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Latest
news and information from GLA
last
update: 31 January 2012 |
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Aer Lingus Regional
have added a fifth daily, early afternoon flight
between Dublin and Glasgow, commencing 29 March.
The additional services arrives in Glasgow at
14:20 and departs back to Dublin at 14:55
increasing choice for passengers and improving
connections from the USA.
The airline also
provide five flights a week between Cork and
Glasgow.
With a flying time
of around one hour between Dublin and Glasgow
International, fares start at just £24.99
including tax at
www.aerlingus.com
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Pakistan International Airlines:
Politicians are hopeful of restoring Scotland's
only direct air link with Pakistan after securing
talks with Government ministers from the country.
The service, which was
introduced in 2006, was popular with Scotland's
50,000-strong Pakistani community and its loss has
forced many passengers to travel to Manchester or
London to catch alternative flights.
Restoration of the
direct Pakistan route would be a major boon to
Glasgow's long-haul network, after Emirates
announced an additional daily flight to Dubai
earlier this month.
A spokesman for
Glasgow Airport said "Pakistan International
Airlines' direct flight between Glasgow and Lahore
was first introduced in 2006 and was hugely
popular, carrying almost 30,000 passengers every
year until its withdrawal in January 2011. There
is still a strong demand for the route and we
would lend our support to the calls for its
re-introduction." Read a full report at
The Herald
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Barrhead Travel
and British Airways CityFlyer have arranged summer
weekend charter flights to Venice and Barcelona
flying direct from Glasgow in addition to their
seasonal Malaga and Palma flights.
www.barrheadtravel.co.uk
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France Travel Services
have announced a summer series of flights from
Glasgow to three French cities. Flights to Nantes,
Lyon and Paris will operate on a weekly basis from
June until September. Flights are with Air
Méditerranée onboard their Airbus 320 and Boeing
737 aircraft. Fares start from £89 one way and
£189 return at
www.francetravelservices.co.uk
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Glasgow Airport served over
420,000 passengers in December 2011, an increase
of 16.8% on the same month in 2010. This increase
was mainly attributable to the impact of snow in
December 2010.
Almost 6.9 million passengers travelled through
the airport in 2011, an increase of 5.1% compared
to the previous year. Much of this growth can be
attributed to a strong and consistent demand for
international travel as well the introduction of a
number of new routes such as Iberia Regional’s
direct service to Madrid, Eastern Airways’
Stavanger route, easyJet’s Amsterdam service and
the 16 routes introduced by Jet2.com following its
arrival in March 2011.A
number of other airlines including Virgin, Thomas
Cook, British Airways and US Airways responded to
passenger demand throughout 2011 by adding
capacity on existing popular routes.
Francois Bourienne, commercial
director at Glasgow Airport, said: “Despite the
challenging economic climate, we experienced a
renewed confidence among passengers and airlines
in 2011 and we were successful in introducing new
routes, including direct services to a number of
major European cities.
“Expanding Glasgow Airport’s
route network will remain our main focus for 2012
and we have already made a strong start to the
year with the news Emirates Airline will introduce
a second daily non-stop flight to Dubai,
commencing 1 June 2012. Jet2.com will launch
direct flights to Rome and Barcelona in March, so
there is much to be excited about.
“We are under no illusion that
maintaining passenger growth in 2012 will be a
challenge, especially if Chancellor George Osborne
proceeds with plans to increase Air Passenger Duty
(APD) in April’s budget and we also have concerns
about the fragility of the economy and the rising
price of fuel. In spite of this, we will continue
to work closely with our airline and city partners
to deliver new routes and promote the in-bound
tourism potential of Glasgow.”
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Emirates Airline has announced plans to
introduce a second daily non-stop flight from
Glasgow to Dubai, commencing 1 June 2012.
