Glasgow Airport Movements 2020
January
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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January 2020
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May 2020
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August 2020
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September 2020
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October 2020
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November 2020
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December 2020
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Brexit
Image © Sky News
After almost four years of political wrangling following the Brexit vote of 2016, on Friday 31 January 2020 the UK finally left the European Union. Hundreds of people who had gathered in Parliament Square in central London sang the British national anthem and waved Union Jacks as the clock struck 11 pm. The departure was marked at this time rather than on the stroke of midnight due to the time difference between the UK and mainland Europe. The UK now enters a transition period during which it will retain many of the privileges of EU membership, but have no say on rule-making. The opposing sides have until the end of this year to reach an acceptable deal that replaces the current relationship on trade and other issues, but many experts consider this an unusually short window for such complex negotiations.
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Not quite as much partying north of the border on Brexit night though where 62.0% (1,661,191) of Scotland`s population had voted to remain in the EU as opposed to 38.0% (1,018,322) leavers. A pro-British rally to celebrate Brexit was held in Glasgow`s George Square where a group of around 100 rain-lashed people waved Union flags, sang Rule Britannia and cheered as Scotland and the rest of the UK officially left the EU at the allotted time. The leavers` rather soggy party coincided with another dreich gathering a short distance away at the top of Buchanan Street, close to the statue of Donald Dewar.
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The `Leave the Light on for Scotland` event hosted by the `Glasgow Loves EU` group saw people raise torches and shine mobile phone lights while singing Auld Lang Syne. These, and similar events across Scotland came as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon maintained that Brexit would lead to Scotland becoming an independent country. Whatever people voted in the 2016 Brexit referendum, the UK`s departure from the EU will impact everyone to some degree, and not just with regard to travel and the aviation industry. (White Cliffs of Dover image © Sky News. Duke of Wellington statue and following George Square images © Daily Record).
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It`s a January tradition that all across the nation people resolve to change their ways and get a bit fitter, now that the festive munching and drinking is over for another year. Tunnock`s have nailed it once again with their latest advertising poster, a copy of which now adorns the billboard in St Andrews Drive, near the entrance to the airport. Obviously the members of this gym class have been stuffing themselves with the company`s caramel wafers, caramel logs and tea cakes and have fallen flat on their faces attempting their first bit of exercise in 2020. Luckily some giant-sized, tea caked-shaped beach balls have been strategically placed to cushion the fall - all the class members have to do now is wait for the instructor to come and give them a hand up!
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December`s passenger figures could also do with a hand-up - this time they`re down 2.5%, at 558,000 passengers. Even worse is the overall 12 month rolling total at 8.84 million, a substantial reduction of 8.4% compared to 2018.
Terminal 2 (above) was closed this month to enable a long overdue makeover. The flooring in front of the check-in desks will be replaced, as will the baggage belt which is showing its age. Then, just a lick of paint and T2 will be ready for business.
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Some airlines including easyJet and Ryanair have already attempted to address uncertainties with regard to new aviation legislation following Brexit. They have re-branded part of their fleets and given their aircraft European registrations. easyJet now has airliners bearing Austrian markings, while Irish-owned carrier Ryanair, even although that country is an EU member, has placed some of its planes on either the Polish or Maltese registers. These shots show Ryanair Sun Boeing 737 SP-RSH pushing back on Wednesday 8 January.
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Flybe became `Fly maybe` on Monday 13 January once again when it revealed that it was in danger of collapse. The carrier, soon to be re-branded as Virgin Connect, was recently acquired by Connect Airways, a consortium of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital. In April 2019, financial concerns led Flybe to reduce services and in some cases pull out of some UK airports altogether. Doncaster Sheffield Airport was one of those to lose out.
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However, just before the latest bankruptcy deadline, the UK government stepped in with a rescue package, saving the airline for the time being, but instigating a vociferous backlash from some of Flybe`s competitors. Feelings are running high, especially after the government failed to offer financial assistance to Monarch Airlines in 2017 and just last summer, Thomas Cook Airlines, resulting in the permanent loss of two of the country`s major players and tens of thousands of jobs worldwide. The collapse of the latter led to the largest repatriation operation ever mounted which went into effect to bring home stranded passengers.
