Glasgow Airport Archives - Paisley Scotland

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 17 th annual Scottish Transport Awards once again recognised excellence, innovation and progress across all areas of transport.

14/06/2019/by Brian McGuire

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AGS Airports Ltd statement with regards to Notice of Industrial Action from Unite

A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which owns and managers Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports, said: “We are extremely disappointed that the trade unions have served notice of industrial action. We have been in talks since January and, despite attending Acas, there has been no willingness whatsoever on the part of the unions to engage in a constructive negotiation.

“We made a significant improvement on our initial pay offer which was increased from 1.8% to 3% in line with their demands. This was rejected by the trade unions without further consulting their members. In regards to our final salary pension scheme, it is simply unaffordable with the cost to the company due to rise to 24.7% per employee. We tabled a generous compensation package for the remaining members which again was rejected by unions without further consulting their members.

“As always, we remain open to continuing dialogue, however, we will now put our robust contingency plans in place to ensure it will be business as usual at Aberdeen and Glasgow airports for our passengers and airlines on both Friday 7^th and Monday 10th of June.”

24/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

Zero tolerance Campus Watch programme has seen offences halve since 2017

Glasgow Airport’s disruptive passenger campaign was launched today (Friday 24 May) by the UK Aviation Minister Baroness Vere, ahead of the 2019 summer season.

Meeting with the airport’s Managing Director and Police Scotland today, the Aviation Minister witnessed for herself the effectiveness of the Campus Watch scheme, which has seen the number of offences involving disruptive behaviour reduced by more than 50 per cent since 2017.

In partnership with Police Scotland, Campus Watch was introduced in 2013 to tackle disruptive behaviour at Glasgow Airport. From bar and restaurant employees to security crew and retailers, the scheme provides training, advice and support to staff who interact with passengers throughout the airport.

Airport staff will report individuals at risk of committing disruptive behaviour, such as those under the influence of alcohol, to the airport’s central control room. This information is shared with staff across the airport campus via a rapid text alert system and passengers can be given warnings about their behaviour, monitored by police and airport staff, or even refused alcohol at bars and restaurants. If their behaviour continues to cause concern, they could eventually be stopped from boarding their flight.

Aviation Minister Baroness Vere said:

“Unruly and disruptive behaviour can be extremely distressful for those on board, threaten the safety of aircraft and be hugely inconvenient for passengers if planes are forced to divert to offload perpetrators.

“It is only right that passengers and staff are protected from such behaviour and it was great to witness the dedication of hardworking staff committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of passengers.”

The simple and effective Campus Watch approach has been an industry leader since its introduction and in recent years a number of other UK airports have visited Glasgow to learn and adopt the key principles of the programme.

Although launched ahead of the peak summer season, Campus Watch operates throughout the year and features an extensive staff awareness programme, including a series of drop-in sessions and stakeholder forums, to ensure people employed across the airport who interact with passengers receive the appropriate support and training in order to work together to tackle disruptive behaviour.

Glasgow Airport Managing Director Mark Johnston said:

“Instances of disruptive behaviour at Glasgow Airport remain extremely rare and I’m confident our Campus Watch programme has played a key role in ensuring the vast majority of our passengers travel through the airport safely, responsibly and without incident.

“Offences involving disruptive behaviour were halved last year at Glasgow Airport and we are seeing a further reduction this year to date, so Campus Watch is having a positive effective and our zero-tolerance approach is getting through to the tiny minority who fail to act in a responsible manner.

“For many of our passengers, the arrival at the airport signals the start of their holiday and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. We want to ensure our passengers continue to enjoy a pleasant, safe and disruption-free journey and Campus Watch is in place to ensure it’s a memorable one for the right reasons.”

Disruptive behaviour covers a broad range of offences and actions ranging from a verbal warning to arrest. As an example, if an incident is alcohol related the passenger involved will be warned about their behaviour by Police Scotland officers and refused service across all retail and catering outlets throughout the terminal. Gate staff will be also notified in advance and will assess the passenger and determine if they should be permitted to board the aircraft.

Other steps taken at Glasgow Airport as part of the Campus Watch initiative include:

Police Scotland patrols at the drop-off area ahead of potentially problematic flights
New Campus Watch awareness material displayed across the airport
Airlines make airport-based Police Scotland officers aware of group bookings
Police Scotland officers make themselves known to large groups arriving at the airport
Duty free staff will also remind passengers the alcohol they purchase is for export only and cannot be consumed in the airport or on board an aircraft
Regular Campus Watch drop-in sessions held for staff to learn more and share experiences
Regular Campus Watch steering group made up of airport partners

Glasgow Airport, its airline partners, caterers and retailers are signatories of the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers launched in 2017. Like Campus Watch, the code has been designed to create a common, consistent approach to preventing and minimising disruptive behaviour.

