FAQs

Why choose Glasgow Airport?
Glasgow is Scotland’s busiest airport, serving more worldwide destinations than any other Scottish airport. With excellent transport links to Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow Airport is Scotland’s main international gateway, welcoming millions of passengers every year.

How many passengers do you handle?
Glasgow Airport currently handles around nine million passengers a year. In the past ten years, passenger numbers have increased by 60%. Forecasts suggest that by 2014, Glasgow Airport will handle 12 million passengers a year..

How many destinations do you serve?
Glasgow Airport serves around 80 destinations worldwide, more than any other airport in Scotland.

How many people work at the airport?
Glasgow Airport directly employs more than 5,000 people. Another 15,000 people are indirectly employed, working for airlines, supply companies, travel agents, etc.

When did Glasgow Airport open?
The airport moved to its current location in 1966. The airport was originally located at nearby Renfrew.

How many terminals are there at Glasgow Airport?
The airport has one terminal – the main terminal, opened in 1966, plus an additional check-in facility at T2, which opened in 2004. T2 was built for Glasgow’s low-cost airlines and handles more than 1.5 million passengers a year.

What are the biggest airlines operating out of Glasgow Airport?
Glasgow Airport serves over 40 airlines flying to around 80 destinations worldwide. Domestic carriers include British Airways, easyJet, BMI, flybe and Loganair, which serves the Highlands and Islands. International airlines include Aer Lingus, Air Malta, Continental, Emirates, flyglobespan, Icelandair, KLM, US Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Canadian Affair, Air Transat and Zoom.

What about holiday flights?
Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest charter airport – charter flights account for almost a third of all flights. Charter airlines include Britannia, Excel Airways, First Choice, Futura, Iberworld, Monarch, My Travel, Spanair and Thomas Cook.

What are Glasgow’s most popular destinations?
The most popular country is Spain, with top destinations including Malaga, Palma, Alicante and Barcelona. Tenerife, Amsterdam, Dublin and Faro are also popular destinations. Toronto, New York and Dubai are amongst the most popular long-haul destinations. Glasgow’s top domestic destinations include Birmingham, Belfast, Manchester and the London airports.

Why don’t you have more direct European services?
Ultimately, airlines decide where they fly from, not the airport operator. However, we recognise that there is a demand from passengers for more direct European flights from Glasgow, and have been in discussion with a number of airlines about the possibility of expanding our range of European services. In the past few months, Glasgow Airport has secured new services to Stockholm, Paris, Barcelona, Faro and Geneva.

What else are you doing to secure new services?
Glasgow Airport has a dedicated route development team in place. They work closely with Glasgow City Council and the local tourist board to promote Glasgow as a tourist destination. We recognise that passengers prefer to fly direct from Scotland and we are currently in talks with a number of airlines about the possibility of adding new domestic, international and long-haul routes from Glasgow. In 2002, BAA Scotland, the company which owns Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Airports, introduced a £60 million Route Development Fund in a bid to increase the number of international flights available from Scotland. In 2004, the fund was increased to £95 million.

What is the economic value of the airport to the local region?
A report by the prestigious Fraser of Allander Institute showed that under BAA’s leadership and management, Glasgow Airport contributes over £700 million a year to the Scottish economy. In 2006, the Fraser of Allander Institute will carry out a fresh study of the economic contribution made by Glasgow Airport.

What do you do to support the local community?
Glasgow Airport works closely with local education providers, including Reid Kerr College in Paisley, with which it developed a Modern Apprenticeship, and Caledonian University, which supports the airport’s Ambassadors programme, giving students involved in travel and tourism front-line work experience at Glasgow Airport during the busy summer months. Glasgow Airport also provides financial support to a number of community-based youth projects, including Renfrewshire Youth Games, Glasgow Youth Games and the Arts Games, a six-week summer programme for 8–15 year-olds who live in Ferguslie Park, Paisley, which aims to help young people raise their self esteem and gain an interest in the arts, music and drama. Many of our staff also act as volunteers in their local community – in the past year, staff gave 1,812 volunteering hours to community projects and we estimate the financial value of this contribution to be around £30,000 across Scotland.

What new developments are planned at Glasgow Airport?
BAA Scotland plans to invest £200 million over the next ten years at Glasgow Airport, including a £50 million project to expand the main terminal building. Work is currently underway on a £10 million project to transform the international pier, with an extended baggage reclaim area on the ground floor, and additional retail space and seating areas in the first floor International Departure Lounge (IDL) – effectively increasing the size of the IDL by 50%. In Spring 2006 we will also open new two passenger lounges in the international pier - including a new prestige business lounge - so that departing passengers can relax in comfort before their flight.

Find out more about the future of Glasgow Airport

Will Glasgow get a second runway?
The UK Government’s 2003 White Paper on the Future of Aviation gave Glasgow Airport permission to grow. In line with the White Paper, the local authority has safeguarded land near Glasgow Airport for a possible second runway. Ultimately the market, and passenger demand, will dictate whether Glasgow Airport requires a second runway. Gatwick, with over 30 million passengers, has only one runway.

What are you doing to tackle the problem of aircraft noise?
New limits have been introduced to tackle noise. In April 2002, noisier aircraft known as Chapter 2 were banned from use at Glasgow Airport in line with EU requirements. A new Noise and Track-Keeping System has also been introduced to help minimise noise from aircraft that may be off-track. In worst cases, airlines can be fined from veering off agreed flight paths.

For information about flights or for general enquiries, call 0870 040 0008.