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The rescue deal for Flybe will be in the form of an Air Passenger Duty (APD) deferment, enabling the carrier to hold back more than £100 million of APD payments for the time being. The APD is a levy imposed on passengers taking flights from UK airports and Flybe has long been a critic of the duty, claiming it hits them hardest as the vast majority of its flights are domestic.
Among those unhappy and threatening legal action in response to the government`s decision is the International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways. It has filed an official complaint to the European Commission claiming the deal is a blatant misuse of public funds which breaches state aid rules. The CEO of easyJet, Johan Lundgren and Michael O’Leary, boss of Irish airline Ryanair, have voiced similar concerns. O’Leary was quick to add that had Flybe went bust, his own airline could have stepped in to cover the vacant routes. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded by basically saying that the government do not step in to save companies that simply run into trouble, but in the case of Flybe, the airline delivers essential regional connectivity across the whole country and warrants assistance. |
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Another aviation related announcement this month that didn`t go down too well with many was the proposal to have air traffic control for five of Scotland`s regional airports undertaken centrally from Inverness. Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) said that the move which would affect Sumburgh, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkwall (above) and Stornoway, will modernise air traffic control. Unmanned towers would be phased in and these would feed information to a purpose-built combined surveillance centre at New Century House in Inverness.
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But the union Prospect warned that the "poorly thought out" plan may also involve the downgrading of air traffic services at Benbecula and Wick John O'Groats airports. Around 60 jobs would also be put at risk. The new system, which HIAL describe as state-of-the-art, would have a flight information service, offering pilots specifics on the condition of the airfields and weather, but not the flight paths of individual aircraft. A long running dispute between HIAL and its air traffic controllers over pay had only just been resolved.
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Apart from things continuing to hot-up politically, a series of new weather records for high temperatures were broken in the UK during 2019, concluding a record-breaking decade. The Met Office said that the last decade was the second hottest in the UK over the last century. Eight new high-temperature records were set, four of these in the last year alone, including the highest winter and summer temperatures ever experienced. The vast majority of experts put the cause down to global warming.
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Last year, a maximum of 21.2C was reached on 26 February, in London, the hottest February day ever recorded. Also in February, the highest daily minimum temperature for that month was 13.9C recorded on the 23rd in the Scottish Highlands. The hottest December day is also likely to have been exceeded as last month a provisional temperature of 18.7C was recorded at Achfary, a hamlet in Sutherland, on 28 December, although this figure is awaiting confirmation. The UK's highest-ever temperature of 38.7C was reached in Cambridge on 25 July.
A government spokesman said climate change was a "national priority" and it was committed to increasing the momentum around environmental action, especially as this year's COP 26 talks are set to be hosted in Glasgow. |
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The cost of the United Nations Climate Change Conference which will take place between Monday 9 - Friday 20 November could run to several hundred million pounds. Up to 90,000 people including delegates, observers, heads of state and media, are expected to attend the event. A Scottish Police Authority report says it will be the largest mobilisation of police officers in the UK, therefore Scottish ministers say they expect the UK government to cover the core costs including emergency services funding. However, concern has been raised about the lack of clarity on this issue. (above image © Scottish Event Campus).
Monthly meetings have begun between the Police Authority and government officials to fine-tune the massive security operation, while at the same time attempt to minimise disruption for the city`s residents. This in itself will be challenging as there are likely to be large scale protests at a number of locations prior to and during the conference. |
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The SPA report also reveals the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) (above), where most of the `action` is set to take place, will be handed over to the UN for the duration of the conference. Known as the `Blue Zone`, it will become international territory, subject to international law. Discussions are ongoing with senior law officers and the UN to determine how Police Scotland will record and investigate any crimes which occur within the protected area. Other venues across the city will also host functions so safely escorting delegates to and from these locations will be another burden for the police and security services to bear.
From the aviation enthusiast`s point of view, this should be a very interesting time. The COP 26 will be the largest summit the UK has held, with up to 200 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump expected for the final weekend of talks and attendees will peak at 15,000 on the busiest day. Even though the nature of the conference will see many participants use green modes of transport, there should be plenty of unusual movements at all three of Scotland`s main airports, certainly enough to keep the aircraft photographers snapping away.
