Airport Guide
Glasgow International Airport
Comfortably Scotland's second-busiest air terminal, Glasgow International Airport handled almost nine million passengers in 2007 alone, while there are plans in place to increase its capacity to almost treble this by 2030.
Under the operator BAA, Glasgow has grown to become a major hub for a number of low-cost airlines and now offers affordable flights to a host of destinations across both the rest of the UK and Europe.
Highlighting the demand for services out of the Scottish city, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is also situated nearby, though is less conveniently located and offers fewer services than its longer-standing rival.
As with all major UK air fields, Glasgow initially grew in stature during the Second World War, though it was the Royal Navy, rather than the Royal Air Force, which used it as an operational base. The military only left in 1963, at which point Glasgow City Council decided to invest in the airport, despite having previously poured millions into nearby Prestwick. Nine years after it welcomed its first commercial flight in 1966, Glasgow Airport was taken over by BAA and has since steadily expanded, particularly after it was transformed into an international terminal in 1989. In 2003, BAA completed work on a new terminal building aimed at accommodating the passengers of the new low-cost airlines, though any future growth is hampered by the airport's proximity to the M8 motorway to the south, the town of Renfrew to the east and the River Clyde to the north.
The Scottish Executive announced in 2002 that a new multi-million pound rail link will be constructed to link the airport to Glasgow Central station, with the first trains likely to be running by 2010.
Until then, the only way for those passengers not driving to the airport to get there is to jump on the dedicated express bus - 'The Glasgow Flyer' - from the city centre just eight miles away, though journeys can be frustratingly slow during rush hour.
Passengers with cars have it much easier, as the airport is well-connected to the M8 motorway, which offers quick and easy links to Glasgow, Paisley, Renfrew and Edinburgh.
Glasgow International Airport serves as the principal hub for Loganair, known as 'Scotland's Airline', which operates flights to the rest of the country, including Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, as well as to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Budget airline easyJet also has a strong presence at the airport, offering cheap links with a number of European destinations, including Berlin, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Paris and Palma de Mallorca.
Among the dozens of other airlines flying out of Glasgow International are Continental Airlines, which offers links to the United States, KLM, SAS, Icelandair and Monarch
Under the operator BAA, Glasgow has grown to become a major hub for a number of low-cost airlines and now offers affordable flights to a host of destinations across both the rest of the UK and Europe.
Highlighting the demand for services out of the Scottish city, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is also situated nearby, though is less conveniently located and offers fewer services than its longer-standing rival.
History of Glasgow International Airport
As with all major UK air fields, Glasgow initially grew in stature during the Second World War, though it was the Royal Navy, rather than the Royal Air Force, which used it as an operational base. The military only left in 1963, at which point Glasgow City Council decided to invest in the airport, despite having previously poured millions into nearby Prestwick. Nine years after it welcomed its first commercial flight in 1966, Glasgow Airport was taken over by BAA and has since steadily expanded, particularly after it was transformed into an international terminal in 1989. In 2003, BAA completed work on a new terminal building aimed at accommodating the passengers of the new low-cost airlines, though any future growth is hampered by the airport's proximity to the M8 motorway to the south, the town of Renfrew to the east and the River Clyde to the north.
Travelling to Glasgow International Airport
The Scottish Executive announced in 2002 that a new multi-million pound rail link will be constructed to link the airport to Glasgow Central station, with the first trains likely to be running by 2010.
Until then, the only way for those passengers not driving to the airport to get there is to jump on the dedicated express bus - 'The Glasgow Flyer' - from the city centre just eight miles away, though journeys can be frustratingly slow during rush hour.
Passengers with cars have it much easier, as the airport is well-connected to the M8 motorway, which offers quick and easy links to Glasgow, Paisley, Renfrew and Edinburgh.
Airlines Flying from Glasgow International Airport
Glasgow International Airport serves as the principal hub for Loganair, known as 'Scotland's Airline', which operates flights to the rest of the country, including Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, as well as to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Budget airline easyJet also has a strong presence at the airport, offering cheap links with a number of European destinations, including Berlin, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga, Paris and Palma de Mallorca.
Among the dozens of other airlines flying out of Glasgow International are Continental Airlines, which offers links to the United States, KLM, SAS, Icelandair and Monarch