Massive increase in arrests at Birmingham Airport in last three years

Kicking a police officer, brandishing a knife and being drunk and abusive are just some of the crimes committed at Birmingham Airport in the last three years.

Arrests have increased 31 per cent at Birmingham International Airport, which is UK’s fourth biggest airport, since 2021.

Several of the arrests were made on aircraft, an investigation by Accident Claims Advice found.

Figures obtained from West Midlands Police via Freedom of Information requests reveal the true extent of arrests at Birmingham and on aircrafts.

A total of 954 arrests were made between 2021 and 2024 including theft, disruptive passengers and assault.

In 2022, 11 arrests were made for theft. Seven passengers were arrested for being drunk and disruptive and a further five arrests were made for sexual assault, according to West Midlands Police.

The following year, arrests for drunk and disruptive passengers rose to 19 in total.

Six arrests were made for ‘mental health,’ police records show and 11 arrests were related to immigration in 2023 and a further 14 for theft.

Since 2021, a total of 16 arrests were made onboard the aircraft itself for alcohol-related crimes.

One person was arrested for being drunk and vaping on board the plane while another was kicked off the flight for being drunk and booting a police officer.

Passengers were further reprimanded for reasons including, being highly intoxicated and vomiting on the flight, threatening others, being abusive to cabin crew and boarding a plane without permission while drunk.

The number of alcohol-related arrests made on planes by West Midlands Police doubled in 2023 compared with the previous year.

With the spring and summer months ahead, many of us will be jetting off on holidays with the expectation of feeling safe, secure and protected.

Accident Claims Advice has a team of criminal injury experts at hand to offer professional advice following a crime.

They operate a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access on their website.