Shuttle routes from downtown Birmingham hotels directly to the terminal. The shuttle routes operate hourly on Mondays through Saturdays and the fare is $5.00.

Concourses
A ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Concourse A and Concourse B took place on February 26, 2013. The new terminal officially opened for business on March 13, 2013. The new ConcourseC was completed along with the second half of the main terminal building and baggage claim upon the completion of the second and final phase of the terminal modernization project. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the ConcourseC and phase2 completion was held on August 11, 2014, and ConcourseC officially opened for arriving and departing flights on August 14, 2014.

Concourse A, which opened on March 13, 2013, consists of eight gates: A1–A8. It is used by Delta and American. It also contains U.S. Customs and Immigration facilities capable of processing arriving international aircraft. For international arrivals, a partition is closed, redirecting deplaning passengers down a separate corridor to the customs facility. After being processed, passengers proceed through one-way doors into the main arrival hall.

Concourse B, which opened on March 13, 2013, consists of five gates: B1–B5. It is used by American. Concourse C, which opened on August 14, 2014, consists of six gates: C1-C6. It is used by Southwest and United. Former Concourse B consisted of six gates, B1-B6. Prior to its closure and demolition, ConcourseB was used by Northwest/Northwest Airlink, American/American Eagle, Continental/Continental Express and US Airways Express. Northwest moved to ConcourseC in May 2009 and was merged into Delta a year later. American Airlines moved to ConcourseC on June 10, 2011; while US Airways and Continental moved to ConcourseC on June 24, 2011. ConcourseB was then closed and demolished in August 2011 to make way for the construction for future concourses AandB.

Former ConcourseC consisted of 13 gates, C1–C14. It was the only concourse at the airport in operation and in use during the first phase of the terminal modernization project. Therefore, all commercial and charter services used this concourse. ConcourseC was then closed when the new concourses AandB opened on March 13, 2013.

Architecture
The 1974 terminal was built in the International style of architecture popular for American commercial and institutional buildings from the 1950s through the late 1970s. It consists of a single curved terminal with concourses radiating outward. Large floor to ceiling plate glass windows form curtain walls on the departure level of the terminal with horizontal bands of repetitive white architectural panels above and below. A slight departure from typical International style, the upper band of panels was decorated with raised circles of four sizes, two circles per size per panel. The roof is flat over the terminal and concourses; a series of steel columns painted white with stay cables for the terminal awning project from the roof. An enclosed white-clad Observation Deck jutted out from the airside terminal face at a sharp angle between the old concourses BandC. On the airside of the terminal, a large horizontal white sign with teal lettering identified the city as Birmingham.

Externally, Concourse C and Concourse B before their reconstruction were radically different from the terminal structure, consisting of straight radial spokes clad with white panels. ConcourseC included a circular end which invokes the appearance of the terminal, whereas ConcourseB terminated at a flat wall. The concourse walls had relatively few windows, typically at waiting and dining areas. The presence of multiple shops, restrooms and service areas reduced the need for windows in the concourses. Jetways were used for the majority of the gates and aircraft, though Delta Connection and United Express used stairs leading to the tarmac to board flights on regional jets (currently all flights at the new concourses use jetways). Passenger gates and services are on the second floor with airside baggage handling and aircraft servicing on the ground level.

The interior of the terminal was renovated in the early 1990s and completed in 1993 at a cost of $50.4 million which included new floor surfaces, lighting, wall coverings, renovated public spaces, and public art. The flooring was a mixture of carpet and large tiles, with tile primarily in the heavily used terminal spaces, dining areas, and restrooms. Numerous planters were positioned in hallways.

The new terminal and concourses completed in the 2010s feature open spaces and clean lines. There is abundant natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows and large skylights. Neutral colors accented with soft blue and chrome are found throughout the terminal.

Terminal expansion and modernization
In 2014, the airport completed a $201.6 million terminal renovation project. This project included a major renovation and upgrade to the airport's existing ConcourseC, which was dismantled down to its structural components and rebuilt. ConcourseB was completely demolished and new concourses AandB were built. All three concourses are now linked, allowing passengers to walk from ConcourseA, through to ConcourseC without exiting the secure area. The main terminal containing the ticketing and baggage claim areas has been completely gutted and remodelled. Additionally, there have been enhancements to the parking deck, allowing passengers to move between the terminal and the parking deck under cover and without navigating any stairs. There is now a single large security screening checkpoint with TSA PreCheck which provides access to all concourses. Many concessions and shopping, as well as US Customs and Border Protection offices have been added. A completely new integrated baggage screening system has been installed to handle the screening of checked luggage. The new terminal is said to be built with new efficient building standards, making it one of the greenest airports in the country. The first phase of construction was completed on February 26, 2013 with the entire modernization project completed in 2014, culminating in a ribbon cutting ceremony held on August, 7th 2014. The project team included KPS Group and KHAFRA (Architects & Engineers), A.G. Gaston Construction (Project Management), Margaret Jones Interiors, LLC and Brasfield & Gorrie and BLOC Global Services Group (Construction Management).

