Last time I flew out off GLA was a couple of years ago and I agree that some of it was feeling pretty decrepit. The domestic pier that my EZY flight to LGW left from felt pure 1960s, which of course it is. However the passenger experience at EDI, where I am a regular traveller, is pretty awful. Pre Covid-19 it was overcrowded almost all the time and the new pier feels cheap and nasty. It is a great shame that the bullet wasn’t bitten years ago and the much talked about Central Scotland airport built.

There is no future at the moment. Economy is weak, SNP in bed with the Greens so we're talking frequent flyer taxes and APD being cut or eliminated will now never happen. Constant uncertainty with indy and now lockdowns. SNP infatuation with Prestwick means we have a laughable situation of two sub standard airports representing a run of the mill city. Rail link will never happen to reduce the M8/74 bottleneck. The management are useless. Aberdeen, Glasgow, Southampton all struggling, spot a pattern? Be as well blowing it up and building it somewhere east to ever give a chance of competing again. As stated above and elsewhere several times the place is needing more than a lick of paint and its debatable whether the owners have the desire to invest or even realise what the place looks like to an outsider.

There's so many factors against the airport now that you have to question its long term viability. Derek Provan said their airports are losing around 3m a month currently. I don't see any signs of major recovery on the way post covid. All about survival now. There's no wave or routes or base openings to stem the bleeding or provide optimism.

The airport will probably exist, just about. You'll still have shuttle service to above named hubs and maybe some UK/Ireland regional travel at the expense of the tax payer and a few flights to the Costas. Cuts will continue. My prediction in the next medium term is UA leave completely and the seeds will be sown for Emirates to concentrate on the east like the transatlantic Airlines have. God forbid Loganair goes bust! If EZY can shut Newcastle they'll look at Glasgow as its market share further shrinks.

We have an Irish model of aviation now in Scotland with one dominant airport, however without the hub status or the infrastructure to go with it. A total shambles.

It's bleak times in the west for aviation.
I have a feeling that AGS' plan was to purchase Prestwick, shut the terminal and move the small remaining Ryanair service to Glasgow, and that obviously fell through due to the pandemic.
There is definitely not optimism for both airports just now and it's very difficult to see where any growth may be.

I think there is a bit of an absence of perspective here. Yes, the loss of Virgin to Edinburgh is a big blow. But it is two flights a week. Edinburgh has lost (for now) Emirates and a TUI based aircraft plus various other bits like Iberia and Air Baltic that Glasgow never had!

When it comes to infrastructure, Edinburgh has spent huge amounts in recent years. By comparison, Glasgow has done little. If this directly translates into debt levels and interest payments, I know which I’d rather back.

Virgin on GLA-MCO was three B744s each week in summer, so once COVID is done, I'd expect the equivalent A330 frequency to be somewhat higher to maintain market share against TUI, usual caveats apply. It also depends on whether EDI-BGI is operated year round.
What EDI clearly now has is credibility and momentum in the market.

Edinburgh is now a much more prosperous area than Glasgow and is also the entry airport of choice for inbound tourism.

When did EDI lose Iberia and Air Baltic? Both have operated within the last week.

For all my complaints about EDI as a passenger experience, you cannot deny that there is always a buzz about the place and success begets success, as they say.

I also read else where Iberia had/were about to ditch EDI - still bookable?

I wouldn't be surprised if it's dropped until S22.

Rusty Irish

Not really, no. Each has faced its own set of individual challenges.

And Air Baltic is scheduled today.

JetBlue planning GLA flights: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/j...wick-ktbxfkgzp

"Flights between Boston and Heathrow will begin next year, followed by seasonal shuttles between New York and Manchester and Glasgow."

I would take that with a truckload of salt. JetBlue have never mentioned any other destinations publicly, so no idea where The Times have got that info from.

Without a direct quote it's hard to know exactly what was said. In this video Robin Heyes goes so far as to mention only "regional UK markets in the summer".

Interesting to see in the Sunday Times article that the JetBlue CEO started his career on a check in desk at GLA. Maybe he’s got an affinity for the place.

I agree - but it's also unlikely that the journalist decided that "regional UK markets" was too boring and made something up. Maybe Manchester and Glasgow and Manchester were mentioned by name, but surrounded by caveats which haven't made it in to print...

Donegal the next service being cut. They just keep on coming!

"Something Big Is Coming" according to Glasgow Airport social media account.. along with a photo of what might be Niagra Falls.

The definition of ‘Big’ is being stretched here….