The additional flight, coupled with an aircraft
upgrade on the existing service, will increase
Emirates’ capacity from Glasgow by 47 per cent, an
extra 398 seats per day (199 each way). It will
also see the introduction of a First Class cabin
onto both daily services, the first time this has
been offered by a commercial airline from
Scotland. It will also provide an additional 13
tonnes of daily cargo capacity, a 59 per cent
uplift on existing volumes and provider shorter
connections to a range of worldwide destinations
including Australia and New Zealand.

Commenting on the
new service, Amanda McMillan, managing director of
Glasgow Airport, said: “Since its launch in 2004,
Emirates’ Dubai route has proved hugely successful
with business and leisure passengers and its
decision to introduce a second daily service is
fantastic news for both Glasgow Airport and
Scotland as a whole.
Read more here
From
their international hub in Dubai, Emirates offer
great connecting opportunities to popular
destination in the Middle East, Far East,
Australasia, Indian Ocean islands, Africa, India
and Pakistan. Flights from Glasgow are on
board state-of-the-art 434 seat Boeing 777-300ER
aircraft and from June until January, the four engined Airbus
340 will operate the evening flight before being
replaced by the larger Boeing 777. For information and reservations, visit www.emirates.com/uk.
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Sunwing Airlines - the airline of one of
Canada's largest tour operators - have announced a
brand new service between Toronto and Glasgow. The
summer seasonal service will operate twice a week
- on Thursdays and Sundays - from 13 June until
the end of September. Flights are onboard the
twin-aisle Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
For great fares and
more information visit the company's UK website at
www.flysunwings.co.uk
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Glasgow
Airport
will not be sold off after owner BAA announced
that it is putting Edinburgh Airport on the
market.
Following the
Competition Commission’s decision requiring BAA to
sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, BAA
announced that it has decided to sell Edinburgh
airport and keep Glasgow airport as part of the
BAA group.
Amanda McMillan,
Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, said: “Clearly
we welcome today’s announcement as it marks the
end of what has been a prolonged period of
uncertainty. Now a final decision has been reached
we can concentrate our efforts on ensuring Glasgow
Airport, as part of BAA, continues to deliver for
its passengers, the city and Scotland as a whole.”
Gordon
Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “We
are very pleased this long-running issue has
finally been resolved. The decision is a clear
vote of confidence in the airport and recognises
its tremendous potential for growth.”
Derek Mackay SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and
West, which includes Glasgow Airport, said it was
good news for Glasgow and west Scotland. He said:
“This confirms BAA will continue with its
growth plan for Glasgow Airport. It gives us a
certainty the owner will invest as it said it
would.”
Colin
Matthews, BAA chief executive, said: “Glasgow
Airport has great opportunities for growth and
development and we think BAA is well-placed to
build on its recent success.”
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British Airways will increase its services
between Heathrow and Glasgow by 25% over the next
three months, creating a schedule of up to ten
flights each way.
BA is introducing extra flights on the route in
phases over the next few months and will offer
4,000 more seats per week from January 2012 when
the number of return flights increases to 67
compared to 57 in January this year.
The move comes six months after troubled rival BMI
axed its Heathrow-Glasgow services because it said
the route was “unsustainable”. Since then BA have
been enjoying a situation where demand outstrips
capacity on this important trunk route.
BA said as well as offering more flights on the
route it would also use a larger Boeing 767
aircraft with 252 seats on some of the services.
The twin-aisle 767
will operate BA1472 & BA1477 Monday to Friday.
That's the 07:05 departure from Heathrow and the
09:30 departure from Glasgow.
The airline will introduce the first part of the
increase from October 31 when Heathrow-Glasgow
flights increase from 52 to 60 per week.
BA also have frequent
flights from Glasgow to London City and Gatwick.
More on BA's expanding London to Glasgow services
below.
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Icelandair have
decoupled their Glasgow and Manchester to
Reykjavik triangular route to serve both UK cities
non stop. Glasgow passengers will enjoy the
convenience of three direct flights a week,
non-stop in both directions to and from Iceland.
The Icelandair route is popular for onward
connections and great fares to North America.
