Glw Apt 2021 December

It will be no surprise that there`s not a great deal of local aviation-related material this month - but even Coronavirus can`t stop Father Christmas! December`s highlight was of course tracking Santa, Rudolph & Co on Flightradar24 as they did their rounds, delivering presents to boys and girls around the world.

A year on since the rollout of the UK`s extensive vaccination program things had been looking promising in the battle against COVID but yet another variant, this one designated Omicron, reared its head to cause further chaos globally. It seems to spread more easily from person to person compared to other types, including its predecessor, Delta. Infections surged, affecting all aspects of daily life with the light at the end of the tunnel for the hard-hit hospitality and travel sectors once again growing ever distant. The UK saw record-breaking case numbers on Christmas Eve and despite initial findings that Omicron is milder than other COVID variants, scientists remain concerned at the number of infections.

Globally, airlines cancelled more than 4,000 flights that had been scheduled to take-off on 24 and 25 December at short notice, scuppering longed awaited Christmas reunions, while venues gearing up to host social and major sporting events over the festive period were unable to do so.

The US, which like many countries across the world, is experiencing a sharp rise in COVID cases, saw over 1,000 flights operated by US carriers scrubbed as crews tested positive, or were forced to self-isolate to reduce the latest variant's spread. Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines were the worst affected.

The US had previously announced that it would lift travel restrictions imposed on South Africa and seven other African nations on New Year's Eve but this is now subject to review.

In the UK, Ryanair and easyJet have reduced their capacity for January, anticipating a decline in passenger numbers. A spokesman for Ryanair said: "In responding to these restrictions, Ryanair has now cut its January capacity by 33 percent, reducing its expected January traffic from approximately 10 million to 6-7 million.".

Austria became the latest country to impose tougher restrictions on British tourists entering the country. From Christmas Day, anyone who arrived in Austria from the UK had to provide proof that they are double-vaccinated and boosted, as well as showing evidence of a negative PCR test. Anyone without said documentation would have to remain in quarantine for 10 days. This is a huge blow to the winter sports industry, which was already suffering after France banned almost all arrivals from the UK. Skiers who had switched their booking from France to Austria now face even more disappointment.

(Photos © USA Today/ BBC News/ Getty/ Reuters/ Daily Maverick SA)

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Jet Airliners

As can be seen on this FlightRadar24 screenshot, despite the pandemic and flight cancellations, there were still plenty of planes in the sky during the early hours of Christmas Day.

It was good to see some of the traditional Santa flights still operating from Glasgow on the run-up, most of which are usually provided by Polish charter outfit Enter Air. Maintenance on British Airways Airbuses continued throughout December at the company`s engineering hangar.

Wednesday 1 December: Boeing 777-36N(ER) A6-ECD Emirates (Expo 2020 Opportunity Livery), Airbus A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby Team Livery), Airbus A320-251N G-UZHS easyJet (Tenerife > Manchester weather diversion), Embraer ERJ-190STD PH-EZX KLM Cityhopper (SkyTeam colours), plus Airbus A320-232 G-EUUC British Airways arrived for storage/maintenance; Thursday 2 December: Airbus A319-112 D-AIBJ Lufthansa (Star Alliance colours), Airbus A321-231 EC-MGZ (f/v) Vueling and Airbus A320-251N G-TTNP British Airways; Saturday 4 December: Boeing 737-8K5 G-TAWC TUI operated the first Santa flight to Lapland from Glasgow Airport for a very long time, in this case heading for Kittila. Enter Air Boeing 737-85R(WL) SP-ENQ landed at 22:45 ready for a similar flight to Enontekio early the next morning; Sunday 5 December: Airbus A321-231(WL) EC-MMU (f/v) Vueling, Boeing 737-8-200 MAX SP-RZH (f/v) Buzz, plus Airbus A320-232 G-EUYL British Airways left after storage/maintenance...

Monday 6 December: Airbus A320-214EI-DVM Aer Lingus (Retro Livery), Embraer ERJ-190SR G-LCAH BA CityFlyer and Enter Air Boeing 737 SP-ENQ worked another Santa flight; Wednesday 8 December: Airbus A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby Team Livery), Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 SP-RZC Buzz, Boeing 757-256 EC-HDS Privilege Style flew in from Seville with Real Betis FC for their match against Celtic at Parkhead while Airbus A320-233 G-POWK Titan Airways arrived from Liverpool to take the Gers to Lyon for their next European clash. Plus Boeing 737-8K2(WL) PH-BXI KLM (SkyTeam colours) and Airbus A320-251N G-TTNP British Airways; Thursday 9 December: Boeing 737-8AS(WL) EI-DCL Ryanair (Dreamliner colours), Airbus A321-231(WL) EC-MOO (f/v) Vueling and Airbus A321-211 G-POWU Titan Airways (All-white colours) arrived and night-stopped for a Santa charter to Ivalo the following morning; Friday 10 December: Airbus A320-214 EI-DVM Aer Lingus (Retro Livery) and Titan Airways A320-232 G-POWK returned with Rangers FC from Lyon while easyJet A320-251N G-UZHR brought the team`s supporters, plus Airbus A319-112 D-AIBJ Lufthansa (Star Alliance colours)...

