Tag: Glasgow Airport

CityJet commences Glasgow-Cardiff route as Flybe cuts its service

Irish regional airline, CityJet, has commenced daily flights from Glasgow Airport to the Welsh capital, Cardiff, from today.

The introduction follows rival Flybe’s decision to abandon the route after nearly six years of service.

In preserving the 313-mile link, Dublin-based CityJet, which is owned by Air France, will launch two daily flights each weekday and a third flight every Thursday and Friday in the summer.

CityJet chief executive, Christine Ourmieres, said: ‘We hope that our new route from Glasgow to Cardiff will provide vital connections for both business and leisure passengers in Scotland. We are keen to invest in Glasgow and we hope people will take advantage of the new daily flights.

‘Cardiff has much to offer in terms of history and culture and with the Six Nations rugby tournament kicking off in February, I’m sure there will be plenty of interest generated among rugby fans.’

Paul White, business development manager at Glasgow Airport, commented: ‘It will be the first time the airline has operated from Glasgow and we were delighted with its swift decision to step in and maintain what is an important business and tourism link with the Welsh capital.’

Flybe has axed the service as part of a major review of routes in an attempt to curb losses. The Exeter-based airline said in December that its services to Paris Charles de Gaulle and Glasgow will be withdrawn from January 19, and passengers will be offered alternative flights or refunds.

However, the airline said it will continue to run planned flights to the two destinations for fans travelling to Six Nations rugby matches between February 20 and 24.

Edinburgh, Glasgow Airports register busiest July

Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have reported one of their busiest months ever for July.

In July, Edinburgh Airport reported the busiest month ever recorded, with over one million people travelling through the airport, a rise of 13.1 percent on the previous year. Scotland’s busiest airport passed the million-passenger mark in late July, seeing a total of 1,082,938 passengers using the terminal.

Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: ‘We’re over the moon with this achievement and is testament not only to the hard work of all at Edinburgh Airport – my team, our airlines and handling agents and other partners – but to the real culture shift that has happened since the airport was bought by GIP last summer.

‘Handling over a million passengers in a month is difficult and it has been challenging. We’ve had the equivalent of the population of Stirling through our doors every day. It’s a challenge we relish and we’re looking forward to being challenged in this way on a regular basis,’ he added.

Edinburgh’s international traffic increased by 13.3 percent year on year to 634,496 in July 2013, while its domestic traffic increased by 12.8 percent year on year t0 448,442. The annual total passenger figure for the year since August 2012 is currently 9.4 million, which is the highest ever for the airport.

Meanwhile, Glasgow Airport said it that has enjoyed the busiest July in five years, with over 832,000 travellers, representing an increase of 5.4 percent compared to its passenger traffic in July 2012.

Glasgow’s international traffic contributed to a 3.7 percent increase following a strong demand from holidaymakers and solid performance of its several long haul routes. Domestic traffic increased by 8 percent, benefited mainly by the performance of British Airways’ London routes and Flybe’s UK regional services.

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: ‘The summer season is always a busy time for the airport but there has been a marked increase in the number of people choosing to fly from Glasgow over the course of the past two months.

‘We have enjoyed consistent passenger growth since January 2011 which underlines the progress we are making in terms of securing new routes and services. It is particularly pleasing to see our domestic traffic perform so well and with Glasgow hosting events such as the World Pipe Band Championships and UDO World Street Dancing Championship, we are looking forward to a busy August.’

Glasgow Airport is continuing with its £17 million investment programme as it prepares to become the gateway to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Flybe Announces New Service from Glasgow to Shannon

Flybe, a UK-based airline company, has launched its newest service from Glasgow Airport in Scotland to Shannon Airport in Ireland.

The airline is offering three times weekly flights to Shannon from Glasgow from May 1, 2013, with inaugural fares commencing at £36.99 one-way.

Simon Lilley, the airline’s director of marketing, said, ‘Flybe is committed to developing further its route network out of Glasgow. We have every confidence that this additional new service will prove successful in offering an attractive and affordable way for travellers to access this growing business and leisure destination that is widely regarded as the West of Ireland’s premier gateway.

Our new service to Shannon will further complement our already extensive schedule to and from Glasgow Airport that now features a total of nine routes and a total choice of up to 312 flights each week. We look forward to welcoming our first passengers on board in May and would advise people to book early to take advantage of the lowest possible fares.’

Amanda McMillan, the managing director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘The Irish market is very important for us and the addition of Shannon provides people in Glasgow and the West of Scotland with easy access to Limerick, which is the ideal base from which to explore the Irish West Coast.

Flybe has been very active in identifying new destinations that it feels will work out of Glasgow Airport and with the convenient flight times on offer, we are confident this route will be a success.’

The new service is expected to strike a chord with holidaymakers who wish to visit Ireland in 2013 to take part in the country’s yearlong tourism event, The Gathering.

Wizz Air Announces New Routes from Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Wizz Air, the Hungary based low-cost airline, has announced two new routes from Glasgow Airport in Scotland.

The airline is offering two routes to Gdansk and Warsaw in Poland from Glasgow Airport from March 1, 2013.

