Glasgow Airport Movements 2016
October
Glasgow International had its busiest September in 50 years after 934,295 passengers transited through the airport, representing an annual increase of 4.2 per cent. This was the fourth consecutive month that the airport carried more than 900,000 passengers. Domestic and international traffic grew by 4.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent respectively with passenger numbers boosted by major events such as the Davis Cup tennis tournament and Celtic’s participation in the Champions League. September saw the launch of Ryanair’s new direct flights to Sofia in Bulgaria, and Icelandair added further capacity by increasing its Glasgow > Reykjavik route to a daily service. Ryanair launched new routes to Alicante, Malaga, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote this month and Thomson introduced a new Cape Verde service.
Two major transport schemes are being considered to find the best option for providing Glasgow Airport with a long-awaited rail link. The first, similar to the one currently in operation at Heathrow`s Terminal 5, would be a rapid transit system which would run from a relocated Paisley St James station and take just 4 minutes to reach Glasgow Airport`s terminal. The alternate scheme is a train-tram option which would involve carriages running from Glasgow Central to the airport via Paisley. This would enable passengers to reach the airport from the city centre in just over 16 minutes, but would take longer to construct. A decision on the preferred option is expected to be announced in December.
Meanwhile, Renfrewshire Council are currently considering plans for a new immigration detention centre which would be built on the site of the Clansman Club, a former social club adjacent to Glasgow Airport. The Home Office intends to build a `short-term holding facility` on Abbotsinch Road to house those awaiting removal from the country. The move follows the announcement last month that the controversial Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire is set to close in 2017.
Above: Virgin`s G-VAST taxiing to `Golf One` for a Runway 05 departure on the 14th, the start of the October week when an estimated 100,000 people passed through the airport. Below: Due to the disruption caused in Florida and the eastern USA by Hurricane Matthew, two Orlando-bound Virgin 747s, G-VROS and G-VROY were on the tarmac at Glasgow overnight 7/8 October. First to leave for Florida on Saturday morning was G-VROY at 09:00 hrs with the second departing just over an hour later.
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October 2016
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Noteworthy civilian visitors during October, most of which I didn`t manage to photograph, included Airbus A320-214 F-HEPE Air France (f/v), DHC8-402 G-PRPI Flybe (f/v), Learjet 60 D-COMO, Piaggio P-180 D-IRBS (f/v), BN-2A Islander G-JPEG, King Air 200s F-GJFA, G-FLYW, M-LENR and LN-BAA, the last two being stopovers from the previous month (1st); Boeing 737-5L9 YR-BAG B737-5L9 Blue Air (f/v), Airbus A330-223 LZ-AWA Balkan Holidays Air (BH Air), Cessna Citation XLS G-XLTV and Citation Excel G-SIRS (2nd); BAe146-RJ85 G-JOTR Jota Aviation, Cessna CitationJet CJ3 G-YEDC and HM Coastguard Sikorsy S-92A G-MCGA (3rd); Dassault Falcon 50 F-GXTM (f/v), Piaggio P-180 Avanti LX-SUN (f/v) and King Air 200 G-FRYI (4th); Airbus A318-111 F-GUGG Air France (f/v), A330-243 G-VYGM Thomas Cook (f/v), Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPR B777-31HER Emirates (f/v), Learjet 40 I-FORR and Cessna Citation XLS G-LEAX (5th)...
Airbus Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWC Eurowings, Dassault Falcon 2000EX OO-DFG, Cessna CitationJet CJ4 G-SDRY, CitationJet 2 M-ICRO, Citation XLS+ G-CHUI, Raytheon T-6C Texan II N3000B, M-ONTE Piaggio P-180 Avanti, King Air 200 M-CDZT, Eurocopter Ecureuil AS350 G-DJSM and AS-355 Ecureuil 2 G-IDEB (6th); Due to the disruption caused in Florida by Hurricane Matthew, two Orlando-bound Virgin 747s, G-VROS and G-VROY remained at Glasgow overnight. Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWM Eurowings (f/v), Bombardier CRJ200ER ZS-NMG (f/v) of South African Express Airways landed at 17:15 hrs and night-stopped. Gulfstream 450 N918E (f/v), Cessna Citation CJ3 G-YEDC, Pilatus PC-12 Avanti LX-JFH (f/v) and King Air G-SYGA (7th); Boeing 767-319(ER)(WL) TF-ISN Icelandair (f/v), Bombardier Global 6000 CS-GLB, Tecnam P-2006T G-OTAY, Diamond DA-42 Twin Star PH-TAK (f/v), Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel G-BXGA and HM Coastguard Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGG (8th); Airbus A330-243 G-TCXC Thomas Cook (f/v), A320-214 LY-SPH Small Planet (f/v), Piper PA-32 Cherokee G-FAVS (f/v) and King Air 200 G-ZVIP (9th); Sukhoi Superjet SU100-95B EI-FWA Cityjet departed in the morning with the Scotland football team for the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia. Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPQ Emirates (f/v), Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWN Eurowings (f/v), Diamond DA 42-MPP Twin Star G-DMPP and King Air 200 G-IASA (10th)...