On March 22, 2013, a digital flight arrival/departure screen fixture, added as part of the 2013–2014 renovation, fell on a mother and her children, killing ten-year-old Luke Bresette and injuring his mother and two other siblings of Overland Park, Kansas. In September 2014, the Bresette family and companies involved in the installation of the display reached a wrongful death settlement. A bronze relief of Luke Bresette was installed in the landside Departures level near the location of the accident.

Artwork displays
Several pieces of artwork are displayed within the terminal and on the airport grounds. Approaching the airport along Messer Airport Boulevard, travelers pass a series of white three dimensional triangular shapes placed on raised posts along the shoulder and median of the roadway with a mid-span folded crease to suggest the wings of birds in flight or aircraft. In the 1990s terminal there were multiple pieces of art that became well known to frequent visitors to the airport. However, with the terminal modernisation project, most of these pieces were replaced with new, more modern, and in some cases, technologically advanced works. There are two unique major artwork displays in the terminal, both of which are in ConcourseB. The first major display is a living plant wall entitled "Earth Wind and Water: The Landscape of Alabama". This living wall is the largest living wall inside any airport terminal in the United States. The wall is 100 feet wide, 14 feet high, and contains 1,400 square feet of vegetated area. The second major work of art is an electronic display which is approximately 50 feet long and made up of 26 large format electronic LCD displays. The displays contain pictures and video clips which are linked to form an ever-changing moving wall depicting various "stories" focussing on African American history and civil rights. An art program at the airport puts on display revolving collections of works throughout the terminal. The program includes works from local artists as well as artists from around the country. In addition there is a rotating Barber Motorsports exhibit on the lower level near the baggage claim. This exhibit features frequently changing displays containing various automobiles and race memorabilia such as driving suits and mounted steering wheels from famous race cars. There are many smaller works of art throughout the terminal, both pre and post-security. The airport website has an updated list of the various works of art on display.

Airport amenities
There are a range of dining and shopping options in the terminal, both pre and post-security. The airport features free Wi-Fi internet access throughout the terminal.

In 2014, Yahoo Travel ranked the airport as the 49th out of 72 on a list of "Every Important U.S. Airport, Ranked by Its Food and Drink."

Airlines and destinations
As of January 2023, the top five markets served non-stop from Birmingham are Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Charlotte, Houston, and Denver. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines serve Birmingham with mainline, narrowbody aircraft. Regional airlines provide a large share of daily air carrier service to Birmingham. The most common aircraft serving the airport are the Bombardier CRJ700 / CRJ900, the Embraer E-175, the Boeing 717, the Boeing 737 family, and the Airbus A319/A320.

Cargo
Currently, FedEx Express operates daily, weekday service to Memphis with a Boeing 757-200F, along with an ATR-72, operated by Mountain Air Cargo. UPS Airlines operates daily, weekday service to Louisville. On Friday nights, instead of a direct flight to Louisville, UPS Airlines sends a Boeing 767-300F from New Orleans to BHM before continuing onto Louisville. On Saturday mornings, UPS Airlines sends an Airbus A300-600F from Louisville to Birmingham, which then continues on to Pensacola. In April 2023, Kuehne+Nagel began twice weekly flights from Stuttgart, Germany to Birmingham, primarily to support the central Alabama automotive manufacturing industry. The flights are operated by Atlas Air using a Boeing 747-8F. Instead of returning to Stuttgart, the aircraft repositions to Hong Kong, with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. Also in April 2023, Air Atlanta Icelandic began operating flights between Liège, Belgium and BHM using Boeing 747-400F aircraft. The return flight stops in Atlanta before continuing on to Liège.

Accidents and incidents

 * A fatal Part 121 (Air Carrier) accident occurred: the crash of Pennsylvania Central Airlines (a United Airlines predecessor) Flight 105 on January 6, 1946. The DC-3 landed on Runway 18 and continued off the end of the runway into Village Creek. Three crew members sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident.

