GLA needs direct USA links - Glasgow Chamber of Commerce

[Clive]

Glasgow Airport needs to secure direct US links to aid sluggish recovery, says Alison McRae, Senior Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce

https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics ... son-mcrae/

[Bearsden]

Interestingly, I wrote to Stuart Patrick (Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce) when he wrote a similar piece in The Herald three weeks ago - no response

But again, no mention of the competition in this piece and the phrase 'the importance, now more than ever, to work with the country’s cities and national partners' beggars belief

The phrase 'built year on year to secure some 9 million passengers' is of course totally wrong - passenger numbers were falling in 2019 after Ryanair closed its base in 2018 before the full year impact of Thomas Cook going into liquidation in September 2019, Wizz Air switching operations to Edinburgh in November 2019 and Flybe #1 going under in March 2020

The phrase 'as there is an investment crunch' is interesting - as I've highlighted a few times in this forum AGS paid way over the odds for ABZ, GLA & SOU and 'clever' financing has left it with a huge external debt burden which frankly the 'bucket & spade' passenger traffic will not support (just look at the Canaries numbers below . . . plus 13,838 through Prestwick!)

Who is going to contribute to a 'Route Investment Fund' - Ferrovial/MacQuarrie? Cash strapped councils? It can't be central government otherwise our 'friends' along the M8 will cry state aid foul!

This table extracted from May's traffic statistics points to many other markets as well as the USA (apologies about the formatting) . . .
EDI GLA
AUSTRIA 4,267 64
BELGIUM 15,586 1,887
BULGARIA 3,485 1,407
CANADA 181 10,489
CROATIA 9,017 3,605
CYPRUS 6,773 6,379
CZECH 7,989 1,333
DENMARK 21,309 0
ESTONIA 2,341 0
FAROES 1,959 0
FINLAND 3,344 0
FRANCE 63,216 14,714
GERMANY 57,112 15,418
GIBRALTAR1,540 0
GREECE 25,247 21,390
HUNGARY 11,652 132
ICELAND 2,501 5,702
IRISH REP 68,594 35,855
ITALY 47,122 8,087
LATVIA 4,984 0
LITHUANIA3,729 0
MALTA 3,145 1,378
MEXICO 0 5,803
MOROCCO 2,712 0
NETH 56,432 33,767
NORWAY 10,663 0
POLAND 37,870 9,613
PORTUGAL31,125 12,920
(MADEIRA) 1,618 1,556
QATAR 8,449 0
ROMANIA 7,654 0
SLOVAK 2,621 0
SLOVENIA 0 51
SPAIN 123,916 99,232
CANARIES 48,213 37,556
SWEDEN 9,903 0
SWITZ 22,401 0
TURKEY 30,744 29,477
UAE 0 20,453
USA 33,394 3,154
Total 792,808 381,422

[Sharpal7]

Interestingly, I wrote to Stuart Patrick (Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce) when he wrote a similar piece in The Herald three weeks ago - no response

But again, no mention of the competition in this piece and the phrase 'the importance, now more than ever, to work with the country’s cities and national partners' beggars belief

The phrase 'built year on year to secure some 9 million passengers' is of course totally wrong - passenger numbers were falling in 2019 after Ryanair closed its base in 2018 before the full year impact of Thomas Cook going into liquidation in September 2019, Wizz Air switching operations to Edinburgh in November 2019 and Flybe #1 going under in March 2020

The phrase 'as there is an investment crunch' is interesting - as I've highlighted a few times in this forum AGS paid way over the odds for ABZ, GLA & SOU and 'clever' financing has left it with a huge external debt burden which frankly the 'bucket & spade' passenger traffic will not support (just look at the Canaries numbers below . . . plus 13,838 through Prestwick!)

Who is going to contribute to a 'Route Investment Fund' - Ferrovial/MacQuarrie? Cash strapped councils? It can't be central government otherwise our 'friends' along the M8 will cry state aid foul!

