Glasgow International Airport - General Thread

[News Guru]

[textarea]Glasgow Airport to get £1.5m facelift

Passengers passing through Glasgow Airport will soon be able to experience a redesigned food hall. The area is set to undergo a £1.5 million facelift, which will begin next month.

The revamped split-level food hall will span the international arrivals hall's ground floor and the first floor of the airport's main terminal. It will offer a deli, buffet-style restaurant, cafe bar, and sports bar and grill.

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[Aviador]

The operator of Glasgow International airport BAA has lost its latest challenge against a ruling that it must either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports in Scotland.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Glasgow Airport summer flight guide launched

Glasgow Airport have released 100,000 copies of a summer flight guide, which will be distributed to travel agents, supermarkets, and homes throughout the west of Scotland. The guide details flights in and out of the airport, as well as the range of facilities available including a new food hall.

Highlights include Thomson’s new direct flights to Cape Verde in West Africa and Thomas Cook flights to the Turkish resort of Izmir and Kefalonia in Greece. Royal Caribbean is also introducing flights this summer to Venice to connect with its seven day summer sailings, while Jet2 is taking holidaymakers to French city of Nice and six other European sunspots.

Airlines such as easyJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and US Airways are also providing extra seats on a variety of flights out of Glasgow, while Icelandair is to introduce direct flights between Glasgow and Iceland from September, with onward connections to North America.

The guide can also be downloaded on www.glasgowairport.com. It includes the latest flight information, advice on how to get to the airport and useful tips on where to park, shop and relax.

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[Aviador]

Calls for better worldwide connectivity from Glasgow

[textarea]Report calls for better worldwide connectivity from Glasgow Airport

A new report says that Glasgow needs to improve its links to world markets if it is to attract investment and return to rapid job creation. The Glasgow Economic Commission, which is made up of business and academic leaders, has set out priorities for the city, highlighting for future growth including low-carbon technologies, engineering, life sciences, finance, and tourism with major events.

However, the commission's analysis suggests high-speed rail, linking Glasgow with London, with a journey time of two and a half hours, needs an early start to planning and ‘may become a vital necessity’ if air links become more constrained. It also calls for Government action to increase Glasgow's direct air links, after several years of declining passenger numbers, as it loses out to Edinburgh Airport and Ryanair focuses on Prestwick.

The report also warns that years of uncertainty over the future ownership of Glasgow Airport ‘does not encourage medium and long-term planning’. It says the ‘polarised’ political division over the Glasgow Airport Rail Link - backed by Labour; abandoned by the SNP government - means there is a need to reassess the business case for it, as part of a wider review of how best to improve ground links.

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I don't know what the future will hold for the airports in Scotland. I don't envisage there will be sufficient passengers to warrant worldwide long haul growth from both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. For several years now the Scottish administration have pushed Edinburgh as the main airport for long haul operations and airlines will seek to operate from the major hub airports in the South of the UK where passengers are more plentiful.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Glasgow Airport ‘best of Scotland’ month

Glasgow Airport has launched a ‘Best of Scotland’ campaign this month, to celebrate the multi-million pound refurbishment of its retail area. It is welcoming several new big-name stores and wants to showcase what is in store in the airport and beyond at the ‘Gateway to Scotland’.

An £11m investment is being made in the retail area of the terminal. Major retailers, including Dixons and Tie Rack have re-located and new stores, including women’s fashion store A Bientot, are opening up at the city’s international airport.

Best of Scotland will run for the next month, with events including musical and theatrical performances, celebrity book signings, and even bagpipe lessons. Francois Bourienne, the airport’s commercial director, said: ‘The idea behind the Best of Scotland campaign is to create a bit of theatre in the terminal by providing passengers with varying forms of entertainment that will add to the excitement and buzz usually associated with the airport.'

‘We have invested millions of pounds upgrading our facilities to deliver an improved service to our customers and thought that this Best of Scotland months was a great way to celebrate this.’

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Tax rules that clip city’s wings

The number of passengers passing through Glasgow Airport has been growing, but there could be tough times ahead

High taxes are punishing Glasgow Airport and preventing efforts to convince airlines to add new routes to the city, MSPs have been told.

