Why choose Glasgow Airport?
Glasgow is Scotland’s busiest international airport, serving Scotland's largest city. With excellent transport links to Glasgow and beyond, Glasgow Airport is Scotland’s main international gateway, welcoming millions of passengers every year.

How many passengers do you handle?
Glasgow Airport currently handles more than eight million passengers a year. Around half travel on international flights.

How many destinations do you serve?
Glasgow Airport serves around 90 destinations worldwide, including destinations across Canada, the US, the Caribbean, North Africa, the Gulf and Asia.

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, handling agents, supply companies, travel agents, retailers and Government organisations.

When did Glasgow Airport open?
The airport moved to its current location in 1966, and was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen in June 1996. The airport was originally located at nearby Renfrew.

How many terminals are there at Glasgow Airport?
The airport has one terminal, plus an additional check-in facility at T2, which opened in 2004. T2 was built for Glasgow’s low-cost airlines, including easyJet.

What are the biggest airlines operating out of Glasgow Airport?
Glasgow Airport is home to around 30 airlines flying to around 90 destinations worldwide. Domestic carriers include British Airways, easyJet, bmi, bmibaby, flybe, Air Southwest and Loganair, which serves the Highlands and Islands. International airlines include Aer Lingus, Air Malta, Continental, Emirates, Icelandair, KLM, US Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, Canadian Affair and Virgin Atlantic.

What about holiday flights?
Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest charter airport – charter flights account for one in ten flights, and 20% of all passengers. Charter airlines include Thomson, Thomas Cook, Monarch and First Choice.

What are Glasgow’s most popular destinations?
The most popular country is Spain, with top destinations including Malaga, Palma, Alicante, Lanzarote and Tenerife. Amsterdam is the most popular destination, with Dublin, Faro and Dalaman also popular. Dubai, Orlando, New York and Toronto are among the busiest 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 we continue to talk to airlines about expansion from Glasgow.

What else are you doing to secure new services?
Glasgow Airport has a dedicated route development team in place to support new and existing airlines. They work closely with Glasgow City Council, VisitScotland and our airline partners to promote Glasgow as a business and leisure destination. We recognise that passengers prefer to fly direct from Scotland and our focus in recent years  has been to grow the number of direct destinations available from our Scottish airports. To support this growth, we have reduced landing fees, in real terms, every year for the past 15 years and put in place a dedicated route development fund, worth £20 million in 2008. 

What do you do to support the local community?
Glasgow Airport works with a range of local charities and community groups, particularly those in areas close to the flightpath. The airport has a dedicated community fund, which provides financial support for local good causes, and Glasgow Airport can also draw on the support of the BAA Communities Trust, BAA’s national charity. In recent months, Glasgow Airport has supported Whitecrook Park Project, Bankie Talk Talking Newspaper, Drumchapel Environment Trust and the Glasgow and Renfrewshire Youth Games, amongst others.

To apply for funding, simply email flightpath@baa.com with full details of your project or charity.

What new developments are planned at Glasgow Airport?
BAA Glasgow plans to invest some £200 million over the next ten years at Glasgow Airport on new terminal and airfield infrastructure, delivered at no cost to the Scottish taxpayer. Recent developments include the first phase of Glasgow Airport’s £31 million ‘skyhub’ terminal extension, offering state of the art security, more space to relax, and a wider choice of bars, shops and restaurants. Planned developments include further refurbishment of the airport, and a new rail link by 2013.

Find out more about Skyhub

Read the Glasgow Airport Master Plan

Will Glasgow get a second runway?
The 2006 Glasgow Airport Master Plan included indicative drawings of where a second runway would be located, if it were required. However, crucially, it  also made it clear that Glasgow Airport’s existing runway had sufficient capacity to meet the expected growth in air traffic up to 2030. That remains the case today. It also noted there were practical difficulties associated with building a second runway at Glasgow, not least the airport’s close proximity to the M8 and the River Cart. It is right that we should make provision for a second runway, and that we should be open and transparent about our plans, as we have. However, BAA’s own forecasts show that the existing runway is more than capable of facilitating future growth for at least another 20 years, and perhaps longer.

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. A freephone noise action line is also available on 0800 013 2429.

In 2008, Glasgow Airport published a five year noise action plan. The plan aims to manage and, where possible, minimise the effects of aircraft related noise at Glasgow Airport up to 2013. The plan was the subject of a detailed public consultation involving hundreds of local residents.

A full copy of the revised plan will be available online shortly.

For information about flights or for general enquiries, call +44 (0)844 481 5555.

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