This table extracted from May's traffic statistics points to many other markets as well as the USA (apologies about the formatting) . . .
EDI GLA
AUSTRIA 4,267 64
BELGIUM 15,586 1,887
BULGARIA 3,485 1,407
CANADA 181 10,489
CROATIA 9,017 3,605
CYPRUS 6,773 6,379
CZECH 7,989 1,333
DENMARK 21,309 0
ESTONIA 2,341 0
FAROES 1,959 0
FINLAND 3,344 0
FRANCE 63,216 14,714
GERMANY 57,112 15,418
GIBRALTAR1,540 0
GREECE 25,247 21,390
HUNGARY 11,652 132
ICELAND 2,501 5,702
IRISH REP 68,594 35,855
ITALY 47,122 8,087
LATVIA 4,984 0
LITHUANIA3,729 0
MALTA 3,145 1,378
MEXICO 0 5,803
MOROCCO 2,712 0
NETH 56,432 33,767
NORWAY 10,663 0
POLAND 37,870 9,613
PORTUGAL31,125 12,920
(MADEIRA) 1,618 1,556
QATAR 8,449 0
ROMANIA 7,654 0
SLOVAK 2,621 0
SLOVENIA 0 51
SPAIN 123,916 99,232
CANARIES 48,213 37,556
SWEDEN 9,903 0
SWITZ 22,401 0
TURKEY 30,744 29,477
UAE 0 20,453
USA 33,394 3,154
Total 792,808 381,422

Thanks for putting this together BEARSDEN. The comparison starkly highlights the huge difference in destinations offered and pax throughput.

[bill]

EDI GLA
AUSTRIA 4,267 64
BELGIUM 15,586 1,887
BULGARIA 3,485 1,407
CANADA 181 10,489
CROATIA 9,017 3,605
CYPRUS 6,773 6,379
CZECH 7,989 1,333
DENMARK 21,309 0
ESTONIA 2,341 0
FAROES 1,959 0
FINLAND 3,344 0
FRANCE 63,216 14,714
GERMANY 57,112 15,418
GIBRALTAR1,540 0
GREECE 25,247 21,390
HUNGARY 11,652 132
ICELAND 2,501 5,702
IRISH REP 68,594 35,855
ITALY 47,122 8,087
LATVIA 4,984 0
LITHUANIA3,729 0
MALTA 3,145 1,378
MEXICO 0 5,803
MOROCCO 2,712 0
NETH 56,432 33,767
NORWAY 10,663 0
POLAND 37,870 9,613
PORTUGAL31,125 12,920
(MADEIRA) 1,618 1,556
QATAR 8,449 0
ROMANIA 7,654 0
SLOVAK 2,621 0
SLOVENIA 0 51

SPAIN 123,916 99,232
CANARIES 48,213 37,556

SWEDEN 9,903 0
SWITZ 22,401 0
TURKEY 30,744 29,477
UAE 0 20,453
USA 33,394 3,154
Total 792,808 381,422

Outstanding stuff GLA. Can't even win the bucket and spade wars now thanks to Covid,Brexit,Monkeypox or something that they're not responsible for. We are 28% behind EDI on the Canaries routes and 25% behind on the Spain metric. How the feck did this ever happen? It's completely unacceptable.
By the way, good post Bearsden.

[Clive]

EDI GLA
AUSTRIA 4,267 64
BELGIUM 15,586 1,887
BULGARIA 3,485 1,407
CANADA 181 10,489
CROATIA 9,017 3,605
CYPRUS 6,773 6,379
CZECH 7,989 1,333
DENMARK 21,309 0
ESTONIA 2,341 0
FAROES 1,959 0
FINLAND 3,344 0
FRANCE 63,216 14,714
GERMANY 57,112 15,418
GIBRALTAR1,540 0
GREECE 25,247 21,390
HUNGARY 11,652 132
ICELAND 2,501 5,702
IRISH REP 68,594 35,855
ITALY 47,122 8,087
LATVIA 4,984 0
LITHUANIA3,729 0
MALTA 3,145 1,378
MEXICO 0 5,803
MOROCCO 2,712 0
NETH 56,432 33,767
NORWAY 10,663 0
POLAND 37,870 9,613
PORTUGAL31,125 12,920
(MADEIRA) 1,618 1,556
QATAR 8,449 0
ROMANIA 7,654 0
SLOVAK 2,621 0
SLOVENIA 0 51

