Glasgow | Glasgow Metro Area Airports | News & Developments

[Boards]

GlasgowMan - do you think an independent GLA could develop some sort of Icelandair style airline for Scotland with links to many major European cities and a good direct service to North America as it acts as a hub connecting European cities to North America via Reykjavik. A country of 250,000 people but with direct flights to 6 North American destinations and many European cities. If we could get Glasgow acting as a hub that would be the good life, don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility either. That and poaching Ryanair and we'd be laughing.

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by Boards

GlasgowMan - do you think an independent GLA could develop some sort of Icelandair style airline for Scotland with links to many major European cities and a good direct service to North America as it acts as a hub connecting European cities to North America via Reykjavik. A country of 250,000 people but with direct flights to 6 North American destinations and many European cities. If we could get Glasgow acting as a hub that would be the good life, don't think it's beyond the realms of possibility either. That and poaching Ryanair and we'd be laughing.

Unfortunately that’s not really in the airport owners hands. We don’t really have a “Scottish” national airline and to do that you need a Scottish airline like Aer Lingus or Icelandair.

The best we can hope for at the moment in relation to connecting passengers is to attract airlines from the US/Canada and Europe who are all part of the same alliance. We have this in a small way at the moment with Star Alliance, we have US Airways, bmi, sas and Spanair. At the moment passengers can travel from Europe to the US and vice-versa with these airlines via Glasgow on one booking.

The new owners of GLA could encourage the Star Alliance airlines to use GLA as a mini-hub between Europe and the Americas, but to do this they would need to get Air Canada back to Glasgow and get the other Star Alliance Euro carriers such as Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa and maybe even Turkish Airlines and United Airlines to all come here. That way people could have flights with these different carriers but all on one booking traveling via GLA.

[The Boy David]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Feeling like a virgin by comparison?

Hah! I found my forum legs a long time ago.

Not you, Legs.

Well, actually.....



Boards, we have indeed been blessed. I haven't looked at confectionary the same way since, and I've never been slimmer...

[Boards]

Cheers, GM, expert analysis.

Kind words, Davey. Brings a tear to me eye

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by GlasgowMan

Unfortunately that’s not really in the airport owners hands. We don’t really have a “Scottish” national airline and to do that you need a Scottish airline like Aer Lingus or Icelandair.

Ach, shame AirScotia doesn't really exist.

[Boards]

Just about remember that! Shits on BA anyway...

[Boards]

Limitless amounts of cash these boys and won't be looking to lose a penny, time for a new box of kleenex?

Hopes that buyer of Glasgow Airport will honour BAA’s commitments

DAVID LEASK August 14 2008

Business leaders say they hope whoever controls Glasgow Airport in the long term honours commitments made to its future by its present owners.

As reported by The Herald yesterday, infrastructure giant BAA is widely expected to put the airport on the market as early as this month although the company has declined to comment pending the publication of a Competition Commission investigation into claims it operates monopolies in Scotland and London.

Last night, the airport was at the centre of renewed speculation over its future ownership.

Richard Cairns, chief executive of the city's chamber of commerce, said: "The relationship Glasgow has with BAA has been very positive: they built a special low-cost terminal for easyJet, for example. We would hope any other operator is as strongly committed to Glasgow."

Sources have told The Herald that BAA would choose to sell Glasgow rather than its other main Scottish airport, Edinburgh, which is now the biggest gateway for international and domestic flights in Scotland. Edinburgh in recent months has held up its passenger numbers as Glasgow, traditionally a focus for leisure rather than business flights, has seen marked downturns.

Glasgow also faces competition from Prestwick in Ayrshire, while Edinburgh effectively enjoys a monopoly of east central Scotland.

The Competition Commission early next week is expected to announce that Spanish-owned BAA has a monopoly in Scotland - where it owns Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen - and in London, where it owns Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The watchdog is also expected to argue that this monopoly is not in the interest of customers, both airlines and their passengers.

Des McNulty, the Labour transport spokesman and MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Glasgow Airport's "flightpath", said his main concern was that any future operator, BAA or otherwise, safeguarded jobs and services at the airport.

"There are real questions to be asked here," he said. "Would it be a good thing for Glasgow to be sold off and Edinburgh kept with BAA? What would be the impact on the overall Scottish economy? We will find out if the relative success of the two airports are the product of BAA policy - and how much is down to market forces."

Steven Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "If the airport is to be sold I hope very much that any potential buyer will consider the need to continue to invest, to make it even more competitive with other airports in the UK and Europe.