Airport bosses are predicting job losses and a drop in passengers in the next three years after Glasgow has enjoyed relative success this year with an increase in passengers every month.

Airport managing director Amanda McMillan told MSPs that the government’s air passenger duty (APD) is a barrier to enticing airlines to bring more routes to the city.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/edit ... -1.1126423[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I began reading this article believing it was something specific to Glasgow Airport that was likely to hold them back.

Then I read it was APD. She knows that APD applies right across the UK (except for Highlands and Islands and the soon to-be-introduced reduction for long haul from Northern Ireland) so all airports are potentially in the same boat.

If her plea was a cri de coeur against APD as a tax then she has my sympathy. If it's a case of making early excuses for reduced passenger numbers at the airport next year then she hasn't.

 

[Aviador]

Re: BAA decide to keep Glasgow airport

Earlier in the month I wrote about how I thought Glasgow airport has the best long term future of all the Scottish airports primarily because of it's location.

It seems BAA think the same after their announcement today. The decision to sell Edinburgh airport will inevitably lead to some fierce competition over the coming years.

Here's what I said earlier this month on the Glasgow Prestwick thread.

"Unfortunately for both Glasgow Prestwick and Edinburgh airports, Glasgow is centrally located within the region and so offers the best longer term outlook of all the Scottish airports in my opinion."

"If BAA decide to sell Edinburgh airport, BAA will have to raise the game at Glasgow International airport which will only put more pressure on Infratil's Glasgow Prestwick airport."

Glasgow airport has survived the BAA axe as BAA announce the sale of Edinburgh airport today. Glasgow airport is in a fantastic position now, and to be honest I think BAA are the best operator for the job to ensure the long term future of Glasgow airport.

I think Edinburgh airport may struggle in the coming years.

 

[Jordan-34092]

[textarea]Iberia launch Glasgow – Madrid flights


Iberia’s regional partner Air Nostrum, which flies as 'Iberia Regional', has launched twice-weekly flights between Glasgow Airport and the Spanish capital Madrid. They will operate each Tuesday and Thursday using a 50-seat CRJ200 aircraft.

This is the first time the two airports have been connected. Amanda McMillan, managing director at Glasgow Airport, said: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Iberia Regional and this new route, a first for Glasgow. It will not only provide direct access to Madrid, but also provide our customers with greater access to the Iberia route network.’

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Hospice gets funding boost from Glasgow Airport

A Clydebank hospice has received a £4000 donation from Glasgow Airport's Flightpath Fund. St Margaret of Scotland Hospice will use the money to help fund one of its most popular annual fundraising events, The Christmas Bus, which helps raise funds towards the on-going running costs of the hospice.

The bus will tour parts of East and West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow's west end until to 17 December bedecked in Christmas lights and decorations. Staff and volunteers will get into the mood by wearing festive fancy dress costumes.

The hospice offers compassion, dedication, commitment and care to patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses and for older patients with complex medical, nursing and end of life needs. This is the third year Glasgow Airport has supported the local fundraising event.

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[davejl]

The feasibility of a new direct route between China and Scotland is being looked at.

Talks will take place between Edinburgh and Beijing to establish direct flights from Scotland to China.

The announcement was made during First Minister Alex Salmond's week-long visit to China.

The Scottish government said there would be trade and tourist benefits in creating a link between the countries.

Meanwhile, Mr Salmond told BBC Scotland that he was raising the issue of China's human rights record with its political leaders.

Amnesty International has expressed fears that western governments do not pay enough attention to China's record on capital punishment or their treatment of political prisoners.

However, on the third day of his visit, Mr Salmond said there was a way to raise such issues without causing offence.

He said social progress should be encouraged in China through economic co-operation rather than "jump up and down from a distance" about human rights.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

If we are to rebalance our economy and achieve our export targets then we need to make it easier for Scottish-based firms to access fast-growing overseas markets”

David Lonsdale
CBI Scotland
Mr Salmond told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "Adam Smith's work as part of the Enlightenment acknowledges that economic progress and social progress must go hand in hand. It's very important and at every meeting I raise this because it is a fantastic way into an issue and a good way to raise it, which on the one hand helps the dialogue and on the other hand doesn't cause needless offence."