SPAIN 123,916 99,232
CANARIES 48,213 37,556

SWEDEN 9,903 0
SWITZ 22,401 0
TURKEY 30,744 29,477
UAE 0 20,453
USA 33,394 3,154
Total 792,808 381,422

Outstanding stuff GLA. Can't even win the bucket and spade wars now thanks to Covid,Brexit,Monkeypox or something that they're not responsible for. We are 28% behind EDI on the Canaries routes and 25% behind on the Spain metric. How the feck did this ever happen? It's completely unacceptable.
By the way, good post Bearsden.

Billster, how are airport bosses supposed to get people to fly? We are told it’s all one market and that every rocker east of the Kingston Bridge is handy for EDI. With multiple departures to wanted destinations every day and cheaper than chips fares plus Spain from PIK, what can GLA bosses do (other than land a Ryanair base at all costs and launch a bus to Edinburgh)?

[Ekally1]

I think it's the fact GLA has been very very slow behind most UK airports who have similar parameters to us and seem to have got back on a reasonable footing. It has been tough but in my humbles , could do better

[Clive]

I think it's the fact GLA has been very very slow behind most UK airports who have similar parameters to us and seem to have got back on a reasonable footing. It has been tough but in my humbles , could do better

What if instead of comparing numbers with EDI we compared stats with pre-Covid numbers on each route?

Then we’d know to what extent GLA is managing to rebuild. ie if airlines have returned to the route and if pax have returned.

One could then do the same exercise for the 3 central belt airports and work out a comparison for each route and in total.

My calculator is not big enough to do this.

[Clive]

I think it's the fact GLA has been very very slow behind most UK airports who have similar parameters to us and seem to have got back on a reasonable footing. It has been tough but in my humbles , could do better

There's the May CAA data below (airport, 2022 passengers, 2019 passengers, 2022 as a % of 2019). I don't see how anyone can say that "GLA has been very very slow behind most UK airports who have similar parameters to us and seem to have got back on a reasonable footing" - it's right in the pack with numerous other airports in the 75% to 80% recovery range.

CITY OF DERRY (EGLINTON) 13910 15341 91%
LEEDS BRADFORD 345529 392657 88%
MANCHESTER 2166440 2641605 82%
NEWCASTLE 422970 526601 80%
HEATHROW 5341348 6769369 79%
BELFAST INTERNATIONAL 472142 607358 78%
EDINBURGH 1067915 1380326 77%
DONCASTER SHEFFIELD 112045 144906 77%
JERSEY 128737 166537 77%
GLASGOW 656965 854948 77%
GUERNSEY 60230 79030 76%
GATWICK 3080370 4177166 74%
EAST MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL 350875 501521 70%
PRESTWICK 51993 75378 69%
ABERDEEN 182234 270058 67%
NORWICH 33871 55088 61%
ISLE OF MAN 48382 80509 60%
BELFAST CITY (GEORGE BEST) 130431 221769 59%
CARDIFF WALES 98779 176704 56%
NEWQUAY 24573 46040 53%
HUMBERSIDE 8632 18909 46%
EXETER 39854 99060 40%
SOUTHAMPTON 54920 159249 34%
LUTON 0 1660158 0%
BIRMINGHAM 0 1165846 0%
LIVERPOOL (JOHN LENNON) 0 473772 0%

As for the CoC's comments, remember Clive's post from a few months ago (I presume he's a bit more ITK about what's going on than most)

Don’t care about Turnhoose but I fully expect JetBlue and United at GLA next year.

We’ll probably see WestJet consolidating Scottish ops at GLA too IMHO.

