Birmingham is the first airport in the world to reward airlines for operating within the limits.  He explained that Elmdon's 1939 main runway was crossed by a supplementary runway - this is now the main runway so aircraft coming into Birmingham need to be higher than those into Coventry.  Birmingham Airport works closely with Coventry and most Coventry traffic is handled by Birmingham Air Traffic Control which is why the Airport Authority objected to Coventry's expansion. 
For the future the priority must be to extend the existing main runway by 400 metres e.g., the Beijing to Birmingham route needed 2600 metres to land with a load of fuel, passengers and cargo.  A new Air Traffic Control Tower is necessary also improvements to Junction 6 of the M42 and public transport are required.  With a lengthened runway and the new international pier now being built Birmingham Airport could take the biggest aircraft designed for the world's busiest long haul routes.  It could mean moving Coventry Road around the end of the runway extension or putting it underground through a tunnel.  Application was submitted in January 2008, and the Airport were hopeful that construction could start in 2009.
The Chairman thanked Mr Holding for his very interesting talk and the residents agreed with an enthusiastic round of applause.

neighbours with double glazing and properties are being updated to latest standards; there is some criticism on what site is within the boundary for grants but the line has to be drawn. 
Showing the Standard Instrumentation Departure Routes he said it was impossible to fly exactly the same route as factors changed hourly, ie wind, weather, etc, there was some flexibility on landings but the routes remained constant within a 30 metre corridor; operating over a town centre many people would be affected so planes fly over the green belt.  Mr Holding then explained the complaints procedure from call to tracking the culprit, the flight, the runway used, the height and speed, aircraft identity and type, operator, origin and destination.  In all there have been 1600 complaints with 400,000 flights.
Asked about aircraft flying directly over houses he said that planes flew in a straight line down a radio beam - the system is run by Air Traffic Control and enabled aircraft to land safely; also there is an elevation beam by which aircraft descend on a 3% scale.  It was difficult to estimate the height and speed of an aircraft overhead coming in to land as big aircraft fly faster for more lift e.g., Boeing 707s would be flying at 200-250 mph at 1800 feet but because of size appear to be lower and slower. 
Answering a question on air space Mr Holding replied that airspace between planes is 6 miles and 1000 feet, and

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