Destinations available via the Reykjavik hub
include Toronto, Seattle, Boston, New York,
Orlando, Washington
DC and the new addition of Denver. www.icelandair.co.uk
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Canadian Affair have
a daily schedule on sale between Glasgow and
Toronto for summer 2012. All flights are operated
by Air Transat with mix of Airbus 310 and the
larger 330 aircraft with convenient mid-morning
departures which arrive in Toronto in time for
lunch. For even more comfort, Air Transat's Club
Class is available on these wide bodied aircraft.
Economy Class return fares start from under £300
including tax and charges.
The western Canada services, which go once weekly
each to Vancouver and Calgary, are operated by
Air Transat and their Airbus 330's. Canadian
Affair also provide Scotland's only winter link
with Canada with a twice weekly service to
Toronto. Fares start from £139 one way at www.canadianaffair.com
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Jet2 have
announced more new flights from their Glasgow base
- this time to the Greek Islands. Weekly flights
and holidays to Crete and Rhodes begin on 22 and
23 May respectively.
Packaged holidays to Crete and Rhodes start from
£319 per person for seven nights at
Jet2holidays.com
Flight only starts from £71.99 one way including
taxes. In addition to friendly flight times,
allocated seating and a generous 22kg luggage
allowance, Glasgow passengers can enjoy optional
extras including on demand in flight entertainment
and delicious three course meals. For the best
fares book in advance at
www.jet2.com.
More on Jet2's expanding Glasgow flights below.
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Loganair,
Scotland’s Airline, has announced that it is to
introduce non-stop services between Glasgow and
Newquay Cornwall Airport from Thursday 5 April
2012.
The move follows the closure of Plymouth-based
airline Air Southwest, which had placed
long-standing air links between Glasgow and
Cornwall at risk.
Up to five weekly non-stop flights will be
provided on the route, maintaining the direct link
between Glasgow and Cornwall with a travel time of
just one hour and 40 minutes, compared to 11-hour
train or nine-hour road journeys. Fares will start
at £64.99 one-way including all taxes, which
represents a competitive option versus rail fares.
A new service linking
Glasgow with Donegal took to the air in November.
Loganair operates its
services under a franchise agreement with Flybe,
Europe’s largest regional airline. Seats for the
new route will go on sale from Wednesday 28
September via
www.flybe.com.
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Eastern
Airways have launched a new service between
Glasgow and Stavanger in Norway. Fares on the
service which operates three days a week start from £99 one way, including taxes and charges.
The new service will
prove popular with oil related business passengers
as well as Scottish and Norwegian tourists.
Monday and Wednesday flights will leave Stavanger
at 9.20am and arrive in Glasgow at 9.50am.
Departure from Glasgow is at 10.20am and arrival
in Stavanger scheduled for 1.20pm.
On Fridays, flights will depart Stavanger at 10am
and arrive in Glasgow at 10.30pm. Friday services
take off from Glasgow at 11am and land in
Stavanger at 1.30pm.
www.easternairways.com
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KLM have
added a fifth daily flight on the Amsterdam -
Glasgow service. KLM often have the best
fares and the most convenient transfers for
passengers flying from Glasgow to the world via
their hub at Schiphol. www.flyklm.com

The
Dutch airline
marked 65 years of serving Scotland with a special
visit of their vintage DC-3, PH-PBA. This classic
aircraft first flew in 1944 and served during the
Second World War. Her arrival from Lelystad with
dignitaries on board was greeted at Glasgow
Airport by a water cannon salute.
Read more.
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Jet2 have
announce new flights between Glasgow and Rome for
summer 2012. Direct flights to the Italian capital
will operate three times a week from 29 March with
fares starting from £29.99 one way.
This news from Jet2
follows hot on the heels of the announcement of
four more new routes from their new Glasgow base:
Flights to Barcelona will operate thrice weekly; Malaga, up to four times a
week; Ibiza twice a week and Lanzarote weekly.
These new flights begin with the summer 2012
season at the end of March.