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Airbus A321-231(WL) HA-LXI Wizz Air (f/v), Learjet 35A D-CITY, Embraer Phenom 100 G-ITSU, Challenger 605 EI-WFI Westair Aviation and King Air 200 G-OLIV (11th); CityJet SU100-95B Superjet EI-FWA returned with the Scotland football team after yet another defeat, this time in Slovakia, Airbus A319-112 OE-LNC Air Berlin (f/v) a Vienna > Keflavik diversion which landed during the early hours. Also A320-214(WL) D-AEWB Eurowings (f/v), Raytheon Hawker 750XP 9H-BSA, Cessna Citation XLS G-SIRS, Eurocopter EC135 T2 G-WONN (f/v), S-92A G-MCGL HM Coastguard (12th); Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWK Eurowings (f/v), Boeing 737-3L9 G-MISG Cello Aviation, Gulfstream 550 CS-DKE, Learjet 35A D-CONE, SOCATA TBM930 N24MY (f/v), Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL HM Coastguard, Eurocopter AS.355-F1 G-IDEB, and Bell 205 G-UHGB overflew the airfield in the morning (13th); A busy day for the airport with extra Thomas Cook, Jet2 and a couple of Thomson flights laid on to cope with increased passenger numbers due to the October school holidays. Thomas Cook`s A320-214 YL-LCK and Boeing 767-31K(ER)(WL) G-DAJC made a welcome change from the company`s Airbus and 757 aircraft. Boeing 757-330(WL) D-ABOF Condor (f/v) appeared in the afternoon, as did Learjet 55 D-CAAE and Raytheon Hawker 800XPi CS-DRR. Swedish-registered Dassault Falcon 7X SE-DJD was a first time visitor (14th); Airbus A320-214 s YL-LCK and YL-LCL plus A320-233 LY-VEI (f/v) all Thomas Cook, Boeing 757-330 D-ABOB Condor and Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL HM Coastguard (15th)...
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Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPS Emirates (f/v), Cessna Citation Bravo G-SPRE, Raytheon Hawker 800XPi CS-DRO, Dassault Falcon 900EX N885B (f/v) and Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGG HM Coastguard (16th); A320-214(WL) D-AIZS Eurowings, Citation Mustang G-FBNK, King Air 200GT M-WATJ and Sikorsky S-76 G-XXEB call-sign `Rainbow One` (17th); Boeing 737-8KN(WL) A6-FGF (f/v) another brand new Flydubai airliner stopping off on a delivery flight from the USA to the United Arab Emirates, Airbus A321-211(WL) D-ABCQ Air Berlin (f/v) with Borussia Monchengladbach for the Champions League match against Celtic and Beech King Air E90 G-ORTH (18th); Football-related traffic today was much lighter than I expected with A320-214 LY-SPH of Small Planet being the only additional airliner and just three German biz-jets, namely Bombardier Challenger CL300 D-BANN (f/v), Gulfstream 150 D-CGEP, and Cessna CitationJet CJ3 D-CJOS. Citation Bravo G-IPLY, Citation XLS G-CXLS, Dassaault Falcon 7X M-CELT and King Air 90GTi M-TSRI also called in (19th)...
