Glasgow Business . 29
www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com HIGHER Airport is looking to a bright future
Korean Air in 2016. We have consolidated our position as Scotland’s leading long-haul airport and strengthened our European connections. Much of our growth has been driven by low-cost carriers including Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Jet2, who added services to European cities such as Milan, Sofia, Marseille, Bordeaux, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest and Brussels. Hard to land on any one specific route, but to get Air France Charles de Gaulle was a highlight given how long we chased it.
How have you managed to improve the customer engagement so well, as recognised in The Glasgow Business Awards?
I believe the people who work here care about what they do. We’ve actively encouraged the right behaviours and acted on the wrong ones, trying always to be different (in a good way!) from other airports. We don’t always get it right, but when we get it wrong we learn and move forward stronger.
What is the biggest frustration about running the airport?
I honestly don’t see any aspect of running the airport as frustrating. I prefer to think
in terms of missed opportunities. Air Passenger Duty is a perfect example.
APD places Scotland’s airports at a severe disadvantage when it comes to competing for new routes. Te proposed 50 per cent reduction provides us with an ideal opportunity, particularly post-Brexit, to send a message to airlines that Scotland remains open for business. We unveiled the preferred option for the
Glasgow Airport Access Project. Tis was a significant milestone. Not having a rail link between Scotland’s biggest city and the airport has been a missed opportunity. We now have a very strong business case – as well as the funding – and our estimates suggest the airport’s tram-train link is set to become one of the busiest train stations in Scotland. Glasgow Airport will soon be easier to get
to than ever before.
How important is it to work with partners such as Glasgow Chamber of Commerce?
You can’t underestimate the significance of the Team Glasgow approach when it comes to securing new routes and services. Airlines are more interested in flying to the city, not the airport. Airlines are atracted by our city’s compelling story. Tat’s what excites them and
this is where our relationships with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and our partners in the City Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and VisitScotland come into their own.
And finally... What’s your view on the Heathrow expansion plans now the dust has settled?
We’ve consistently supported the expansion of Heathrow on the basis of the onward connectivity it provides and the fact it is the UK’s only hub airport. It plays an important role in supporting the Scotish economy, so it is important that an expanded Heathrow delivers further access to Glasgow Airport. We will always look to secure direct links
with airports throughout Europe and beyond, however, Heathrow remains the dominant airport in terms of connectivity. We operate 10 daily services to Heathrow, making it our busiest route and one that serves more than 800,000 passengers annually. Heathrow also offers connectivity to 75 destinations not served by any other UK airports, so we welcomed the UK Government’s to back plans for a third runway. Now the decision has been made, it’s a case
of geting on with it.
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