The twice-weekly flights to Warsaw are priced at £48.99 one way, while the flights to Gdansk are priced from £31.99, one way.

Amanda McMillan, the managing director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘We are thrilled to welcome Wizz Air on board which is yet more good news for Glasgow Airport. Not only will it provide our customers with greater choice, it will further strengthen our connectivity with some of Europe’s major cities and it means we can add Poland to our long list of destinations after an absence of more than 15 years.

Wizz Air is an ambitious and rapidly growing airline which carried over 12 million passengers in 2012 alone, and we are looking forward to working alongside the team at Wizz to ensure it enjoys further growth and success at Glasgow. This announcement underlines our commitment to expanding our route network and delivering the routes and services our customers demand.’

Stijn Vandermoere, the head of network development and scheduling at Wizz Air, said, ‘Wizz Air is pleased to announce these two new routes operating from Glasgow Airport giving more consumers access to Wizz Air’s low fares and great customer service. Our popular low fares have strongly grown our business in four UK airports and we’re already the number two airline at one of London’s main airports. We believe there is also significant growth potential in Scotland and our move to Glasgow Airport is a step towards future passenger and route growth.

We are confident that Polish visitors to Scotland will embrace the convenient airport location and we urge Scottish consumers to try Wizz Air’s award winning service and low fares. To celebrate our arrival at Glasgow Airport Wizz Air released seats to Warsaw and Gdansk from just £23.99. This ultra low fare already includes taxes and the highest booking fee and can be booked from today at wizzair.com.’

The airline allows one small cabin bag per person, free of charge, which must be able to fit under the seat in front. All other baggage is to be paid for.

Just Sunshine Offers Direct Flights from Glasgow Airport to Tunisia

Just Sunshine, a UK based holiday company, will be offering direct flights to Tunisia from Glasgow Airport in the UK, commencing this summer.

The airline has confirmed that as part of its 2013 summer schedule, it will be offering direct flights to Tunisia for three weeks, operating out of Glasgow Airport. The airline is launching its inaugural flight on June 29, 2013, and intends to offer extended services to Tunisia from the summer of 2014.

Tony Blakey, the national sales manager at Just Sunshine, said, ‘We have been working closely with the local travel trade over the course of the past 18 months and it is clear there is demand for charter services to Tunisia from Glasgow. We’re looking forward to arriving at Glasgow Airport in June and it is our intention to expand our service in 2014. We have been operating holidays to Tunisia for over seven years and have a strong track record in providing a range of tailored packages, so we’re confident the service will prove successful.’

Francois Bourienne, the commercial director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘Just Sunshine is a welcome addition to our busy summer schedule. Tunisia has grown in popularity with holidaymakers and the tour operator’s arrival is great news for Glasgow Airport as it will provide our customers with even greater choice.’

Just Sunshine is part of Tunisia based El Mouradi Group, which also owns the El Mouradi Hotels brand. The company is an independent tour operator from the UK to Tunisia, and offers around 120 hotels in seven resort destinations.

Glasgow Airport Announces 2012 Busiest Year in Recent Times

Glasgow Airport, in Scotland, has reported its busiest year in the last four years, with around 7.2 million passengers travelling through the facility in 2012.

The 2012 passenger traffic figures represent an increase of around 4.2 percent over the passenger traffic recorded for 2011. The airport’s growth is mostly due to the introduction of a number of new routes, including Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome, which contributed to the 6.4 percent increase in international traffic, compared to a 2.1 percent increase in domestic traffic for the year.

In December 2012, Glasgow Airport served around 440,000 passengers, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the same month in 2011.

Amanda McMillan, the managing director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘We worked extremely hard throughout 2012 against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, to expand our route network and provide passengers with greater choice.

We had considerable success in attracting services such as Emirates’ second daily flight to Dubai, which not only encouraged more people to fly to and from Glasgow but helped strengthen Scotland’s connectivity with important global markets.

Whilst we are extremely encouraged at having exceeded the seven million mark, the current economic outlook is a cause for concern as are the planned increases in Air Passenger Duty (APD), which will come into effect following the budget in March. However, we remain committed to working with our city partners throughout 2013 to secure further routes and boost the in-bound tourism potential of Glasgow.’

The figures represented the airport’s busiest year for passenger traffic since 2009.

Glasgow Airport To Support Voluntary Work For Young Adults

Glasgow Airport, in Scotland, is offering a volunteering initiative to young unemployed adults.

The airport has awarded an amount of £4,900 to ProjectScotland through its FlightPath Fund, allowing the project to offer seven adults the opportunity of taking up full-time volunteering roles with a charity or social enterprise.

The volunteer opportunities are expected to last for several months and are intended to provide a springboard for those selected to help them find future employment, as well as offering charitable organisations the additional resources, and benefits to the communities in which the volunteers work.

Maureen Jamieson, Glasgow Airport’s head of procurement, said, ‘One of the reasons for establishing the FlightPath Fund was to tackle social issues such youth employment, so we are very excited about being able to help ProjectScotland break down barriers for these young people.

These volunteering projects are beneficial on several levels – they help the individual and the organisation they are placed with, as well as the community in which that organisation operates.