On the issue of direct flights, the first minister said talks would take place in early 2012 when a senior Chinese aviation delegation will travel to Scotland.

Mr Salmond said: "As part of our strategy to support economic growth, the Scottish government is determined to improve our international air connections - to help boost trade and tourism with key global markets such as China.

"We are now working closely with the Chinese government to establish a direct air link between our two nations and I discussed this in my meeting with senior Chinese airline and aviation authority executives.

"A high-level industry team in China has now been established to examine the detailed business case and to work with Scottish government officials and our agencies."

Mr Salmond added: "I am very pleased that they will be coming to Scotland early in 2012 to continue this work, to see our infrastructure and to take forward these plans, which can deliver a great boost to Scottish tourism and to our wider business community."

CBI Scotland said the possibility of flights to and from Scotland and China was "encouraging news".

Its assistant director David Lonsdale said: "If we are to rebalance our economy and achieve our export targets then we need to make it easier for Scottish-based firms to access fast-growing overseas markets and service their foreign-based customers."

Could be really interesting if there is any wind behind this. Unclear whether it would be EDI or GLA involved, but what carriers would take this on and what aircraft types could we expect to see? I would imagine we'd be talking about a Chinese carrier, perhaps CX's 333s? Maybe even one of the 787s to be delivered to CA or CZ?' Early days and could yet amount to nothing.. gets the juices flowing though!
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[TheLocalYokel]

I don't know how feasible such a route would be.

China's economy is largely in excellent shape but the UK's is not.

Only last week the Wales Assembly Government was talking about a route from Cardiff to China. I think that's less likely than a Scottish route.

 

[Scott]

I was up at Glasgow on Sunday, and after the sun moved I suddenly notcied a structure on the far side, next to the executive area. Drove round and had a closer look, looks like the (almost completed) framework for a small-ish hangar. Any idea what this is?

 

[Aviador]

Clydeside Images

Hi Scott, I take it you mean this hanger?

It's near the general aviation area so I think it will be related to that.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Glasgow airport wins customer service award

Glasgow airport received an award recognising the quality of its customer service at this year's Glasgow Business Awards.

Presented at the Scottish city's Thistle Hotel, the accolade reflected recent developments such as the introduction of the base's customer charter, which included commitments to improve every aspect of the passenger experience.

The charter was designed around travellers' journeys through the airport and focuses on topics such as efficiency, cleanliness and the friendliness of staff.

Read more: http://news.opodo.co.uk/NewsDetails/201 ... vice_award[/textarea]

 

[Scott]

That's the one Aviador. I guess it must be for business aviation, as there isn't any sort of hangar for those aircraft. Sadly, one of my favourite spotting places will no longer be as good with this infront of it

 

[Aviador]

Is it on the North side of the airfield on the opposite side from the terminal or the same side as the terminal? I'm just trying to picture where it is from when I was last there in July.

 

[Scott]

Is it on the North side of the airfield on the opposite side from the terminal or the same side as the terminal? I'm just trying to picture where it is from when I was last there in July.

Yeah it is on the terminal side, on the 23 end of the airport.

I found out that it is going to be a new hangar for Gama (the guys who run the air ambulance) and (If I remember correctly) it can hold up to about 8 Beach 200 - like aircraft...

 

[Scott]

Later last night (about 6-7pm I think) a Euro Atlantic 767 (CS-TFS) flew over my house leaving Glasgow with the callsign NLV6959. I looked it up and couldent find anything, although I did find that NLV is the ICAO code for the new Livingston airlines. Any idea what this flight was doing. I don't know where it came from or where it went more than it went across the Atlantic.

 

[Scott]

Tour operator Just Sunshine is operating thee flights from Glasgow to Tunisia this summer, and will start a full schedule from 2014, looks like the flights will be operated by Syphax Airlines