In addition to this, the airport is also committed to continuing its support of the industry-wide One Too Many campaign and will this year support the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Unruly Passengers initiative.

Today marks Baroness Vere’s first visit to Scotland as UK Aviation Minister. While at Glasgow Airport she also discussed how expansion at Heathrow would help strengthen the Union, bringing new UK connections, increased frequency and greater competition for domestic routes.

The UK government has set a clear expectation that 15% of slots made available under expansion at Heathrow Airport will be used for domestic flights, helping bring the UK closer together and encourage the growth of prosperity and jobs across the nation.

24/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

The £1.6m investment ensures Glasgow has more lounge offerings than any other Scottish airport –

Glasgow Airport can today (Wednesday, May 22) unveil the first design images of its exclusive new executive lounge.

The Lomond Lounge will be based airside in the departures area and is due to open its doors to outbound passengers later this summer.

More than £1.6 million is being invested in the plush new facility, which will create 25 new jobs and operate between 5am and 9pm daily.

This will be the fourth lounge facility to be based at Glasgow – the most of any Scottish airport – as the number of people looking to enjoy access to exclusive lounge facilities is on the increase. Emirates and British Airways both have their own separate facilities at Glasgow while the airport has operated its own hugely-successful UpperDeck lounge for a number of years.

Glasgow Airport Managing Director Mark Johnston said: “We’re very excited about the introduction of the Lomond Lounge later this summer and the superior customer experience it will deliver for our passengers.

“While the UpperDeck continues to be extremely popular with our business and leisure passengers, demand for lounge access continues to rise as more and more people look to start their travels in style.

“The potential for the site of the new Lomond Lounge was huge given its prime location in the airport’s departures area and the fantastic views it offers of both the airfield and the stunning backdrop of the Campsie Fells.

“The Lomond Lounge will set the benchmark in providing a premium level of service and comfort when it opens its doors and I’m sure our customers will be very impressed with everything this luxurious new facility will offer.”

The look and feel of the 4,500-square foot lounge has been inspired by the neighbouring Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and features a mix of table service for a la carte dining and more relaxed seating areas were passengers can unwind in comfort and enjoy a snack or drink before their flight.

The natural colours and contemporary styling have also been balanced with a strong appreciation of Glasgow Airport’s original Basil Spence-designed architecture, with the lounge proudly housing his renowned barrel-vaulted ceilings.

With a capacity of just 100 covers allowing for greater privacy, the Lomond Lounge will offer a wide selection of a la carte breakfast, lunch and dining options featuring Scottish produce freshly prepared by local chefs.

Lounge customers will be able to choose from a range of freshly-prepared dishes from the
breakfast and lunch/dinner menus, whether it’s eggs Benedict or an American pancake stack ahead of the morning business commute, the Lomond beef or vegan burgers for lunch or even a stone-baked pizza with Ayrshire ham or fish with triple-cooked chips with minted mushy peas for an evening meal before heading off on holiday.

Diners will also be able to take in the wonderful views of the Lomond Lounge while enjoying a pre-flight afternoon tea replete with a serving tower topped with delicious finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones with clotted cream, cakes and pastries.

Further dining options will also include hot and cold self-service buffet options such as a St James’ smoked salmon platter or Navratan korma with baked paneer from the bistro area. A range of craft and premium bottled and draft beers, soft drinks, top-quality spirits, specialist cocktails and award-winning wines including prosecco and champagne will also be available from the staffed bar area.

The lounge will include a business suite area and will feature charging outlets, high-speed WiFi, flight information displays and complimentary national newspapers and glossy magazines.

Lomond Lounge can be booked in advance by visiting: www.glasgowairport.com, or payment can be made on the day subject to availability at that time. The lounge is scheduled to open early August.

22/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

Several thousand of the world’s best pipers and drummers today turned Paisley into a sea of tartan as the town hosted one of piping’s biggest and most prestigious events.

The British Pipe Band Championships saw huge crowds flock to the town’s St James Playing Fields for the first of the five annual ‘majors’ in the piping calendar.

MFG

A total of 123 bands from across the UK and Ireland took part across the day and in the spectacular final march-past, with individual competitors from as far afield as the USA, Denmark and Belgium.

The big winners on the day were the St.Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band who picked up the top prize in the prestigious Grade One competition

Local interest on the day included the Johnstone, Kilbarchan and Renfrewshire Schools Pipe bands.

MFG

Visitors enjoyed a day of free family entertainment including a Highland Games competition with caber-tossing and a Scottish Open Strongman contest featuring World’s Strongest Man competitors.

The event was organised by Renfrewshire Council and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. This was the fourth year the championships have taken place in Paisley – with the area contracted to continue to host until 2021.

