CHICAGO, 2012-08-31 — /travelprnews.com/ — Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Birmingham Airport in Birmingham, England have become Sister Airports to formalize a working relationship and commit to the development of new opportunities; particularly the reinstatement of direct flights between the two cities.
At a meeting in Chicago today, members of the executive management teams from the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) – operator of Chicago O’Hare International – and Birmingham Airport signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), agreeing to work collaboratively in order to strengthen trade, tourism and cultural links between the two
cities.
Located in the center of the United Kingdom (UK), Birmingham Airport is the third largest airport outside of London, has a core catchment of 10 million people and handles nine million passengers annually. Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the largest airport in the State of Illinois and the Midwest region, and one of the busiest airports in the world, handling nearly 67 million passengers in 2011.
Speaking at O’Hare International during the MOU signing, CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino said, “On behalf of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Aviation, we are very pleased to establish this new partnership with Birmingham Airport. This signing reflects our genuine intent to work together, maintain an effective working relationship and develop mutually advantageous opportunities to benefit both airports as well as the cities of Birmingham and Chicago. Through promotion, we will enhance business, commerce, trade, tourism and cultural relations between the two cities, and share information and best practices relating to operations, construction, planning, customer service and cost management.”
Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s CEO, added, “Birmingham enjoys a special relationship with Chicago as the two cities have been twinned since 1993. Over 350 North American companies, including Microsoft, Motorola and Kraft Foods – which is headquartered in Chicago – provide employment for 60,000 people in the area. This formal partnership will show industry that we’re committed to strengthening links further and pushing for the reinstatement of direct flights between the two cities, which ceased to operate 11 years ago in the wake of 9/11.”
Both airports have capital improvement programs underway, including the multi-billion dollar O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP) which is reconfiguring O’Hare’s intersecting runways into a modern parallel layout. Birmingham Airport has a $400 million runway extension scheme underway to allow aircraft to carry more fuel and fly further.
Recent infrastructure development at Birmingham Airport means that it now can accommodate up to 18 million annual passengers. With the runway extension, this potential increases to 36 million by 2030. Its spare capacity and location just an hour from central London, means that Birmingham is set to become an increasingly important resource in the UK to help ease congestion at London Airports.
O’Hare International and Chicago Midway International Airport – also operated by the CDA – handles more than 85 million passengers a year and provides non-stop service to approximately 200 cities worldwide. O’Hare International is also ranked second among all U.S. airports in total cargo value, with more than 1.5 million metric tons of cargo handled annually.
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The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is selfsupporting, using no local or state tax dollars for operations or capital improvements at O’Hare and Midway International airports.
Together, Chicago’s airports generate more than $45 billion in annual economic activity and create 540,000 jobs for the region. Please visit www.flychicago.com to learn more about the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Mark your calendar for the fifth annual Airports Going Green Conference, November 4- 7, 2012, at the Westin Chicago River North in Chicago, Illinois. Airports Going Green is the industry’s premier green event, bringing together aviation leaders and innovators from across the globe to discuss all aspects of sustainability unique to an airport environment. To learn more please visit www.airportsgoinggreen.org.
Birmingham Airport is a public/private partnership. The current shareholders include the seven West Midlands district councils (49%), Airport Group Investments Ltd. (AGIL), a limited company
owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’) and Australia’s Victorian Funds Management Corp. (VFMC)(48.25%) and the Employee Share Trust (2.75%).
Contacts:
Karen E. Pride
(773) 686-3700
kpride@ohare.com