From the aviation enthusiast`s point of view, this should be a very interesting time. The COP 26 will be the largest summit the UK has held, with up to 200 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump expected for the final weekend of talks and attendees will peak at 15,000 on the busiest day. Even though the nature of the conference will see many participants use green modes of transport, there should be plenty of unusual movements at all three of Scotland`s main airports, certainly enough to keep the aircraft photographers snapping away.
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Still on the subject of global warming, January 2020 continued as the previous year ended with very mild temperatures and plenty of rain. I was up at Aviemore for Hogmanay and although the weather was fine on the 1st, there was next to no snow, even up on the northern corries of Cairngorm, which was a real disappointment for the skiers.
The last time I was here on New Year`s Day was almost 30 years ago when skies were clear, the ground was white with a couple of inches of snow, and Loch Morlich and nearby Loch an Eilein were almost totally frozen over. People were actually wandering across the ice to explore the castle on the latter`s wooded islet, and walking their dogs well out towards the centre of Loch Morlich. I took these shots during a January ascent of one of Cairngorm`s northern corries many years ago in classic winter conditions. |
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I returned to the Cairngorms at the end of the month for the annual Sled Dog Rally, but with even less snow than the beginning of the year, there wasn`t much atmosphere. It was a different story back in 2007 when I took the following shot. It`s not only Scottish ski resorts that face an uncertain future. Global warming has also led to the closure of Britain’s only daily working sled dog centre after 19 years.
Exceptionally mild winters for the last 6 years have forced Cairngorm Sleddog Centre owner Alan Stewart (64) to call it a day. He and his wife Fiona, who have welcomed Sir David Attenborough, Bear Grylls and my wife and I (not all at the same time!), to see their operation on the Rothiemurchus Estate said that when they first moved to the Aviemore area from the west coast 20 years ago five months of snow was the norm – now it`s just mud. Winter resorts in Europe and even Canada and the USA are experiencing similar problems. The centre will return to its original use as kennels in April, where Alan’s 20 Alaskan huskies will live out their days.
To mark the end of an era, Mr Stewart, who works as an offshore diving supervisor, will host an evening with friends and some of the world’s leading winter explorers, mushers and divers, many of whom are now close family friends, at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort Hotel. Over the years, Mr Stewart and his son John have competed in many of the world`s most famous sled races whether in Europe or the Americas, including a 650 mile epic in Argentina.
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CalMac and other ferry operators experienced weather-related disruption at the beginning of the month with gusts of up to 60 mph affecting services. (Above image © The Press and Journal).
On 6 / 7 January, high winds and a heavy swell meant ferries were unable to dock at Ardrossan on the Ayrshire Coast which ruled out departures from the Isle of Arran`s main terminal at Brodick. The only alternative was on the far smaller Lochranza to Claonaig ferry which is limited to just 23 cars at a time and some of those people who did manage to sail endured a wait of four hours or more. The company ended up getting 154 out of 217 cars off the island by the last sailing. The situation continued into the following day. |
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On Tuesday 7 January, the decision was taken to close the A1 in East Lothian from 05:00 hrs as much of Scotland braced for high winds. Articulated lorries and other high-sided vehicles are very prone to being toppled along this stretch of the main east coast route and as forecasters said they expected disruption and gales gusting up to 75 mph, the closure was put in place as a precaution. Even so, at least two HGV drivers ignored the signs and they, and their vehicles ended up on their sides. The truckers also earned a court summons. (Above images © BBC News.)
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Less than a week later, Storm Brendan, the first named storm of 2020, blew in from the southwest forcing Glasgow-bound Lufthansa A321 D-AISV from Frankfurt to divert to Manchester after a go-around. All CalMac sailings were cancelled and in the evening VistaJet Challenger 350 9H-VCB landed here rather than at Inverness as the weather worsened, bringing wintry conditions and plenty of snow and ice to the Scottish hills north of the central belt. The above shots show part of the construction site off Abbotsinch Road on the morning of the 12 January. Cooler air eventually appeared but it ended up being a snow-free January here.
