A major international conference looking at ways of improving the airline business, opens today in Edinburgh. BAA are promising to announce a major new route for Scotland amongst other things.
By: Ren Frew - 8th September 2003 at 18:25
I do agree with your sentiments Bhoy. I don’t quite understand why BAA has put two of it’s own airports in direct competition with each other when they used to work together relatively harmoniously ?
It’s fair to say the Scottish Executive are based in Edinburgh and the lion’s share of the new routes fund they set up has gone to Edinburgh Airport, but that’s politician’s for you. GLA is still suffering from the Kingston Bridge bottleneck. I think once the legendary M74 extension is finally in place we’ll then see Glasgow Airport expand in the manner it deserves to.
After all there’s no better gateway to Scotland than Glasgow/Paisley Airport, or am I wrong ? 😀
By: Bhoy - 8th September 2003 at 15:24
The major new route has now been confirmed as Continental from Edinburgh to Newark (although this route was already planned two years ago, but put on the back burner after 9/11)
Nonetheless, I’m absolutely fuming as the Executive once again favours tiny Turnhouse over the way bigger Abbotsinch. 😡 :rolleyes:
The Evening Times hits it to a tee…
THERE was growing concern today for future transatlantic flights from Glasgow after rival Edinburgh secured a new route.
American carrier Continental Airlines announced new direct flights from Edinburgh to New York.
But the move raised fears it could have a knock-on effect on the airline’s daily Glasgow to New York route, which is its most successful UK route outside London.
Kenny MacAskill, the SNP’s transport spokesman, said: “I would worry about the viability of a new service replicating an existing service 50 miles away.
“We should be developing new routes to new destinations in North America and Glasgow is the obvious airport to handle such destinations.”
Continental had previously promised a transatlantic service from Edinburgh, but it was postponed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in America. The new service is expected to start early next year.
The new flights will get Scottish Executive cash under the multi-million pound route development fund and a discount under a scheme operated by BAA, which owns Edinburgh and Glasgow airports.
Another new twice-daily service announced today from Inverness to Birmingham will get money from the fund, which started out at £6.8million but now has even more cash to spend.
So far, it has helped deliver six new services from Edinburgh and five from Prestwick, to destinations such
as Stockholm, Cologne, Oslo and also Milan.
But it has failed to do anything for Glasgow, which has struggled to forge new scheduled routes as its holiday charter business booms.
The announcement on the new route was made in Edinburgh today during a major international aviation conference, Routes 2003.
More than 1000 air industry executives were holding talks on where to fly next year.
First Minister Jack McConnell and Transport Minister Nicol Stephen hoped to use the event to showcase what Scotland has to offer.
Glasgow Airport bosses were also determined to get a chance to talk to key potential customers.
Managing director Stephen Baxter said: “I am getting my sleeves rolled up during two full days of meetings with airlines.
“I will not be missing the opportunity to get in there and sell Glasgow Airport. We have a lot to offer and I will be setting out our case, loud and clear.”
Despite today’s news, aviation insiders insisted Glasgow Airport would not lose out because of the announcement.
They said Continental had only been allowed
to fly from Edinburgh on condition it kept up
its highly successful Glasgow flights.
The airline will receive subsidies under the Scottish Executive Route Development Fund and under a discount scheme operated by airport giant BAA.
Insiders said the airline would lose these if it scaled back its Glasgow services.
Eddie Friel, chief executive of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley tourist board – who has previously warned a subsidised Edinburgh to New York service could hurt Glasgow Airport – said he would like to see exactly what the Continental deal involved.
He said: “The devil will be in the detail.”
Incidentally… why isn’t this Conference at the SECC? lemme guess… the Executive didn’t want it in a prosperous city… :rolleyes:
Either it’s that, or the Board of Glasgow airport is run by Msrs Desmond, Quinn, Sheehy, Riley etc. who wouldn’t know a thing about making an outlay when you’re ahead, to improve you r chances of staying ahead.
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September 8, 2003 at 7:49 am