GLASGOW AIRPORT ENJOYS BUSIEST YEAR SINCE 2009

Passenger numbers up 4.2% in 2012 / December traffic up 4.3%

Glasgow Airport enjoyed its busiest year since 2009 with almost 7.2 million passengers travelling through the airport in 2012, representing an annual increase of 4.2%.

Much of the growth can be attributed to the airport’s success in introducing a host of news routes and services including direct flights to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome, which contributed to a strong demand for international travel. Domestic and international traffic for 2012 was up 2.1% and 6.4% respectively.

The growth in the annual figure was mirrored in December’s performance which saw passenger numbers increase by 4.3% compared to the same month in 2011. Glasgow Airport served almost 440,000 passengers in December, with long haul services up a staggering 21%.

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “We worked extremely hard throughout 2012 against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, to expand our route network and provide passengers with greater choice. We had considerable success in attracting services such as Emirates’ second daily flight to Dubai, which not only encouraged more people to fly to and from Glasgow but helped strengthen Scotland’s connectivity with important global markets.

“Whilst we are extremely encouraged at having exceeded the seven million mark, the current economic outlook is a cause for concern as are the planned increases in Air Passenger Duty (APD), which will come into effect following the budget in March. However, we remain committed to working with our city partners throughout 2013 to secure further routes and boost the in-bound tourism potential of Glasgow.”

MTB 12/01/2013