Previous events had generated more than £300k for the local economy, with half the attendees visitors to Renfrewshire and 7% from outwith Scotland.

Free transport had been organised to and from the event site in partnership with bus firm McGill’s.

Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: “We were delighted to welcome the British Pipe Band Championships to Paisley for another year of what has been a really successful partnership.

“Hosting an international event like this generates a massive economic boost for the area and brings huge volumes of footfall into the town. It also helps further cement Paisley and Renfrewshire’s place as one of Scotland’s premier destinations for major events.”

Ian Embelton, chief executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, added: “The British Championships are the first of our five major championships taking place throughout the summer and we saw a top-class display of piping and drumming from the world’s best.

“Once again, the people of Renfrewshire came out in numbers to support the event – Paisley is a great location and host venue, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the town over the next two years.”

19/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports which owns and manages Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports, said: “The Scottish Government’s decision to abandon its manifesto pledge to cut aviation tax is a huge blow for our airports and for Scotland’s connectivity. Over the course of the past year alone, we have seen the withdrawal by airlines of almost 30 routes from Aberdeen and Glasgow airports because of Air Passenger Duty (APD).

“We need only look to Inverness, which is currently exempt from APD, to see how airlines can and do respond. British Airways withdrew capacity at Aberdeen whilst adding services in Inverness which benefits from the lack of APD. By dropping plans to cut this tax on passengers we are missing a very real opportunity to secure new routes and, more worryingly, maintain existing services which play a vital role in supporting our economy.

“Together with the wider industry we have always said growth in aviation can and must go hand in hand with action on the environment but scrapping this policy will do nothing to reduce global CO2 emissions. As a global sector by nature the only way to achieve this is through international action, and that’s why over 190 countries have signed up to a carbon offsetting scheme that will address increases in total emissions from international aviation above 2020 levels.”

About AGS Airports Limited

AGS Airports is a partnership between Ferrovial and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) established in 2014 to invest in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports.

As the second largest airport group in the UK, AGS carried almost 15 million passengers in 2018. With 70 airlines serving more than 200 destinations, the Group serves three distinct catchment areas and includes Europe’s busiest commercial heliport at Aberdeen. Approximately 1,000 people are employed across the Group which supports a further 12,000 indirect employees. AGS invested over £30 million in major infrastructure projects across its airports in 2018 to further enhance the passenger experience and support the continued growth of the Group.

07/05/2019/by Brian McGuire

Glasgow Airport and Emirates will make Scottish aviation history with the first arrival of the A380 aircraft, which touched down at 19.45 on Tuesday, April 16.

Last week saw the first the time world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft which has been introduced to scheduled service in Scotland. Glasgow Airport has invested more than £8m upgrading its infrastructure to welcome the iconic aircraft, including the introduction of Scotland’s only triple airbridge.

Video of the Aircraft arriving via social media on our Facebook page.

24/04/2019/by Brian McGuire

Eight petrol/electric plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4x4s arrive at Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport has invested more than £200,000 to introduce an eight-strong fleet of petrol/electric plug-in hybrid vehicles to its operations.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 4×4 vehicles will be deployed across the airport’s security, engineering and airfield operations teams. A number of charging stations have also installed across the airport campus to accommodate the two-litre engine vehicles.

Unlike conventional hybrids, PHEV vehicles like the Mitsubishi Outlander can be plugged-in and recharged from an outlet, which allows them to drive extended distances using just electricity. When the battery is running low emptied, the conventional engine kicks in to support it.

Each of the airport’s new vehicles have been supplied by Arnold Clark and can achieve up to 166 miles per gallon, bringing both attractive cost reductions and environmental benefits.

Mark Johnston, Managing Director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The Outlander hybrid vehicles are fantastic additions to our fleet. The vehicles they have replaced produced between 200 and 230 grams of CO2 per kilometre whereas the Outlander is around the 41-grams mark.

“As well as delivering up to 166 miles per gallon, they also have the ability to drive over 30 miles with zero emissions using just electricity. As the fleet makes short journeys around the airfield, the Outlanders will be charged frequently at one of our stations to again minimise the amount of fuel used. We also enjoy the added bonus that 100% of our own electricity supply at Glasgow Airport is generated using renewable energy.

“The environmental benefits and considerable cost reductions associated with the introduction of these hybrid plug-in vehicles are very attractive, so much so that through time we are considering rolling them out across the entire airport fleet.”

Scott McPhail, Group Business Franchise Manager, said: “We are delighted to be adding Glasgow Airport to our expanding portfolio of business customers, especially given their locality to our head office at Hillington, and with us being relatively new to working with Mitsubishi from a business supply perspective.

“We are sure our plug-in hybrid will be an excellent addition to their fleet, and we look forward to working with Glasgow Airport, as well as Aberdeen and Southampton airports, in introducing these vehicles across their operations.”