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Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWI Eurowings (f/v), A320-232 LY-SPD Small Planet departed with Broussia Monchengladbach fans, Citation Mustang G-FFFC, Piaggio P-180 Avanti M-GCAP, King Air 350 G-SRBM (f/v) and Beech A36 Bonanza G-POPA (f/v) (20th); Airbus A320-214s YL-LCK, YC-LCL plus Boeing 757-3CQ G-JMAB all Thomas Cook Airlines returning with October school week holiday passengers. Also Condor Boeing 757-330(WL) D-ABOF. Plus A320-214(WL) D-AEWD Eurowings (f/v) and Learjet 35A D-CITY (21st); Airliners arriving with yet more returning October week holidaymakers included Boeing 767-31K(ER)(WL) G-DAJC, and Airbus A320s LY-VEI, YL-LCK and YL-LCL - all Thomas Cook, plus Boeing 757-330(WL) D-ABOG of Condor (f/v). Embraer EMB135BJ Legacy 650 TC-DIA (f/v) and Piper PA-31 Navajo G-LYDF (22nd); Boeing 767-31K(ER)(WL)s G-TCCA and G-TCCB plus A320-214 YL-LCK - all Thomas Cook, Airbus A320-214(WL) F-HEPH Air France and Boeing 737-86N YR-BMG Blue Air (23rd)... |
Boeing 757-224(WL) N14120 United Star Alliance colours, Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair Aurora Borealis colours, KLM Boeing 737s - PH-BXA in Retro colours and PH-BXO in Skyteam colours (24th); BAe146-RJ85 G-JOTR Jota Aviation, Pilautus PC-12 LX-JFQ, Piaggio P-180 M-ONTE, AS355N Ecureuil II G-OLCP call-sign `Kingdom 03` and HM Coastguard Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL (25th); Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWE Eurowings (f/v), Boeing 737-9K2(WL) PH-BXO KLM Skyteam colours and Embraer 505 Phenom 300 CS-PHI (26th)...
Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWG Eurowings (f/v), BAe 146-RJ85 G-JOTR Jota Aviation, Citation 750 X D-BEAR (f/v) and SOCATA TBM930 N930MV (f/v) (27th); CityJet Avro RJ85 EI-RJC covered today`s Glasgow > Paris Charles de Gaulle service, plus A319-132 D-AGWA Germanwings (f/v), Canadair CL-600-2B19 Challenger 850 9H-ILA VistaJet, Dassault Falcon 2000LX XA-DFN, Embraer Phenom 300 G-JMBO, Agusta Bell AB206B JetRanger II G-BXUF and Sikorsky S-76B G-TRMP (28th); Bombardier Global 5000 VP-CWN (f/v), Citation XLS D-CGMR (f/v), Citation XLS CS-DXR, Piper PA-31 Navajo G-IFIT and King Air G-ORTH (29th); BA Boeing 767-336(ER) G-BNWB worked one of the day`s Shuttle flights, Dassault Falcon 2000EX CS-DLB, Cessna 750 Citation X C-FNRG (f/v), Citation X D-BEAR returned, Bombardier Challenger 300 HB-JGQ and Phenom 300 G-JMBO (30th); Sukhoi SU100-95B Superjet EI-FWA Cityjet departed to Germany with Celtic FC for the team`s 2nd leg Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach. Boeing 737-73S(WL) EI-SEV Ryanair, Airbus A319-114 D-AIPU Germanwings, Citation XLSs CS-DXG and G-IPAX (31st).
UK clocks officially changed to Winter Time toward the end of this month but with mild conditions set to continue for the immediate future, there was no work in sight for the airport`s runway clearing equipment. This unit, an RS400 manufactured by Øveraasen, was parked near the northern perimeter of the airfield. The Norwegian company are one of the world`s leaders in snow blowers etc for airports and their vehicles are designed to handle all types of snow, including wet, hard-packed or icy snow. Glasgow Airport have five in total which can be utilised for normal plowing, clearing snowdrifts and the uploading of snow onto trucks. The RS400s are supplemented by three smaller SB90s, plus a number of tractors, not to mention the pool of ground staff with brushes and shovels.
Jet Airliners
Above: A couple of noteworthy visitors are pictured together on Tuesday 18 October: A6-FGF is another brand new Boeing 737-8KN(WL) airliner stopping off on a delivery flight from the USA to Flydubai in the United Arab Emirates while Air Berlin Airbus A321-211(WL) D-ABCQ arrived with Borussia Monchengladbach for the Champions League Group stage match against Celtic FC on the 19th. Both were making their first appearance at Glasgow International.
