Glasgow International Airport (GLA)

About Glasgow International Airport

Glasgow International Airport was the first airport in Scotland to record over one million passengers using its facilities and is currently the busiest airport in the country. At the end of 2006 the airport announced that the number of passengers passing through reached 8,820,00 and this meant that it ranks as the seventh busiest airport in the UK. Glasgow International Airport is owned by BAA and is located in the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire. In addition to providing maintenance facilities for British Airways, the airport is also a hub for Flyglobespan, easyJet and Loganair.

Parking at the Airport

Glasgow International Airport has both short and long stay parking available, offering an excellent standard of security including CCTV and regular patrols.
The short stay car park is situated beside the entrance to the terminal and is ideal for anyone picking up or dropping off or staying for only a few hours.
The long stay car park can be found on the perimeter of the airport, roughly five minutes from the Terminal by regular courtesy bus and is suitable for passengers going on holiday or taking longer business trips.

Facilities and Services

There are a range of amenities available at the terminal at Glasgow International Airport, including toilets and baby changing facilities, play areas, internet access, money changing services and cashpoints, as well a selection of shopping and dining choices. The Business Wing and the Servisair Executive Lounge provide a quiet and pleasant atmosphere as well as a choice of complimentary snacks and beverages for passengers, whether they are heading out on business or on holiday. Glasgow International Airport provide flights operated by British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Aer Lingus amongst others.

Getting To The Airport

For passengers wishing to travel by train Gilmour Street in Paisley is the nearest station to the terminal and this provides a link to direct rail services to Glasgow Central, Ayr and Clyde Coast locations.
For passengers wishing to travel by coach the short stay coach park is located on Bute Road next to international arrivals where the charter coaches drop off and pick up.
For passengers wish to travel by bus, the stop is located outside the terminal building. In addition the Glasgow Flyer service 500 calls at a number of points close to key public transport hubs, terminating at Glasgow city centre. Stops include Glasgow Centre and Queen Street railway stations and Buchanan bus station and the service is operated by Arriva. In addition there are several bus services operating in the local area.
For passengers wishing to travel by car, take Junction 28 of the M8 motorway in order to reach the airport.

History of Glasgow International Airport

The Royal Air Force 603 Squadron (City of Glasgow) Auxiliary Air Force transferred its operations to the site of Glasgow International Airport in Abbotsinch in 1933, flying in its Wapiti IIA aircraft from neighbouring Renfrew. Three years later 6 Auxiliary Group Bomber Command moved in and the Supermarine Spitfire was flown out of the site between May and October 1939.

Both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy used the base for torpedo training from 1940 but the Navy took over entirely in 1943, converting the site into a Stone frigate named HMS Sanderling. Although the Navy left in 1963 the name Sanderling was kept and the ship’s bell was eventually donated to the new airport.

Originally Prestwick was the principle airport in the area but it was decided that a new facility was required, and Abbotsinch was approved as the most suitable site. On 2nd May 1966 a British European Airways flight from Edinburgh became the first civil flight to land at the new airport although it was not officially opened by Queen Elizabeth until June 1966.

Ownership of the airport was transferred to BAA in 1975 and the company immediately instigated a programme of improvements including the extension of the terminal building which took approximately one and half years to complete.

Glasgow International Airport officially took over from Prestwick as the principal airport in the city in the 1980s and BAA continued to invest in the further expansion and development of the site.

By 1996 approximately 5.47 million passengers were recorded as passing through Glasgow International Airport increasing to around 7 million by the turn of the century. A new multi-storey car park linked to the terminal was built in 2002 and a year later Glasgow announced that passenger numbers had increased to 8 million.