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"Ordering your travel money is convenient and hassle-free at Glasgow Airport – all you need to do is head straight to Travelex! Wherever you’re heading and whichever currency you're looking for, simply place your order online and you’ll be able to collect it directly from a Travelex store at Glasgow Airport. Easy."
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At least, that`s what the company information page says on the Glasgow Airport website. Travelex has two outlets within the terminal which are well used by tens of thousands of passengers each year. However, when 2020 was just hours old, Travelex revealed that it had been the victim of a cyber attack, which was discovered on 31 December. Hackers broke into the company’s computer systems, perhaps as long as six months ago, and encrypted sensitive customer data. The culprits then threatened to delete the information from the company`s systems and sell it online unless Travelex handed over a ransom of $6m (£4.6m).
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Customers without access to their money expressed anger, not only at the criminal attack but by the company`s poor response. Others complained online they were stranded in foreign countries without money that they put on Travelex ATM cards. All were told to simply wait until the situation was resolved, which wasn`t until the 17th of January.
High street banks that use the Travelex system had also been left with no online travel money services, with Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds all affected. Computer systems in the company's offices and currency shops across Europe, Asia and the US were switched off following the attack. Since 1 January, staff were forced to resort to writing out invoices using pen and paper to fulfil customer orders. Shares in Travelex’s parent company initially plunged by 17 per cent. |
Jet Airliners
Not many aircraft photos this month and most of these are of based airliners or regular visitors. Jet airliner movements included Airbus A321-251NX G-UZMG (f/v) easyJet (1st); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPD Emirates (Expo 2020 blue livery) and Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKD Ryanair Sun (3rd); Airbus A318-112 G-EUNA British Airways (4th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPL Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (6th); Boeing 737-8K2(WL) PH-BCL (f/v) KLM (8th); Airbus A330-243 C-GUBL Air Transat (9th); Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKG Ryanair Sun, Airbus A319-112 D-AIBJ Lufthansa (Star Alliance livery) and Embraer ERJ-145EP G-SAJD (f/v) Loganair (10th); Boeing 737-8Q8(WL) SP-ESA (f/v) Enter Air (11th)...
Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENG Emirates (Expo 2020 orange) (13th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPF Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (15th); Boeing 737-8K5 YR-BMH Blue Air (City of Liverpool livery), plus green Expo Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPL returned (16th); Boeing 737-8MG(WL) G-JZBS (f/v) Jet 2 (18th); Boeing 777 A6-EPL (Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (20th); Airbus A319-112 D-AIBJ Lufthansa (Star Alliance livery) (30th).
Somewhat unusually, Jet2 Boeing 737 G-JZHN (above) was parked tail end on to the terminal on Wednesday 15 January.
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Low-cost carrier easyJet has launched new summer routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Its white and orange-liveried airliners will begin flying from the capital to Catania, Sicily, and Gibraltar from the end of March. Both services will be twice weekly.
New destinations available from Glasgow will be Pula, Croatia, from mid-June and, from late March. Dalaman in Turkey (both twice per week) and Barcelona three times weekly. |
Below: I believe that this aircraft, Airbus A320-214 G-EZUO, seen here parked on one of the remote stands beside the Loganair hangar on Monday 13 January, had an issue regarding its nose gear when it touched down the evening before. It remained at this location for a couple of days before it was brought back into service.
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Loganair are to launch international flights from Edinburgh to Hannover from 17 April 2020, and Esbjerg, Denmark, from 7 May 2020. The German city will be served up to five times per week, with Esbjerg served by three. TUI plan to re-introduce flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from November 2020. Also, Icelandair still hopes to replace two of the seven weekly Boeing 757 flights to Glasgow with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from 2 June onward but this is looking increasingly unlikely. Once it restarts, the carrier will utilise the 737 on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Above: Emirates Boeing 777 A6-EGQ arrives on the morning of 24 January. The shot below shows the same aircraft lined up for takeoff in the afternoon.
