Joe Curry
11th Apr 2002, 14:27
Source: The Evening Times
New shock for Glasgow Airport
By Deborah Anderson
GLASGOW Airport is trailing its Edinburgh rival once again after it handled fewer passengers for a
second month in a row.
It is the first time that Scotland's largest airport has fallen behind Edinburgh in two successive months and there is now renewed backing for the Evening Times campaign for a dedicated airport raillink to attract passengers from all over Scotland.
In February Edinburgh saw passenger figures rise 21.9% to 561,300 compared with last year, while
Glasgow rose 7.9% to 535,500, according to the British Airports Authority.
The previous month Edinburgh saw passenger numbers increase by 19.1% year on year to more than 470,000, while Glasgow improved by just 6.4% to 440,000, according to the British Airports Authority.
The increase is put down to the fact there are more scheduled flights from Edinburgh, while Glasgow increasingly relies on charter services for its passenger numbers and will recover business this summer.
A spokesman for the Scottish Airports Authority said Glasgow still remained the number one airport and said month on month figures were not a true reflection on its performance.
He said: "The monthly increase can be put down the fact that Edinburgh hosted two international rugby
matches with 40 extra flights being put on from France and Ireland. It gives a false impression that Glasgow is falling behind when it is not."
Duncan Tannahill, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, although surprised by the increase in traffic through Edinburgh, said that he did not believe that it was doom and gloom for Glasgow, but thinks now is time to go ahead with the airport rail link.
Mr Tannahill said: " We are anxious to see that built sooner rather than later to ensure that people have access to the airport from all over Scotland.
"The only way Glasgow will hold on to its carriers is if they can build a market and that means people being able to get to the airport."
The British Airports Authority figures published today showed a further improvement in the number of people flying post-September 11.
The group, which operates seven UK airports including Edinburgh, Glasgow Heathrow and Gatwick, reported a second consecutive month of increased passenger numbers in March.
During the month, it handled 10.1 million passengers - 3.4% higher than the same month the previous year and up from February's figure of 8.2 million.
The increase marks the second consecutive month that numbers have risen since the terrorist attacks on the United States.
New shock for Glasgow Airport
By Deborah Anderson
GLASGOW Airport is trailing its Edinburgh rival once again after it handled fewer passengers for a
second month in a row.
It is the first time that Scotland's largest airport has fallen behind Edinburgh in two successive months and there is now renewed backing for the Evening Times campaign for a dedicated airport raillink to attract passengers from all over Scotland.
In February Edinburgh saw passenger figures rise 21.9% to 561,300 compared with last year, while
Glasgow rose 7.9% to 535,500, according to the British Airports Authority.
The previous month Edinburgh saw passenger numbers increase by 19.1% year on year to more than 470,000, while Glasgow improved by just 6.4% to 440,000, according to the British Airports Authority.
The increase is put down to the fact there are more scheduled flights from Edinburgh, while Glasgow increasingly relies on charter services for its passenger numbers and will recover business this summer.
A spokesman for the Scottish Airports Authority said Glasgow still remained the number one airport and said month on month figures were not a true reflection on its performance.
He said: "The monthly increase can be put down the fact that Edinburgh hosted two international rugby
matches with 40 extra flights being put on from France and Ireland. It gives a false impression that Glasgow is falling behind when it is not."
Duncan Tannahill, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, although surprised by the increase in traffic through Edinburgh, said that he did not believe that it was doom and gloom for Glasgow, but thinks now is time to go ahead with the airport rail link.
Mr Tannahill said: " We are anxious to see that built sooner rather than later to ensure that people have access to the airport from all over Scotland.
"The only way Glasgow will hold on to its carriers is if they can build a market and that means people being able to get to the airport."
The British Airports Authority figures published today showed a further improvement in the number of people flying post-September 11.
The group, which operates seven UK airports including Edinburgh, Glasgow Heathrow and Gatwick, reported a second consecutive month of increased passenger numbers in March.
During the month, it handled 10.1 million passengers - 3.4% higher than the same month the previous year and up from February's figure of 8.2 million.
The increase marks the second consecutive month that numbers have risen since the terrorist attacks on the United States.