 * On August 14, 2013, UPS Airlines Flight 1354, N155UP, an Airbus A300-600, crashed in an open field on approach to Runway 18, killing both the pilot and co-pilot.

 * Two Part 135 (Air Taxi & Commuter) accidents have occurred since 1962 which resulted in fatalities. The most significant accident was the crash of L'Express Airlines Flight 508 on July 10, 1991, with 13 people killed. Eight fatal General Aviation accidents have occurred at or in the vicinity of Birmingham International Airport since 1962, including a flight line ground accident.
 * On November 10, 1972, Southern Airways Flight 49 was hijacked shortly after departing Birmingham for Montgomery on its multi-stop journey to Miami, Florida. All passengers and crew were safety released and the hijackers arrested over the two-day event, which is particularly notable as it led to the requirement that U.S. airline passengers be physically screened before boarding, beginning January 5, 1973.

Controversy
In September 2013, Atlanta-based ExpressJet Airlines, the then largest regional US passenger airline, told its pilots to avoid landing on Runway 18, following the crash of UPS Airlines Flight 1354 in Birmingham. An internal review following the accident concluded planes come "dangerously close" to nearby hills if even a few feet too low, that there is a significant "terrain threat" and a non-standard glide path. An aviation safety expert said the runway is "absolutely" safe.

Cultural references

A music video for contemporary Christian musician Brandon Heath's song "Give Me Your Eyes" was filmed over the night of July 23–24, 2008 at the airport after most flights had landed for the night. It was directed by the Erwin Brothers and premiered on the Gospel Music Channel on August 23, 2008.


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Duke of Albany

Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on younger sons in the Scottish and later the British royal family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover.

History
The Dukedom of Albany was first granted in 1398 by King Robert III of Scotland on his brother, Robert Stewart, the title being in the Peerage of Scotland. "Albany" was a broad territorial term representing the parts of Scotland north of the River Forth, roughly the former Kingdom of the Picts. The title (along with the Dukedom of Rothesay) was one of the first two dukedoms created in Scotland. It passed to Robert's son Murdoch Stewart, and was forfeited in 1425 due to the attainder of Murdoch.

The title was again created in 1458 for Alexander Stewart but was forfeit in 1483. His son John Stewart was restored to the second creation in 1515 but died without heirs in 1536. In 1541 Robert, second son of James V of Scotland, was styled Duke of Albany, but he died at less than a month old. The fourth creation, along with the Earldom of Ross and Lordship of Ardmannoch, was for Mary, Queen of Scots' king consort Lord Darnley, whose son, later James VI of Scotland, I of England and Ireland, inherited the titles on his death. That creation merged with the Scottish crown upon James's ascension. The title, along with the title of Duke of York, with which it has since been traditionally coupled, was created for a fifth time in 1604 for Charles, son of James VI and I. Upon Charles's ascent to the throne in 1625, the title of Duke of Albany merged once again in the crowns.

The title was next granted in 1660 to Charles I's son, James, by Charles II. When James succeeded his elder brother to the throne in 1685, the titles again merged into the crown. The cities of New York and Albany, New York, were thus both named after James, as he was the Duke of York and of Albany. The pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, gave the title Duchess of Albany to his illegitimate daughter Charlotte; she died in 1789.

The title "Duke of York and Albany" was granted three times by the Hanoverian kings.

The title of "Albany" alone was granted for the fifth time, this time in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, in 1881 to Prince Leopold, the fourth son of Queen Victoria. Prince Leopold's son, Prince Charles Edward (who had succeeded as reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1900), was deprived of the peerage in 1919 for bearing arms against the United Kingdom in World War I. His grandson, Ernst Leopold (1935–1996), only son of Charles Edward's eldest son Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1906–1972), sometimes used the title "Duke of Albany", although the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 stipulates that any successor of a suspended peer shall be restored to the peerage only by direction of the sovereign, the successor's petition for restoration having been submitted for and obtained a satisfactory review of the appropriate Privy Council committee.

