Amanda McMillan, Chief Executive of AGS Airports Ltd and Managing Director of Glasgow Airport: “We anticipate that 2016 will be our busiest year on record, topping nine million passengers for the first time. This will place us on a trajectory towards 10 million passengers and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.”
Glasgow Airport is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2016 and is determined to ensure this year makes the history books, as Amanda McMillan, Chief Executive of AGS Airports Ltd and Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, explains to Marta Dimitrova.
On Sunday 1 May 1966, a Cherokee 6 aircraft piloted by Captain Kenneth Foster of Loganair was the first aircraft to land at Glasgow Airport. This all-important test flight ensured that the airport was able to pass the rigorous tests set by the then Ministry of Aviation, enabling it to officially open for business the following day.
Since that first landing, Glasgow Airport has gone on to play a pivotal role in connecting Scotland with the world, and has achieved some notable landmarks along the way. “Whether it was the visit of British Airways’ Concorde, NASA’s Space Shuttle Enterprise in 1983, or the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, the A380, I think it’s fair to say Glasgow Airport has always been at the forefront of Scottish aviation,” enthuses Amanda McMillan, Chief Executive of AGS Airports Ltd and Managing Director of Glasgow Airport. “We started life with just seven airlines, three of which are still with us today, including Aer Lingus, Icelandair and Loganair.”
Today, the airport has 30 airlines serving over 120 destinations, and the underlying growth figures are impressive. Following 13% growth in 2015 to 8.7 million passengers, the airport has enjoyed its busiest ever start to a year – the latest figures for April showing 8.5% growth.
“2015 was exceptional in so many respects,” McMillan says. “We welcomed an additional one million passengers through our doors, which was a huge accomplishment, but by far the most pleasing aspect was the extent to which we bolstered our connections to European cities such as Budapest, Prague, Milan and Bucharest.”
30 new routes were launched in 2015, driven largely by low-cost carriers including Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Jet2.com, and a further 16 new services will be launched this year. “We are Scotland’s leading long haul airport and the arrival of major flag carriers such as Air Canada Rouge and Air France will see us consolidate this position in 2016,” McMillan explains. “Over the summer months, Air Transat will introduce direct flights to Montréal, and we will welcome Korean Air onboard which will launch Scotland’s first-ever direct service to Seoul.”
Development of the short haul European route offering remains a continued focus. Last year saw the launch of new services to Milan, Bordeaux, Vilnius and Lublin, while in March this year Ryanair confirmed it will introduce flights to Brussels and Sofia, and easyJet will launch direct flights to Marseille in June.
“We have always had a strong track record in long haul due to the huge population surrounding Glasgow Airport – the Glasgow City Region has a catchment of 2.3 million,” McMillan notes. “We will continue to work with our city and national partners, including Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and VisitScotland, to develop compelling propositions for long haul carriers to choose Glasgow over competing markets.”
The airport has invested £25 million (€32m) in enhancing its facilities over the past two years, in direct response to growing passenger numbers. This included a £3.3 million (€4.2m) extension to the east pier, providing capacity for a further 750,000 passengers, and a £500,000 (€650,000) refurbishment of the dedicated passenger lounge, the Upper Deck. “This coincided with the start of a large scale airside terminal remodelling programme which has continued into 2016, and in which we’re investing a further £25 million (€32m),” McMillan adds. “Projects include a major redevelopment of our main departure lounge to incorporate new retail and catering facilities; increasing stand capacity to accommodate larger aircraft; the creation of a new consolidated car rental village; and resurfacing of the airport’s runway – its first major overhaul in 15 years.”
From humble beginnings 50 years ago, Glasgow Airport has grown considerably. The two key ingredients to its future success will, McMillan says, be “destination choice and unrivalled service.”
“I want to ensure our staff and all of our partners help Glasgow Airport celebrate its 50th anniversary in style,” she concludes.