Exactly right on both points. Let’s not jump to conclusions that don’t really exist.

[Bearsden]

Here is May 2022 v May 2019 international passengers by airport by country . . . by destination is too long!

Apologies about the formatting . . . best I could do from Excel

Country 202205 201905 Change Change %

EDINBURGH 792,808 884,052 -91,244 -10%
AUSTRIA 4,267 4,427 -160 -4%
BELGIUM 15,586 21,832 -6,246 -29%
BULGARIA 3,485 5,165 -1,680 -33%
CANADA 0 181 181 n/a
CHINA 0 3,203 -3,203 -100%
CROATIA 9,017 5,679 3,338 59%
CYPRUS 6,773 8,870 -2,097 -24%
CZECH 7,989 14,534 -6,545 -45%
DENMARK 21,309 24,734 -3,425 -14%
ESTONIA 2,341 3,055 -714 -23%
FAROES 1,959 1,883 76 4%
FINLAND 3,344 7,451 -4,107 -55%
FRANCE 63,216 65,105 -1,889 -3%
GERMANY 57,112 86,422 -29,310 -34%
GIBRALTAR 1,540 0 1,540 n/a
GREECE 25,247 24,564 683 3%
HUNGARY 11,652 8,289 3,363 41%
ICELAND 2,501 3,250 -749 -23%
IRISH REP 68,594 69,506 -912 -1%
ITALY 47,122 59,351 -12,229 -21%
LATVIA 4,984 1,786 3,198 179%
LITHUANIA 3,729 2,922 807 28%
LUXEMBOURG 0 3,951 -3,951 -100%
MALTA 3,145 6,165 -3,020 -49%
MOROCCO 2,712 0 2,712 n/a
NETH 56,432 66,818 -10,386 -16%
NORWAY 10,663 12,955 -2,292 -18%
POLAND 37,870 32,635 5,235 16%
PORTUGAL 31,125 25,583 5,542 22%
MADEIRA 1,618 1,252 366 29%
QATAR 8,449 10,854 -2,405 -22%
ROMANIA 7,654 0 7,654 n/a
SLOVAK REP 2,621 3,221 -600 -19%
SPAIN 123,916 135,675 -11,759 -9%
CANARIES 48,213 40,650 7,563 19%
SWEDEN 9,903 17,179 -7,276 -42%
SWITZ 22,401 30,856 -8,455 -27%
TURKEY 30,744 21,122 9,622 46%
UAE 0 10,501 -10,501 -100%
USA 33,394 42,607 -9,213 -22%

GLASGOW 381,422 496,129 -114,707 -23%
AUSTRIA 64 93 -29 -31%
BELGIUM 1,887 2,462 -575 -23%
BULGARIA 1,407 2,728 -1,321 -48%
CANADA 10,489 12,979 -2,490 -19%
CROATIA 3,605 5,791 -2,186 -38%
CYPRUS 6,379 10,923 -4,544 -42%
CZECH 1,333 2,857 -1,524 -53%
EGYPT 0 166 -166 -100%
FAROES 0 230 -230 -100%
FRANCE 14,714 13,766 948 7%
GERMANY 15,418 24,648 -9,230 -37%
GREECE 21,390 22,754 -1,364 -6%
HUNGARY 132 3,114 -2,982 -96%
ICELAND 5,702 10,578 -4,876 -46%
IRISH REP 35,855 48,236 -12,381 -26%
ITALY 8,087 12,227 -4,140 -34%
MALTA 1,378 3,024 -1,646 -54%
MEXICO 5,803 4,421 1,382 31%
NETH 33,767 39,890 -6,123 -15%
POLAND 9,613 13,568 -3,955 -29%
PORTUGAL 12,920 12,758 162 1%
MADEIRA 1,556 1,211 345 28%
ROMANIA 0 5,038 -5,038 -100%
SLOVENIA 51 0 51 n/a
SPAIN 99,232 116,168 -16,936 -15%
CANARIES 37,556 41,041 -3,485 -8%
TUNISIA 0 6,234 -6,234 -100%
TURKEY 29,477 34,844 -5,367 -15%
UAE 20,453 23,290 -2,837 -12%
USA 3,154 21,090 -17,936 -85%

