aviation - the past, present and future of flight

12,” Bourienne continued. “We’ve already

introduced parallel loading [of the belts] so

that you can have four passengers [using it]

at once.”

Bourienne explained that a new pick-

up/drop-off area opened in 2010 but, as

passenger numbers have increased by 50%

since then, a new one was created in May

[2017] and is “working very well’.

The increased traffic is helping the airport

towards its forecast of just over ten million

passengers a year by 2020.

“We are ahead of target,” Bourienne

declared. “Around 2006-07, we had just short

of nine million passengers. Then we started a

long slide and we reached 6.5 million in 2010.

This year we should be at 9.9 million, so we

should smash the ten million before 2020,

depending on Brexit.”

An acceleration in business followed

Ryanair’s arrival at the end of 2014. It

stimulated growth, especially because the

carrier runs services between Glasgow and

[London] Stansted, boosting domestic traffic

signi cantly.

Ryanair currently operates 23 routes

from Glasgow and provides around 15% of

the total passenger numbers. Bourienne

acknowledged; “In three years, it’s quite

impressive. With the number of new routes

started, they’ve given us what we wanted,

which is a lot of cities. Ryanair are great to

work with. They deliver what you want.”

The rejuvenation of services since 2010

is the result of regular additions of airlines to

the roster.

“From 2010, when we were at the bottom,

we had Jet2 starting. They were back lling

for Globespan, which went bust in December

2009. Jet2 started with two aircraft and now
      has six based here. They provide around 10%
      of our traffic. From nothing in 2010, it has
      been quite tremendous.”.
      Emirates increased its use of Glasgow in
      2012 and in 2013, Wizz Air moved its routes
      from Prestwick to Glasgow and Eurowings
      began  ying to Düsseldorf. Then followed
      Ryanair’s arrival, and in 2015 WestJet

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 61

Above left: Francois Bourienne, Glasgow

Airport’s Commercial Director, joined the

company in 2010 and helped to create the

2011 master plan. All photos Glasgow Airport

unless stated

Above right: Glasgow is Scotland’s second

busiest airport and since 2014 has been

owned by AGS Airports, which bought it from

Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA).

Wizz Air transferred its  ights from

Prestwick to Glasgow Airport in 2013.

Kenneth Williamson

60-64_glasgowDC.mf.indd 61 01/12/2017 15:29