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Boeing has just reported its worst annual orders in at least two decades, as it remains in crisis over its 737 Max model. The company also said deliveries of its planes slumped to an 11-year low last year which means the US firm has lost its title as the world's biggest plane maker to European rival Airbus. The 737 Max has been grounded since March after two crashes in which 346 people were killed. Boeing said net orders after cancellations for 2019 totalled just 54 planes. That compares with 893 the previous year. At the same time deliveries fell by 53% to 380 planes, the lowest number since 2007. The MAX saga is thought to have already cost Boeing more than $9bn.
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Last month the company halted production of what up until then had been its best-selling commercial airliner. The grounding of the 737 Max means it`s impossible for the firm to deliver the planes to customers. In comparison, Boeing's main rival Airbus said earlier this month that it delivered a record 863 planes in 2019 and racked up a net 768 orders after cancellations. (Boeing 737 MAX images © ABC News / Wikipedia).
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Right: A Delta Airlines heavy passes over Renfrew on 17 January en route to the USA. Just a few days before, one of the carrier`s Boeing 777-200s dumped jet fuel over the Los Angeles suburbs after declaring an emergency. The aircraft, with 181 people on board, had just taken off from LAX and was bound for Shanghai, China, when one of the engines developed a technical fault. The crew decided to return to the airport and were apparently asked by the controller if they needed to jettison fuel to which they replied "Negative". The hazardous liquid, which should have been released over the ocean at an altitude high enough to atomise properly, fell over five elementary schools and one high school. Fire crews responded and treated 60 people, most of whom were children. Those doused by the jet fuel were decontaminated with soap and water and did not need hospital treatment. An investigation is currently underway.
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On a more positive note, Boeing successfully completed the first test flight of the world's largest twin-engined plane this month. Its 777X (left) took off from the Boeing factory near Seattle on a flight that lasted four hours. Two previous attempts had been called off due to high winds. At 252 feet-long, the 777X is a larger and more efficient version of Boeing's successful 777. New features include folding wingtips and the world's largest commercial engines. (Image © Reuters/ BBC News).
Further tests are needed before the airliner enters service with Emirates next year, especially as Boeing is facing accusations that it sacrificed safety as it rushed delivery of its 737 MAX to customers. The 777X will go head-to-head with the Airbus A350-1000 which seats about 360 passengers. |
Turboprop Airliners
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As previously mentioned the main news here is that troubled airline Flybe whose fleet mainly consists of Dash 8 turboprops has received financial support from the government to prevent its collapse. Meanwhile, Loganair took delivery of its first new ATR 42-500 G-LMRA (ex HOP! F-GPYD) at Aberdeen on 14 January. The aircraft, which appeared at Glasgow for the first time on Monday 20th, will likely operate passenger flights around Scotland once crew familiarisation has been completed.
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I didn`t get a photo on this occasion but this shot of G-LMRZ shows how the type looks in the Loganair livery. (Image © Blue Islands). No doubt doubt the aircraft will become a familiar sight here over the summer. The only other noteworthy commuter props to visit Glasgow this month were BN-2A Islander G-HEBS of Hebridean Air Services on the 22nd and ATR 72-202(F) EI-SLZ (f/v) ASL Airlines Ireland (30th);
Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
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As of April this year, Aer Lingus Regional will introduce an extra weekday flight from Glasgow to Dublin Airport, boosting capacity on the route by an additional 26,000 seats. Obviously the popularity of the service, operated by the Irish carrier`s franchise partner Stobart Air, has led to this decision. As well as leisure and business passengers travelling between Glasgow and the Republic of Ireland’s capital city, the extra flight has been timed to compliment onward connections to popular North American destinations including New York, Boston and Chicago. One advantage travelling stateside from Dublin is that passengers can pre-clear US Customs, potentially saving a long wait at the other end.
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Biz-Jets
The most noteworthy biz-jet to appear this month was Bahrian-registered Gulfstream VI A9C-BAH which arrived on 31 January. Maltese-registered Bombardier Global 5000 9H-AMN, a visitor f/t Biggin Hill on the 21st, is pictured below, parked up on Area R. Otherwise, just a modest flow of corporate traffic.