PRESTWICK 51,615 75,355 -23,740 -32%
ITALY 0 5,621 -5,621 -100%
NETH 0 112 -112 -100%
POLAND 0 2,843 -2,843 -100%
PORTUGAL 6,345 7,785 -1,440 -18%
SPAIN 31,432 44,199 -12,767 -29%
CANARIES 13,838 14,795 -957 -6%

Total 1,225,845 1,455,536 -229,691 -16%

[Bearsden]

And another view by country by airport

The key swings (combination of absolute passenger volume and percentage) between GLA/PIK and EDI are in Cyprus, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Spain (Canaries), Turkey, UAE (Dubai) and USA

Country 202205 201905 Change Change %
AUSTRIA 4,331 4,520 -189 -4%
EDINBURGH 4,267 4,427 -160 -4%
GLASGOW 64 93 -29 -31%
BELGIUM 17,473 24,294 -6,821 -28%
EDINBURGH 15,586 21,832 -6,246 -29%
GLASGOW 1,887 2,462 -575 -23%
BULGARIA 4,892 7,893 -3,001 -38%
EDINBURGH 3,485 5,165 -1,680 -33%
GLASGOW 1,407 2,728 -1,321 -48%
CANADA 10,670 12,979 -2,309 -18%
EDINBURGH 181 181 n/a
GLASGOW 10,489 12,979 -2,490 -19%
CHINA 3,203 -3,203 -100%
EDINBURGH 3,203 -3,203 -100%
CROATIA 12,622 11,470 1,152 10%
EDINBURGH 9,017 5,679 3,338 59%
GLASGOW 3,605 5,791 -2,186 -38%
CYPRUS 13,152 19,793 -6,641 -34%
EDINBURGH 6,773 8,870 -2,097 -24%
GLASGOW 6,379 10,923 -4,544 -42%
CZECH REPUBLIC 9,322 17,391 -8,069 -46%
EDINBURGH 7,989 14,534 -6,545 -45%
GLASGOW 1,333 2,857 -1,524 -53%
DENMARK 21,309 24,734 -3,425 -14%
EDINBURGH 21,309 24,734 -3,425 -14%
EGYPT 166 -166 -100%
GLASGOW 166 -166 -100%
ESTONIA 2,341 3,055 -714 -23%
EDINBURGH 2,341 3,055 -714 -23%
FAROE ISLANDS 1,959 2,113 -154 -7%
EDINBURGH 1,959 1,883 76 4%
GLASGOW 230 -230 -100%
FINLAND 3,344 7,451 -4,107 -55%
EDINBURGH 3,344 7,451 -4,107 -55%
FRANCE 77,930 78,871 -941 -1%
EDINBURGH 63,216 65,105 -1,889 -3%
GLASGOW 14,714 13,766 948 7%
GERMANY 72,530 111,070 -38,540 -35%
EDINBURGH 57,112 86,422 -29,310 -34%
GLASGOW 15,418 24,648 -9,230 -37%
GIBRALTAR 1,540 1,540 n/a
EDINBURGH 1,540 1,540 n/a
GREECE 46,637 47,318 -681 -1%
EDINBURGH 25,247 24,564 683 3%
GLASGOW 21,390 22,754 -1,364 -6%
HUNGARY 11,784 11,403 381 3%
EDINBURGH 11,652 8,289 3,363 41%
GLASGOW 132 3,114 -2,982 -96%
ICELAND 8,203 13,828 -5,625 -41%
EDINBURGH 2,501 3,250 -749 -23%
GLASGOW 5,702 10,578 -4,876 -46%
IRISH REPUBLIC 104,449 117,742 -13,293 -11%
EDINBURGH 68,594 69,506 -912 -1%
GLASGOW 35,855 48,236 -12,381 -26%
