Glasgow Airport History

Glasgow Airport History

1960 The Announcement there was going to be a new airport built for Glasgow, it was to be built at Abbotsinch to replace Renfrew RAF base.
Abbotsinch had been used previously as an overspill airfield for the RAF base. The Royal Navy departed as work went on to build the new Glasgow airport.

1966 Glasgow Abbotsinch Airport was officially opened on 2nd may 1966, That day BEA began jet services to London with Comet 4 aircraft to support the existing Vanguards. British Eagle also introduced their brand new BAC 1-11 jets. By December that year Glasgow Abbotsinch airport recorded it's 1 millionth passenger through its airport terminal..

1969 KLM transferred its Amsterdam - Prestwick service to Glasgow.

1973 Saw the main runway extended from 6,720 feet to 8,720 feet to cater for the larger aircraft jets. 1975 The owners Glasgow Corporation
sold the airport to BAA. BEA launched the Super Shuttle service to Heathrow with Tridents and introduced HS 748's to the Highlands and Islands.
Glasgow Airport is still today operated by BAA and officially Scotland's busiest Airport with over 8 million passengers using the airport terminals.

1976 By now the airport was growing and needed more space, so a new £2 million project of extending the terminal was started in order to cater for up to 3 million passengers.

1987 Work began on a major extension of the apron area .

1989 A major extension of Glasgow Airport terminal building was announced. The three year project with an initial cost of £55 million would increase the airport terminal size by 70% and cater for 6 million airport passengers a year.

1990 March saw the history of the airport take off with announcement of the lifting of Prestwick Airports monopoly on transatlantic flights.
Airlines would be free to fly to North America from any airport they wanted . Air Canada and Northwest Orient switched right away beginning flights to Toronto and Boston in early May. American Airlines began Chicago services and later that summer British Airways introduced New York JFK with TriStar aircraft. Canadian charter airlines began holiday flights to Canada.

1994 Work was completed on building of Glasgow international airport, traffic moved to the new pier with 7 air bridges capable of handling any type of aircraft. The terminal now has 33 gates as well as remote airport parking areas.

1997 Continental Airlines took advantage of the departure of Northwest and United Airlines "who served Washington DC" to begin services to their hub at New York Newark Airport.

2002 Big expansions from low cost operators on domestic routes helped airport passenger numbers continue to rise.

2003 Glasgow Airports growth continues to prosper as Scotland's number one international airport, setting new records for airport passenger numbers month after month, year after year . Glasgow now handles over 8 million airport passengers and almost 90,000 air transport movements a year. Another major expansion of the airport terminal building was announced which will increase capacity to 16 million airport passengers a year and plans for the much awaited direct rail link to the city centre were confirmed.

2003 30,000 football supporters are expected to go through the airport on Thursday 22nd May. Scotland's busiest international airport will handle nearly 200 flights during the day, bringing Celtic's UEFA cup finalists and 16,000 supporters back from Seville and moving thousands more holiday-makers to and from the airport and traditional sunspots. Throughout the week, upwards of 20,000 football fans will travel through Glasgow Airport..
Stephen Baxter managing Director expressed that Glasgow Airport will be well prepared to manage what will hopefully be one of Glasgow airports busiest days in the long History of Glasgow International Airport.

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