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Biz-jets from last year still at Glasgow on New Year`s Day were Dassault Falcon 2000LXS G-PULA, Cessna CitationJet CJ3 M-CITY, CitationJet CJ2 D-IJOA and CitationJet CJ1 D-IMOI. Kicking-off 2020`s corporate visitors were Bombardier Challenger 9H-VCB of VistaJet and Bombardier Global 6000 CS-GLG (left) of NetJets Europe (1st): Challenger 350 OO-WEG (f/v), Hawker Beechcraft 750 9H-BSA, Embraer Phenom 300 G-JMBO, Citation Excel OK-SLX Silesia Air and Citation XLS+ D-CJMK (f/v) Air Hamburg (3rd)...
Gulfstream V-SP N223A (f/v), Bombardier Global Express 9H-AYS, Gulfstream G100 (IAI Astra-1125 SPX) OE-GBD Tyrol Air Ambulance, plus Citation Excel OK-SLX departed but returned later (4th); Citation Excels CS-DXG and CS-DQA, plus Gulfstream V N223A returned (5th); Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 650E D-ARMY Air Hamburg (6th)... |
Embraer Legacy 650 G-WIRG and Cessna Citation XLS CS-DQA (below) (7th); Dassault Falcon 900EX PH-LAU and Citation XLS CS-DXP (10th); Challenger 350 9H-VCC VistaJet, Learjet 45XR LX-EAA and Citation M2 M-KNOX (11th); Gulfstream V-SP N257A (f/v) (12th); Challenger 350 9H-VCB VistaJet (Inverness diversion due to Storm Brendan) (13th); Gulfstream V N257A returned (14th); Challenger 350 9H-VCM VistaJet (16th); Gulfstream IV N451KR (f/v) and Cessna Citation Bravo D-CHZF Tyrol Air Ambulance (18th); Gulfstream IV N156WJ (19th); Dassault Falcon 900EX PH-LAU, plus Citation Excels G-CKUB and D-CAWO (f/v) (20th)...
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Bombardier Global 5000 9H-AMN (f/v) (21st); Gulfstream V OE-IIS (f/v) (22nd); Learjet 35A D-CDIM (23rd); Learjet 60 D-CFAF (25th); Gulfstream IV N57EL (f/v)(26th); Gulfstream VI N650FX and Cessna Citation Mustang OE-FZC (27th); Mustang OE-FZE returned (29th); Cessna Citation XLS+ D-CGAA Air Hamburg (30th); Gulfstream VI A9C-BAH, Citation M2 M-KNOX and Embraer Phenom 300 CS-PHC (31st).
VistaJet Challenger 350 9H-VCC was snapped on 5 January.
A cluttered view of Citation M2 M-KNOX and VistaJet Challenger
9H-VCC on Area Juliet, Sunday 12 January.
US Gulfstream IV N451KR arrived from Bangor, Maine, on 18 January followed by Austrian Gulfstream V OE-IIS from Munich on the 22nd...
The last biz jet snapped at Glasgow this month was Manx-registered Citation M2 M-KNOX making a return visit in between showers on a blustery 31 January.
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General Aviation
Overall, very little activity this month with mainly just the Flying Club residents taking to the air. 2020`s first GA visitor was Pilatus PC-12 LX-JFA (f/v) from Islay on the 2nd; Pilatus PC-12 OY-RSE (f/v) (5th); King Air 200 M-LENR (8th); Pilatus PC-12 G-FLXI (10th); Pilatus PC-12 N420DG (f/v) (12th); King Air G-BGRE (16th); King Air 350 G-BSRM and King Air 200 G-WVIP (17th); King Air 200 G-AISB (20th); King Air 200 LN-KGW (21st); King Air 200 G-IASA (22nd); King Air 200 G-NIAA and Diamond DA-62 2-SALE (23rd); King Air 350 G-BSRM returned (25th); King Air G-BGRE returned (26th); King Air 200 M-CDMS (29th); King Air 200 G-WNCH (31st).
Military
RAF BAe 146 C.3 ZE708 made a visit on Thursday 9 January, then ZE707 called in on the 14th. It`s not very often that Glasgow sees a diversion from Prestwick as it has the best weather record for any major UK airport, but on Saturday 11 January, CC-150 Polaris serial number 15002 of the Royal Canadian Air Force landed here. This is the Canadian military`s version of the civilian Airbus A310-300. Grob G115E Tutor T.1s G-BYWS and G-BYXA of the RAF University Air Squadron called in for a time on the 18th.
