Glasgow Airport was named Airport of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards – one of three accolades picked up by the transport hub last night.
The airport also scooped the Accessible Transport Award for its popular special assistance service, which last year ensured more than 121,000 who need additional support while travelling through the terminal enjoyed a safe and pleasant journey. Glasgow also became the biggest airport in Scotland to open its £144,000 state-of-the-art Changing Places facility.
Glasgow Airport’s Chaplain Keith Banks, due to retire later this month, received a standing ovation when he was presented with the Lifetime Contribution as a Frontline Employee Award.
Managing Director of Glasgow Airport Mark Johnston said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win the Airport of the Year Award. I firmly believe that our ‘one-campus’ approach, which involves over 5000 hard-working people from more than 100 separate companies across Glasgow Airport, continues to be the driving force behind our unique customer experience.
“We put our passengers at the heart of everything we do, so it’s fantastic that the hard work of everyone at Glasgow Airport has been recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards.
“Despite this being a challenging period for the airport and the wider industry, we continue to strive to deliver for our passengers and Scotland. The arrival of the iconic A380 aircraft into regular service on the Dubai route earlier this year, which was a first for Scottish aviation, is a fantastic example of our ambition.
“I was especially pleased to see our special assistance service recognised through the Accessible Transport Award. We welcome more people who require additional support each year than any other airport in Scotland and a huge amount of endeavour and investment goes into making sure every passenger enjoys a pleasant journey through the terminal.
“Finally, I’d like to congratulate our retiring Chaplain Keith Banks for his Lifetime Contribution as a Frontline Employee Award. Keith has served his colleagues and the millions of people we welcome through our doors each year with dedication and distinction. He leaves later this month with our best wishes and upmost gratitude.”
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson MSP welcomed 450 industry professionals to the event last night to celebrate the people and organisations that make a real difference to transport across Scotland. Hosted by broadcaster James Naughtie, the 17th annual Scottish Transport Awards once again recognised excellence, innovation and progress across all areas of transport.