The only other football-related airliner to appear was Small Planet`s Airbus A320-214 LY-SPH which arrived with German fans on the day of the match, as did just three D-registered biz-jets.
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Airbus A330-243 Voyager G-VYGM made its first visit to the airport on Wednesday 5 October and is pictured here the following afternoon. Of the 14 Voyagers included in the UK’s Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) fleet, nine are in the RAF’s `core` fleet, and the other five, including this one, are considered 'surge' aircraft. Voyager G-VYGM was delivered to holiday provider Thomas Cook in 2015 and will be leased by the airline until 2018, after which it is expected to return to military service.
Thomas Cook Boeing 767-31K(ER) G-TCCB is pictured taking off on Sunday 16 October. G-DAJC, another of the company`s 767s called in twice that day.
British Airways `Olympic Dove` G-EUPH and Flybe Dash 8 G-JECJ.
Boeing 767-336(ER) G-BNWB worked a BA Shuttle flight on the 30th and 31st.
A330-243 G-VYGK departing Runway 05 on Sunday 23 October.
Dash 8 G-FBEJ in Flybe`s `Welcome to Yorkshire` livery.
Thomas Cook Airbus A330-243 G-VYGK lifting off from Runway 23 on Saturday 22 October.
As large flocks of birds arrive in the immediate area to spend the winter, the risk of a bird-strike increases. This easyJet Airbus seemed to come particularly close on the 18th, despite the efforts of Airfield Ops personnel and their flare guns. I think the culprits above are Lapwings although several species of geese plus lesser numbers of Mute and Whooper Swans tend to favour the Black Cart and adjacent farmland. Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and several pairs of Buzzard are resident year-round. On Friday 28 October a Germanwings Airbus A319 reported a bird strike over the Runway 23 threshold seconds before landing - it was probably struck by one of the several hundred pigeons feeding on the newly ploughed fields at the time.
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Boeing 757-224(WL) N58101 United Airlines and Virgin`s 747 G-VROY.
Emirates Triple-Seven A6-ENW rolling down Runway 05 on take-off, Wednesday 12th.
Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-31HER A6-EPK about to depart via Runway 23 on Tuesday 18 October.
Another shot of Flydubai Boeing 737-8KN(WL) A6-FGF.
Yet another Emirates Triple-Seven - this is A6-EGX lifting off from Runway 23 on Monday 17 October.
More views of Emirates Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENW on the 12th.
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Above Right: On Sunday 9 October, after taking off via Runway 05, Emirates Boeing 777 A6-EGY overflies the Belgian Navy`s Karel Doorman-class Frigate BNS Leopold I, one of the numerous vessels taking part in the second of 2016`s Joint Warrior military exercises. The warship was heading downriver from the KGV Dock to take up station at her allocated patrol area off northwest Scotland.
Eurowings have began using Airbus A320-214s several times a week rather than the smaller Canadair Regional Jets. D-AEWB was working the Dusseldorf - Glasgow route on the 14th.
On Monday 31st, CityJet SU100-95B EI-FWA took Celtic FC to Germany for the 2nd leg Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach while three Boeing 737s transported the Glasgow team`s fans - G-JZHH and G-JZHE of Jet2 and Ryanair`s only Boeing 737-73S(WL) EI-SEV which is pictured above departing at 15:50 hrs.
Boeing 777 A6-EGP about to hit the tarmac on the 28th.
Prop-liners
Loganair Saab 2000 G-LGNT.
Flybe Dash 8 G-JECM.
Flybe Dash 8 G-JECE on short finals for Runway 23, Friday 28 October 2016.
Biz-Jets
Bombardier Global 5000 VP-CWN (f/v) arrived on Saturday 29 October.
Portuguese-registered Citation XLS CS-DXR taking-off from Runway 23, Sunday 30 October.
Cessna Citation X D-BEAR, seen here on Thursday 27 October, is a private jet operated by Air X.
Bombardier CRJ200ER ZS-NMG (f/v), ex of South African Express Airways, landed at 17:15 hrs on Friday 7 October and night-stopped. ZS- registered aircraft are rare visitors to Glasgow.
Another view of Vistajet Canadair CL-600-2B19 Challenger 850 9H-ILA which appeared on the 28th.