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USAF Dornier C-146A Wolfhound, serial number 10-3068 (pictured), arrived on Saturday 11 January and parked up on the Royal Pan, remaining until the morning of the 13th. A second Wolfhound, serial number 11-3016 (f/v), arrived on the 23rd for an overnight stop.
Luftwaffe Airbus A319-133(CJ) 15+01, call-sign `GAF 880` did a `go around` of Runway 23 at 10:05 hrs on Monday 27 January. Another German Air Force A319, 15+04 (f/v) call-sign `GAF 886` appeared on the 31st but actually landed for 20 mins. I haven`t been down to Prestwick recently but it was fairly busy during the latter half of January with numerous C-17 / KC-135s on the ground together some days. A C-5M Super Galaxy showed up too. |
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The second Wolfhound, 11-3016, is pictured below on Area R shortly before its departure on 24 January...
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Below: Grob Tutor G-CGKU of the local University Air Squadron was up training on 17 January...
Moravia & The Elgin Buccaneer
Based in a former primary school in Abbeylands, Kinloss, Moravia opened to the public in October 2015. The museum closes for the winter, but I made a brief stop this month to get a few snaps of the external displays through the fence. It looks an interesting place to visit although quite a few of the aircraft listed are cockpit only. More information can be found on the official website: www.morayvia.org.uk.
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This ex-Lossiemouth Buccaneer S.MK.2B, Serial Number XW530, is on display in the forecourt of the Buccaneer Service Station in Elgin. The aircraft was one of a number of Buccaneers that flew from the Moray base to Bahrain during the First Gulf War in 1991. It subsequently carried out twelve missions, successfully destroying Iraqi targets. The Jolly Roger nose art was applied a few days after the completion of XW530`s final Gulf War sortie. The aircraft has been displayed at its current location since February 1994.
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Construction & Development
Artist`s impressions © Renfrewshire Council / Hotel image © IHG
Back home, the suggestion of a rail / tram connection to Glasgow International has resurfaced yet again. The latest instalment is that Glasgow and Renfrewshire councils have supposedly agreed funding for an airport tram link and a feasibility study is to be carried out to hopefully extend it eastwards into Glasgow. The work is planned as part of a city region-wide Glasgow Metro system, the first phase of which will be a link between the airport and Paisley Gilmour Street Station. The Scottish Government needs to give its approval for the enterprise to qualify as a national transport project.
If given the go-ahead, this will be the biggest public transport project in the city for decades. The Connectivity Commission, set up by the council last year, recommended a network that connects the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District currently under construction, Renfrew town centre, Braehead and the Queen Elizabeth Hospitals before crossing the River Clyde.
If completed, the first phase of the proposed project will finally provide a viable alternative to people accessing the airport via the M8 Motorway and help ease congestion.
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Renfrewshire Council said passengers and staff at the airport would benefit greatly from the new public transport project.
Business leaders in Glasgow have been calling for a viable rail link to the airport for decades. They stress that without such connectivity airport growth, already extremely challenging in the current financial climate, would be difficult and that other stages in the network must follow quickly. The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (artist`s impression above) is just one of the locations earmarked for a Metro station. I`ve no information as to where the airport end of the line will stop but the St James playing fields may be bulldozed to accommodate the new station. |
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If the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District beside the airport and a new metro aren`t enough to be going on with, plans were unveiled for a new £100m Clydeside retail outlet, including shops, restaurants and a cinema, next to the Riverside Transport Museum. Glasgow Harbour Lifestyle Outlet will occupy waste land bordered by both the River Clyde and River Kelvin. Developer for the project will be Peel L&P which runs similar retail parks in Manchester.
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It`s hoped that the 350,000 sq ft complex, provisionally due for completion by the end of next year, will create 2,000 new jobs and generate about £45m a year for the local economy. The proposals involve six blocks which will include 20,000 square metres of retail units, more than 10,000 sq m for leisure uses and restaurants / bars totalling almost 4,000 sq metres.