05/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

Five additional services and 1200 extra seats available on popular Orlando route this winter

Virgin Atlantic has announced additional capacity on its popular Orlando route from Glasgow this coming winter, making 2019 the longest season ever for the airline at airport.

More than 1,200 extra seats will be made available on flights as a result of the airline’s decision to introduce an additional five flights in November and December this year. The first flight of the season will take place on Saturday 23 March with the last returning service departing Orlando on January 4th 2020.

Steven Marshall, Head of Airline Development (Long Haul) at Glasgow Airport, said: “Florida is a popular destination among Scottish holidaymakers and the decision to increase capacity on this route during the winter months by extending the service through to early January 2020 is a clear demonstration of Virgin Atlantic’s continued commitment to the Glasgow market.

“These additional winter flights are sure to be popular with families looking to spend the 2019 festive break with Mickey Mouse and his friends, or those passengers keen to explore Miami and the picture postcard Florida Keys.”

The additional flights in November and December will be operated using one of the airline’s 266-seat A330-200 aircraft. The fleet has recently been refurbished to include new Economy, Premium and Upper Class interiors and seating.

Juha Jarvinen, Executive Vice President of Commercial at Virgin Atlantic commented: “We have loved flying our Scottish customers from Glasgow to Orlando over the last 12 years and I can’t think of a better way to cement our commitment to the region than to offer our biggest ever season.

“We’re excited to welcome many more customers on-board, enabling them to experience our world famous service as they jet off on the holiday of a lifetime in the sunshine state.”

Following the launch of the Glasgow to Orlando, Florida service in 2007, Virgin Atlantic has carried over 400,000 passengers. In 2018 more than 55,000 passengers travelled between the airport and the Sunshine State, making Orlando Glasgow’s busiest route to the USA.

Virgin Atlantic’s winter extension compliments the existing summer programme, which operates from Saturday 23 March using the airline’s Boeing 747 aircraft. This operates up to four flights per week to Orlando in the peak summer months.

21/02/2019/by Brian McGuire

Development of a major innovation district bringing jobs and investment into Renfrewshire has taken a significant step forward.

Renfrewshire Council’s Leadership Board has approved the Full Business Case for the Glasgow Airport Investment Area Project.

Glasgow Airport Investment Area

The project – one of three in Renfrewshire funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal – will see construction of new roads, bridges, cycling and pedestrian routes around Glasgow Airport.

What is being built?

Re-alignment and upgrading of Abbotsinch Road – including 1620 metres of new road
A two-lane bridge over the White Cart linking the investment area to Westway business park and other development sites
A 100-metre cycleway and pedestrian bridge spanning the Black Cart
New and improved junctions, extensive active travel facilities and connections to existing cycleways and paths

This infrastructure will improve connections between the Westway, Inchinnan and Airport business parks and enable development of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS).

Significant work has already started to develop this district, which will capitalise on existing advanced manufacturing and engineering and research expertise in Renfrewshire and Scotland to drive sustainable growth.

Thousands of jobs are anticipated to be created through development of the district, which has already attracted the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) to be located here.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “Renfrewshire has a proud manufacturing heritage and through this hugely important project we are cementing our position at the beating heart of Scotland’s manufacturing future.

“I am pleased that everyone across the council chambers recognises the significance of this project and has backed it. Construction of this new infrastructure will create the connections and conditions which attract major investment and brings thousands of new jobs to the region.”

Almost 60 hectares of vacant and derelict land will be brought back into use through the Glasgow Airport Investment Area project, which supports the airport’s expansion plans.

It will also improve connections to the business parks at Westway in Renfrew, which has an onsite docking facility, and to Inchinnan, home to world-leading global life sciences company Thermo Fisher Scientific, engineering experts Rolls Royce and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre.

The project Outline Business Case was approved by the Glasgow City Region Cabinet in December 2016 and planning consent for the main infrastructure was granted in late 2017.

Renfrewshire councillors have now signalled their support for the 192-page Full Business Case, which details every aspect of the £39.1million project including the economic, commercial and financial case.

Councillor Nicolson added: “I regularly meet with and speak to Renfrewshire’s business community and listening to what they say there is collective recognition of the strategic importance of this project.

“Our location combined with the established expertise and highly skilled workforce provide us with the perfect platform for this project to deliver on its objectives and I wish to extend my thanks to the incredibly detailed and diligent work which has been undertaken by our City Deal project team to reach this milestone.”

Final tenders for the project construction will be considered at the Council’s Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board on 27 March, before the Full Business Case is considered for approval by the Glasgow City Region Chief Executives Group.

And once considered by the City Region Cabinet on 9 April, construction is scheduled to start this summer.

21/02/2019/by Brian McGuire