ITALY 55,209 77,199 -21,990 -28%
EDINBURGH 47,122 59,351 -12,229 -21%
GLASGOW 8,087 12,227 -4,140 -34%
PRESTWICK 5,621 -5,621 -100%
LATVIA 4,984 1,786 3,198 179%
EDINBURGH 4,984 1,786 3,198 179%
LITHUANIA 3,729 2,922 807 28%
EDINBURGH 3,729 2,922 807 28%
LUXEMBOURG 3,951 -3,951 -100%
EDINBURGH 3,951 -3,951 -100%
MALTA 4,523 9,189 -4,666 -51%
EDINBURGH 3,145 6,165 -3,020 -49%
GLASGOW 1,378 3,024 -1,646 -54%
MEXICO 5,803 4,421 1,382 31%
GLASGOW 5,803 4,421 1,382 31%
MOROCCO 2,712 2,712 n/a
EDINBURGH 2,712 2,712 n/a
NETHERLANDS 90,199 106,820 -16,621 -16%
EDINBURGH 56,432 66,818 -10,386 -16%
GLASGOW 33,767 39,890 -6,123 -15%
PRESTWICK 112 -112 -100%
NORWAY 10,663 12,955 -2,292 -18%
EDINBURGH 10,663 12,955 -2,292 -18%
POLAND 47,483 49,046 -1,563 -3%
EDINBURGH 37,870 32,635 5,235 16%
GLASGOW 9,613 13,568 -3,955 -29%
PRESTWICK 2,843 -2,843 -100%
PORTUGAL(EXCLUDING MADEIRA) 50,390 46,126 4,264 9%
EDINBURGH 31,125 25,583 5,542 22%
GLASGOW 12,920 12,758 162 1%
PRESTWICK 6,345 7,785 -1,440 -18%
PORTUGAL(MADEIRA) 3,174 2,463 711 29%
EDINBURGH 1,618 1,252 366 29%
GLASGOW 1,556 1,211 345 28%
QATAR 8,449 10,854 -2,405 -22%
EDINBURGH 8,449 10,854 -2,405 -22%
ROMANIA 7,654 5,038 2,616 52%
EDINBURGH 7,654 7,654 n/a
GLASGOW 5,038 -5,038 -100%
SLOVAK REPUBLIC 2,621 3,221 -600 -19%
EDINBURGH 2,621 3,221 -600 -19%
SLOVENIA 51 51 n/a
GLASGOW 51 51 n/a
SPAIN 254,580 296,042 -41,462 -14%
EDINBURGH 123,916 135,675 -11,759 -9%
GLASGOW 99,232 116,168 -16,936 -15%
PRESTWICK 31,432 44,199 -12,767 -29%
SPAIN(CANARY ISLANDS) 99,607 96,486 3,121 3%
EDINBURGH 48,213 40,650 7,563 19%
GLASGOW 37,556 41,041 -3,485 -8%
PRESTWICK 13,838 14,795 -957 -6%
SWEDEN 9,903 17,179 -7,276 -42%
EDINBURGH 9,903 17,179 -7,276 -42%
SWITZERLAND 22,401 30,856 -8,455 -27%
EDINBURGH 22,401 30,856 -8,455 -27%
TUNISIA 6,234 -6,234 -100%
GLASGOW 6,234 -6,234 -100%
TURKEY 60,221 55,966 4,255 8%
EDINBURGH 30,744 21,122 9,622 46%
GLASGOW 29,477 34,844 -5,367 -15%
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 20,453 33,791 -13,338 -39%
EDINBURGH 10,501 -10,501 -100%
GLASGOW 20,453 23,290 -2,837 -12%
USA 36,548 63,697 -27,149 -43%
EDINBURGH 33,394 42,607 -9,213 -22%
GLASGOW 3,154 21,090 -17,936 -85%

Grand Total 1,225,845 1,455,536 -229,691 -16%