Block A, located at the northernmost part of the site beside the Clydeside Expressway, will have 55 shops, five levels of car parking and a management suite. One of the shopping streets will be partially covered. Block B will be two stories high, with 33 ground floor retail units and a "single, large scale leisure unit at first floor". Eight food and drink premises and 11 retail units will be included in Block C as well as a 12-screen cinema. A VIP suite and 17 retail units are planned for Block D while Block E would contain one food and drink unit and five retail units. There would be a gym on the first floor. Block F, closest to the junction of the River Kelvin and the River Clyde, would be made up of two retail units, a large food and drink unit and rows of outdoor seating.
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Artist`s impressions © Peel Lifestyle Outlets
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A new pedestrian and cycle bridge will span the River Clyde to connect Govan and Partick with construction due to start next year. For at least 2,000 years, the Clyde could be forded at this location and the social and economic links were later maintained by cross-river ferries. In the 19th and 20th centuries the historic Govan ferry was used by thousands of shipyard workers each day travelling to and from work but the service was closed to passengers in the mid-1960s. (Artists` impressions © Scottish construction now.com).
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The new £10m crossing, which should open to the public in 2022, will be 115 metres (377 ft) long with a rotating central span of 68 metres (223 ft). A 28.5 metre (94 ft) high tower will support the structure and the headroom of nearly 5 metres (15 ft) above the high-water mark will allow smaller vessels to pass under the bridge when it`s closed. This will make it one of the largest opening footbridges in Europe.
The new bridge will only take a few minutes to move to the open position which should enable larger vessels, including the Waverley, to pass through.
Built on the Clyde in 1946 by A. & J. Inglis, PS Waverley has for many years been the world`s last sea-going paddle steamer. It had been thought that last year would be the iconic ship`s final season but following a successful Boiler Refit Appeal to raise £2.3 million, the work to return her to service can now be carried out. She is currently at James Watt Dock in Greenock where her funnels were removed to provide access for the engineers. The full refit is expected to take around 4 months which will allow Waverley to return to service for summer 2020.
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Following a break over Christmas and New Year, work on the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland site, much of which had been flooded, restarted in earnest.
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Preparations for the new pedestrian / cycle crossing parallel with the stone bridge across the Black Cart Water are continuing. It had initially been hoped that a new cycleway would run along the south side of the A8 all the way to Inchinnan village, but it now looks as though the new track with rejoin the road just west of the `23` runway lights. Apparently the local farmer was reluctant to sell the land needed to extend the route.
Below: As mentioned last month, the new M8 motorway access point at Bishopton, Junction 29A, opened on 6 December three months ahead of schedule. Construction began in January 2017 and has taken less than three years to complete. Known as the Southbar Interchange, the project came about as part of BAE Systems’ ongoing transformation of the former Royal Ordnance Factory site into the Dargavel Village housing development. |
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Dargavel Village gets its name from Dargavel House, a Grade B listed Tower House dating back to 1514 situated within the grounds of the BAE complex. The ongoing privately-funded regeneration project is one of the UK’s largest and when complete in 2034, it will incorporate 4,000 new houses, a business park, new primary school, community centre, retail and commercial units, leisure facilities and a Community Woodland Park. Well over 1,000 homes are already in place.
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The new multimillion-pound junction joins the intersection of the A8 Greenock Road and the M8 motorway, providing direct access eastbound towards Paisley, Glasgow Airport and the city itself, as well as an exit slip for Bishopton and Erskine from the westbound carriageway. No access has been provided to or from the north. The work was undertaken by UK-based civil engineering company Morgan Sindall Infrastructure on behalf of BAE Systems. More than 50 companies were involved in the design and build, of which 40 percent were Scotland-based.
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Aerial images © Morgan Sindall Group plc.
There wasn`t as much avian activity around the airport this month but a couple of hundred geese set up home in the fields to the northwest. The above shot was taken mid-morning on 12 January.
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Although these birds were quite distant, Airside Ops fired off several flares to persuade them to keep them moving. The guys seemed pleased with their efforts until a pair of swans flew right over their cars a few seconds later!
The area between the south bank of the Black Cart Water and Walkinshaw Road is a favourite feeding spot.
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January 2020
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May 2020
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August 2020
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September 2020
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October 2020
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November 2020
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December 2020
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