That represents tremendous value and ProjectScotland has an excellent track record of success in turning placements into full-time employment so we look forward to seeing the results.’

Rucelle Soutar, the finance director for ProjectScotland, said, ‘Youth unemployment in Scotland has been rising steadily in recent years and some of the worst affected areas lie under the Glasgow Airport flightpath. Young people are looking for opportunities to develop their skills and gain the practical workplace experience sought by many employers.

Volunteering makes young people more optimistic and prepared for the journey ahead. Our opportunities with charities and social enterprises give them the space and time to recognise how capable they are.

Glasgow Airport’s support will open doors for seven young people and ultimately allow them to take control of their own lives and improve their future prospects.’

The Glasgow Airport Flightpath Fund has awarded around £400,000 to 150 community groups and charities since 2010. The Communities Trust and charity collection boxes in the airport terminal finance the fund.

Scotland to Guernsey Flights Offered by Channel Islands Travel Group

Channel Islands Travel Group, a travel company based in the Channel Islands, which are part of the UK, will be offering a new service from Glasgow Airport, in Scotland, to the Channel Island of Guernsey.

The new route will commence from the summer of 2013. The company is offering flights every Saturday, from June 29, 2013, to September 14, 2013, using a 46 seat ATR-42 aircraft. The new route will be a first between Scotland and the Channel Islands in some years.

The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies, located in the English Channel, near the French coast of Normandy.

Robert Mackenzie, the managing director of the Channel Islands (CI) Travel Group, said, ‘We are delighted to have concluded negotiations for the launch of a new service from Glasgow Airport to Guernsey for summer 2013. Airways Holidays and GuernseyTravel.com will fly the route.

CI Travel has always had a strong presence in Scotland but it has been some years since Scottish visitors were able to travel directly to Guernsey. We believe that this new opportunity to visit the Bailiwick for a holiday and fly direct from Glasgow will prove very popular.’

Amanda McMillan, the managing director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘Guernsey is a popular destination among Scottish travellers and it is therefore great news that they will be able to fly direct from Glasgow Airport next summer instead of taking a connecting flight.

We look forward to working closely with C.I. Travel to make their 2013 flight programme a success.’

Barrhead Travel Announces Summer Charter Flights from Glasgow

Barrhead Travel, a UK based holiday company, will be operating charter flights from Glasgow Airport, in Scotland, to a number of popular holiday destinations next summer.

The company intends to charter flights to Palma, Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona and Venice, offering a total of around 20,000 seats, between the May and October period in 2013.

The company has reported that seats are currently available on sale with a range of choices, including flight only reservations, as part of a traditional holiday package, or as a connection to cruise departure points in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Barrhead Travel is offering its charter flights with British Airways aircraft, with amenities that include more legroom for passengers and more luggage allowance.

Sharon Munro, the chief executive officer of Barrhead Travel, said, ‘We strive to give our customers greater choice and value and chartering more flights during the summer months to some of our most popular destinations and cruise ships enables us to give them the best prices possible.

2013 will see our most ambitious flight programme to date, including new routes from Aberdeen to Barcelona, Glasgow to Alicante and three flights per week due to public demand from Glasgow to Palma. The flights will give our agents more flexibility to tailor cost effective holiday options or are available for customers to book directly online.’

Amanda McMillan, the managing director of Glasgow Airport, said, ‘Barrhead Travel has always proved a popular choice for Scottish holidaymakers and we have worked closely with them over the last three summers to ensure their flight programme from Glasgow Airport has been successful.

It is great news for Scottish holidaymakers that Barrhead has expanded its Glasgow Airport programme every year since it began in 2010. With five popular destinations in 2013, we are confident that our partnership is on course for another successful summer.’

Gama Aviation Announces Expansion at Glasgow Airport

Gama Aviation, a US-based company that provides business aviation services, will be expanding its services at Glasgow Airport in the UK.

The airline, which has announced a GBP3.5 million expansion project for its Glasgow Airport services, will be constructing a dedicated aviation hangar. The 17,222 sq ft hangar will be housing its Scottish Air Ambulance King Air aircraft and the company’s Bombardier Challenger aircraft.

The hangar will also offer a full base and line maintenance hangar facility that is on a par with the airline’s engineering facilities in London. The company will be also opening the Gama Glasgow Operations Centre to support its services to the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Scotland.

Glasgow Airport will also serve as a stopover for the company’s customers flying between its base at Teterboro, New Jersey, and the company’s base at Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.

Tom Wells, the general manager of Gama Aviation, said, ‘The key beneficiaries of Gama’s further investment in Glasgow will be the Scottish Ambulance Service and the people of Scotland. The opening of the Gama Glasgow hangar, offices, maintenance facility and executive terminal further underlines our long term commitment to Scotland and investing in the world class infrastructure needed in order to offer our full range of aviation services, at the highest level to our global client base.’

A Glasgow Airport spokesman said, ‘This is a considerable and welcome investment from Gama Aviation which has further demonstrated its commitment to Glasgow Airport with the construction of its dedicated hangar. The new facility will enable Gama to expand its operations and we are looking forward to its launch in the New Year.’