Cessna 750 Citation X C-FNRG (f/v), Monday 31 October 2016.
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More shots of Embraer Legacy TC-DIA on Sunday 23rd. The Turkish-registered biz jet took off just after 09:00 hrs.
Dassault Falcon 2000LX XA-DFN arrived just after 18:00 hrs on Friday 28th. This was the second time I`d photographed this Mexican-registered biz-jet at Glasgow having caught it in March of this year when it visited for the first time.
General Aviation
Piaggio P-180 Avanti IIs LX-SUN and D-IRBS.
Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II N187SA can usually be found under wraps at the Flying Club.
Dutch-registered Diamond DA-42 Twin Star PH-TAK (f/v) arrived on the 8th and remained at Glasgow until Friday 14 October. The prototype of this four seat, twin engine, light aircraft made its first flight in December 2002 and over the following years a number of variants have been developed, both for the civilian and military markets.
The design has proved so successful that the company now derives two-thirds of its revenue from military and government contracts, primarily for manned and unmanned Dominator surveillance aircraft. The DA42 is currently in the inventories of the Argentinian Army, Ghana Air Force, Niger Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and Ukraine Border Guard Service amongst others, and the UK operated two DA-42MPP aircraft in a surveillance role in 2008 / 2009.
Military
The second of this year`s Joint Warrior military exercises, Exercise Joint Warrior 162, took place between 8 and 20 October. Delivered by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) from Faslane, it incorporates a range of exercises conducted across the UK by land forces, warships, submarines and aircraft from 15 Nations. The bulk of the action occurred to the North and North West of Scotland.
On Wednesday 5 October, Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King 12404 (f/v) of the Royal Canadian Navy arrived at Glasgow International at 08:50 and departed at 09:15 hours. This chopper is believed to have been operating from Joint Warrior participant, HMCS Charlottetown (FFH-339), a Halifax-class Frigate which was in the Outer Firth of Clyde at the time. The shot below was was taken on Friday 7th at the KGV Dock. Tucked away Charlottetown`s hangar, only the tail section of the Sea King is visible.
US Navy KC-130T serial number 162309, which had been at at Glasgow since Friday 30 September, took off at 12:50 hrs on 1 October only to return at 16:30 hrs that day. It finally departed at 12:30 hrs on the 3rd. I`m not sure if the visits by this aircraft or USAFE C-21A 84-0083 were connected with Joint Warrior 162.
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USAF Europe Learjet C-21A 84-0083 N/S call-sign "Valor 10" landed at 20:15 hrs on the 1st.
Four Scottish Aviation Bulldogs landed within minutes of each other, mid-afternoon on Saturday 1 October, all bearing both civilian and military markings, namely G-BZDP (XX551/E), G-WINI (XX546/03), G-BZFN (XX667/16) and G-CBBT (XX695/CM). They night-stopped and departed around 14:00 hrs on Sunday once the extensive mist that had been blanketing the area lifted.
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RAF BAe146-200QC C.3 ZE708 brought a contingent of Air Training Corps cadets to Glasgow during the morning of Saturday 8 October.
Gulfstream 4, serial number V-11 (call-sign `NAF 11`) of the Royal Netherlands Air Force arrived at 17:20 hrs on Wednesday 26 October and night-stopped.
Italian Air Force Piaggio P-180AM Avanti MM62200 (f/v) (above) and CASA CN235MPA No.252 of the Irish Air Corps appeared on Friday 28th.
...and finally - a Few from Prestwick
It was very quiet when I made a morning visit to Prestwick on Thursday 13 October to photograph the temporarily-based Cobham Falcons and RN Hawks involved in Exercise Joint Warrior.
Gulfstream IV-SP N478GS was one of three non-Ryanair civilian aircraft present, the others being Dutch-registered Piper PA-31T-620 Cheyenne II PH-SVY and Cessna 441 Conquest N22CG which took-off for Cambridge.
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Above: Resident ex Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747-122SF N852FT is used for fire training and has been at Prestwick since the spring of 2002.
Canadian Armed Forces Boeing CC-177 Globemaster III, serial number 177702, pictured below departed Prestwick in the early evening of 19 October only to return soon after having suffered a bird-strike. There wasn`t much activity when I stopped around lunchtime, just a couple of light aircraft and helicopters which are pictured below.
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October 2016
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