First creation, 1398

 * Other titles (1st Duke): Earl of Fife (1371), Earl of Buchan (1374–1406), Earl of Atholl (1403–1406)

 * Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340–1420), third son of Robert II of Scotland
 * Other titles (2nd Duke): Earl of Menteith (bef 1189), Earl of Fife (1371), Earl of Buchan (1374)

 * Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany (1362–1425), eldest son of the 1st Duke was attainted and his honours forfeit in 1425

Second creation, 1458

 * Other titles (1st Duke): Earl of March (1455), Earl of Mar and Earl of Garioch (1482)

 * Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1454–1485), second son of James II, forfeited his honours in 1479, was restored in 1482, then forfeited them again in 1483
 * Other titles (2nd Duke): Earl of March (1455)

 * John Stewart, Duke of Albany (1482–1536), only legitimate son of the 1st Duke, was restored to his father's dukedom and Earldom of March in 1515. The honours became extinct upon his death without issue

Only styled, 1541

 * Robert Stewart House of Stuart 1541–1541
 * no portrait
 * 12 April 1541 Falkland Palace, Falkland, Fife son of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise
 * not married
 * 20 April 1541 Falkland Palace, Falkland, Fife aged 8 days
 * }
 * }

Third creation, 1565

 * Henry Stuart House of Stuart 1565–1567 also: Earl of Ross and Lord Ardmannoch (1565)
 * Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.jpg
 * 19 November 1545 Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermline son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and Lady Margaret Douglas
 * Mary, Queen of Scots 29 July 1565 1 child
 * 10 February 1567 Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh aged 21
 * James Stuart House of Stuart 1567 also: Earl of Ross and Lord Ardmannoch (1565); Duke of Rothesay (1398)
 * JamesIEngland.jpg
 * 19 June 1566 Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh son of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots
 * Anne of Denmark 23 November 1589 9 children
 * 27 March 1625 De Vere Theobalds Estate, Cheshunt aged 58
 * colspan=5|Prince James succeeded as James VI in 1567 upon his mother's abdication, and his titles merged with the crown.
 * }
 * colspan=5|Prince James succeeded as James VI in 1567 upon his mother's abdication, and his titles merged with the crown.
 * }
 * }
 * }

Fourth creation, 1604

 * Charles Stuart House of Stuart 1600–1625 also: Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Ross, Lord Ardmannoch (1600–1625); Duke of York (1605–1625); Prince of Wales (1616), Duke of Cornwall (1337) and Duke of Rothesay (1398)
 * [[Image:Charles I (1625).jpg|100px|Charles Stuart]]
 * 19 November 1600 Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermline son of James VI and I and Anne of Denmark
 * Henrietta Maria of France 13 June 1625 9 children
 * 30 January 1649 Whitehall Palace, London aged 48
 * colspan=5|Prince Charles succeeded as Charles I in 1625 upon his father's death, and his titles merged with the crown.
 * }
 * colspan=5|Prince Charles succeeded as Charles I in 1625 upon his father's death, and his titles merged with the crown.
 * }
 * }

Fifth creation, 1660

 * James Stuart House of Stuart 1633 or 1644 – 1685 also: Duke of York (1633/1644), Earl of Ulster (1659)
 * [[Image:James II & VII.jpg|100px|James Stuart]]
 * 14 October 1633 St. James's Palace, London son of Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France
 * Anne Hyde 3 September 1660 8 children Mary of Modena 21 November 1673 7 children
 * 16 September 1701 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris aged 67
 * colspan=5|Prince James succeeded as James II in 1685 upon his brother's death, and his titles merged with the crown.
 * }
 * }
 * }

Sixth creation, 1881

 * Prince Leopold House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1882–1884 also: Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow (1881)
 * Leopoldalbany.jpg
 * 7 April 1853 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
 * Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont 27 April 1882 2 children
 * 28 March 1884 Villa Nevada, Cannes aged 30
 * Prince Charles Edward House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1884–1919 also: Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow (1881)
 * Carl Eduard Sachsen Coburg und Gotha.jpg
 * 19 July 1884 Claremont, Esher son of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
 * Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein 11 October 1905 5 children
 * 6 March 1954 Coburg aged 69
 * colspan=5|The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 suspended the title on 28 March 1919.
 * }
 * colspan=5|The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 suspended the title on 28 March 1919.
 * }
 * }

Dukes of Albany in fiction

 * Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville's play Gorboduc includes Fergus, the Duke of Albany, who tries to claim the British throne after Gorboduc's death through his royal descent.
 * William Shakespeare's King Lear, set in no particular century, includes as a major character the Duke of Albany, who is husband to Lear's daughter Goneril.
 * In the 2001 film Kate & Leopold, Hugh Jackman plays "Leopold Mountbatten, Duke of Albany," who holds the title in 1876, making him a fictional analog of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, who held the title at that time. However, the surname Mountbatten is an anachronism, as the equivalent family at the time would have been called Battenberg.

title: Duke of Albany