Also newly announced is a special 3-day Christmas
shopping trip flight to New York which departs
Glasgow on 17th November. Return air fares start
at under £400 and three-day packages with flights
and hotel from £599. Get more information or grab
Big Apple break at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.com Jet2.com only
began flying from their new base at Glasgow
Airport this year with summer flights to the
holiday hotspots of Nice Cote d'Azur, Tenerife,
Faro, Paphos, Dalaman, Alicante and Palma. Flights
to Geneva are also available during the ski season
from December until late April 2012.
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Iberia Regional - operated by Air
Nostrum - the franchise partner of Iberia have
announced a brand new service between Glasgow and
Madrid. Flights to the Spanish capital - a first
for Glasgow - will go every Tuesday and Thursday
from 1 November with fares from £130 return.
Connections onto Iberia's comprehensive South
American network are available at the airline's
Madrid hub.
www.iberia.com
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easyJet have
announced the launch of a new route between
Glasgow and Amsterdam. The low-fares airline will
operate a daily flight to Amsterdam's Schiphol
Airport from 31 October 2011, with fares starting
from £25.99 (one way including taxes).
This announcement
follows the news that easyJet are boosting
capacity at Glasgow Airport by adding a fourth
rotation on the London Gatwick service, with the
extra early morning flight aimed at business
passengers, and a three-weekly summer service to
Jersey as well as using the larger Airbus 320 on
many of the flights. This summer easyJet - Glasgow's biggest
airline - are flying to Paris, Berlin, Ibiza,
Majorca, Malaga, Alicante, Faro, Gatwick,
Stansted, Luton, Belfast, Bristol and now Jersey,
with fares from £21.99.
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BA CityFlyer
provide the quick route to London. Situated just
10 miles from the West End and close to Canary
Wharf, LCY is convenient for visiting the capital
on business or for pleasure as an alternative to
Heathrow. Approximately 11,000 passengers a month
are now enjoying the added simplicity and
convenience of using this handy service for
accessing London, The City, Canary Wharf and
Docklands areas. Flight
between Glasgow and London City are onboard the
comfortable 98-seat Embraer 190 aircraft.
This winter's British Airways schedule between
Glasgow and London consists of up to 9 flights a
day to and from Heathrow, 5 to London City and 4
to Gatwick. www.ba.com
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Continental
Airlines have
reduced capacity on the daily Glasgow-New York
(Newark) service for winter to six flights
a week with no departure on Wednesdays from
November until March when the daily service
resumes. Following the merger with
United Airlines the Continental brand will
gradually give over to United with the
Transatlantic aircraft fleet being internally upgraded
to a higher standard of comfort and service.
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US
Airways, who extended the season on their summer service to
Philadelphia this year, will return for the summer
2012 season. The airline fly right
through from the start of May until the end of
October. Flights operate up to seven times a week
over the season and provide great onward
connections throughout the USA and beyond to the
Caribbean, Canada and South and Central America. www.usairways.com
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Thomas Cook
Airlines whose
brands include Airtours, Club 18-30 and Direct
Holidays are Scotland's biggest tour operator.
They offer the widest choice of holidays to
popular destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico,
Florida, Canada, Egypt, Tunisia, Bulgaria,
Portugal, Madeira, the Canaries and the
Mediterranean including Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and
Malta - all flying direct from Glasgow. www.thomascook.com
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Virgin Holidays:
The 2012 programme to Orlando, Florida will mirror
that of summer 2011 which was a
greatly increased schedule with up to 2 weekly
flights operating all summer season from April to
October onboard their Boeing 747-400 "Jumbo Jets"
and brand new Airbus 330 aircraft. These flights
are available at Virgin
Atlantic and
package holidays and fly-drives are available
direct from Virgin
Holidays.
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Latest traffic summary figures from BAA |
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Total passengers for the year to Dec 2011 |
6,864,000 (+5.1%) |
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Air Transport Movements year to Dec 2011 |
70,477 (+1.3%) |
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Passengers (ooo's) |
420.4 |
Change on Dec '10 |
+16.8% |
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Air Transport Movements |
4942 |
Change on Dec '10 |
+8.5% |
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