"It is vital we have a first-class airport to remain competitive when economies across the world are under so much pressure - and for when the Commonwealth Games come to Glasgow and Scotland in 2014."

Business figures in Glasgow were yesterday speculating ferociously over who a likely buyer for the airport would be, with middle eastern sovereign funds named among possible contenders.


http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news...ommitments.php

[StephenP]

I'm just happy that Glasgow is getting sold so that BAA (monopolizing theives) can have abit of competition.

And maybe put Glasgow back on top spot as #.1 airport in Scotland.

Just aswell the Rail link is going to help it in the future aswell.

[Boards]

In terms of passenger numbers EDI is marginally ahead ( we have two airports ), GLA contributes three times the amount of money to the economy as EDI.

[StephenP]

Thats quite pleasing to know Boards. Thank you

i do prefer flying from Glasgow as it is cleaner and more easier to get to from where I live, but I still can't believe people who prefer Edinburgh and I don't know how it has more passenger numbers as Glasgows conurbation has nearly half of Scotland's population. Ohh well

Stephen

[GlasgowMan]

Tissues at the ready, again!

Aer Lingus have just stated that they are looking to open a base on the UK main land. Glasgow International is one of three airports they are looking at and “insiders” suggest Glasgow International is favourite to land the new Aer Lingus base.

It has also been suggested it will initially be three based aircraft serving around 10 European routes. No time-scale for an official announcement has been made.

Fingers and everything else crossed then!

[Boards]

That would be just what the doctor ordered. What do you make of a middle eastern sovereign fund as the prospective new owners of GLA?

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by Boards

That would be just what the doctor ordered. What do you make of a middle eastern sovereign fund as the prospective new owners of GLA?

To be honest, I don’t know much about that, how it all works etc.

However, any investment from the Middle East sounds promising. They know how to build world class airports there and they know the importance of attracting a hub operation to the airport....

If Glasgow International ended-up anything like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha etc I think we would all be happy....

[Boards]

These boys are minted, they have Dubai airport for their region, maybe they see money in massive new hub in Europe to bridge asia and north america!

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by Boards

These boys are minted, they have Dubai airport for their region, maybe they see money in massive new hub in Europe to bridge asia and north america!

We can dream....

[Brilliant]

How do EDI and GLA compare in the quality of the airport? I've been to EDI and it was really quite good (few queues, lots of shops, good security, my baggage wasn't lost!) in my mind, so is GLA better if not bigger? Just thought I'd ask as I'm a bit of an airport/airline geek.

[Boards]

EDI is marginally busier, mainly due to a heavy amount of traffic to London. GLA is the undisputed long-haul airport of Scotland ( Emirates and Continental both said they're first year of operations out of GLA were their most succesful of any routes they operate outside London ) and as such the airport is three times the value of EDI to the Scottish economy. Then there was the whole executive funding nonsense...

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by Boards

EDI is marginally busier, mainly due to a heavy amount of traffic to London. GLA is the undisputed long-haul airport of Scotland ( Emirates and Continental both said they're first year of operations out of GLA were their most succesful of any routes they operate outside London ) and as such the airport is three times the value of EDI to the Scottish economy. Then there was the whole executive funding nonsense...

Exactly! EDI is just a glorified Aberdeen or Prestwick etc.

[The Boy David]

Originally Posted by Brilliant

How do EDI and GLA compare in the quality of the airport? I've been to EDI and it was really quite good (few queues, lots of shops, good security, my baggage wasn't lost!) in my mind, so is GLA better if not bigger? Just thought I'd ask as I'm a bit of an airport/airline geek.

Edinburgh is a much more pleasant airport to fly out of. In fact I'd go as far as to say that in terms of it's small, compact size, the time it takes to get from check-in to departure gate and the simplicity of it's layout(I couldn't give a shit what sort of shops an airport has), Edinburgh is one of the best airports I've ever used.

Sorry GlasgowMan!....

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by The Boy David

Edinburgh is a much more pleasant airport to fly out of. In fact I'd go as far as to say that in terms of it's small, compact size, the time it takes to get from check-in to departure gate and the simplicity of it's layout(I couldn't give a shit what sort of shops an airport has), Edinburgh is one of the best airports I've ever used.

Sorry GlasgowMan!....

Nothing to be sorry for, its small and compact, just like Prestwick and Aberdeen. That’s Edinburgh’s level. You expect to walk a fair distance when you fly from “proper” airports and as you probably know, there are a number of gates at Glasgow which are a fare treck from check-in, but that’s what you get when you fly from a proper airport.