Glasgow Airport sees 20th consecutive month of growth
The Ryder Cup, which proved a huge a draw for golf fans from across Europe and America, contributed to the increase in passenger numbers, as did Glasgow’s continued success in attracting large scale conferences which saw thousands of delegates descend on the city.
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International traffic, which was up 5.5%, was the main driver of growth with airlines such as Emirates, Icelandair, KLM, United and US Airways all reporting an increase in demand. The continued increase in numbers follows the news the airport had enjoyed its busiest summer in six years.
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “The Ryder Cup was hugely successful in attracting visitors from across the globe to Scotland and we enjoyed a lift in passenger numbers as a direct result. It was no surprise that our U.S. carriers, as well as Icelandair and KLM, all experienced an increase in demand, particularly for business class seats.
“We made a very encouraging start to October with the welcome news Virgin Atlantic is to increase capacity on its Orlando service and Canadian airline WestJet, will further strengthen our long haul connectivity when it introduces direct flights to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2015. We are also looking forward to welcoming Ryanair which will start flying from Glasgow for the first time when it launches its new base at the end of the month.”
Other route development highlights have included the unveiling by Jet2.com of further expansion plans for Glasgow. The airline will introduce four new routes, including direct flights to Prague, and a sixth based aircraft which will see it operate its biggest ever flying programme from Glasgow Airport in 2015.