Saturday 11 December: Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EGB Emirates (Year of the Fiftieth Livery) and Bombardier CRJ-1000 EI-HBB Hibernian Airlines arrived from Hamburg for a Rugby charter to La Rochelle - returned 12th; Monday 13 December: Airbus A321-211 G-POWU Titan Airways Santa charter from/to Ivalo, plus A320-232 G-EUUC British Airways left after storage/maintenance; Wednesday 15 December: Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 SP-RZG (f/v) Buzz Airbus A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby scheme), Boeing 737-83N(WL) SP-ENU Enter Air for Santa charter on the 16th to/from Enontekio and Airbus A319-111 OE-LQL easyJet Europe; Thursday 16 December: Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIF resumed the Air Transat Glasgow-Toronto service. Embraer ERJ-190STD PH-EZX KLM Cityhopper (SkyTeam colours) also called in. Saturday 18 December: A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby colours), plus Air Transat Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIF returned...

Sunday 19 December: Airbus A319-112 D-AIBJ Lufthansa (Star Alliance Livery); Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner G-TUIJ and Boeing 737 MAX 8 G-TUMO (f/v), both TUI. Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS(WL)s EI-EVL (f/v) (Lanzarote> Prestwick Fog diversion) and G-RUKB (f/v) Ryanair Torp, Norway-Manchester diversion, plus Airbus A321-231(WL) EC-MQB (f/v) Vueling.

Right: On Wednesday 8 December, Privilege Style Boeing 757-256 EC-HDS flew in from Seville with Real Betis FC for their match against Celtic.

Monday 20 December: Boeing 737-8CX(WL) SP-ENL Enter Air Santa flight to/from Enontekio (and 21st); Tuesday 21 December: Boeing 737-8AS(WL) EI-DCL Ryanair (Dreamliner colours) plus A321-251NX G-NEOX British Airways arrived for storage/maintenance; Wednesday 22 December: Boeing 737-8 Max 200 SP-RZD (f/v) Buzz, Boeing 737-8MG(WL) G-JZBL Jet2 Santa charter from Enontekio and Airbus A319-111 OE-LQM easyJet Europe; Thursday 23 December: Airbus A321-271NX C-GOIK (f/v) Air Transat; Friday 24 December: Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENI Emirates (Expo 2020 Mobility Livery); Saturday 25 December: *MERRY CHRISTMAS* Airbus A321-271NX C-GOJC (f/v) Air Transat; Sunday 26 December 2021: Boeing 737-808(WL) G-JZHD Jet2 (Fuerteventura>Leeds Fog diversion); Monday 27 December 2021: Airbus A321-251NX G-UZMJ easyJet; Wednesday 29 December 2021: Airbus A319-111 OE-LQM easyJet Europe. Thursday 30 December 2021: A321-271NX C-GOIO Air Transat.

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Turboprop Airliners

ATR72`s of ASL Airlines operating the early morning daily connection between Glasgow and Newcastle were EI-SOO and EI-SOP, the former aircraft being utilised in most instances. The only noteworthy visitor on the turboprop front was ATR 72-212A G-ISLM of Blue Islands which flew in from Exeter on a Rugby charter on 17 December.

For the second month in a row, Cranfield University`s Flying Laboratory Saab 340B G-NFLB spent much of its time at Glasgow Airport, either inside or outside the Loganair hangar. 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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Biz-Jets

Despite all the activity last month there were no corporate stopovers. Nothing doing on 1 December either but thereafter: 02 December: Cessna Citation Latitude G-SHUI, CitationJet CJ4 M-KNOX, CitationJet CJ2+ G-TWOP, Embraer Legacy 500 G-WLKR and Eclipse 500 2-MINI (f/v); 03 December: CitationJet CJ3 D-COGA (f/v), plus Air Charter Scotland`s CitationJet CJ2 G-NOCM flew in mid-afternoon but as it`s based here any further comings and goings aren`t recorded; 04 December: Gulfstream G650 N83CW, plus Legacy 500 G-WLKR reappeared having flown up from Luton; 07 December: Pilatus PC-24 D-CHMS from Lisbon; 10 December: Gulfstream G-IV N823LF (f/v); 11 December: Learjet 45 G-FEMC from Belfast International. Learjet 45 D-CICU (f/v) routing Lanzarote>Cologne, and Embraer Phenom 300E D-CKVI (f/v); 12 December: Dornier DO328JET N395MS (f/v)...

13 December: Embraer ERJ-145LU G-OFLX BAE Systems; 14 December: Learjet 35A D-CITY, plus Gulfstream IV N823LF (right) returned; 16 December: Falcon 2000EX G-NJAD (left for Farnborough on 17th); 11 December: Learjet 45 G-FEMC from Belfast International. Learjet 45 D-CICU (f/v) routing Lanzarote>Cologne, and Embraer Phenom 300E D-CKVI (f/v); 12 December: Dornier DO328JET N395MS (f/v) 1108/1148*; 13 December: Embraer ERJ-145LU G-OFLX BAE Systems; 14 December: Learjet 35A D-CITY, plus Gulfstream IV N823LF returned; 16 December: Falcon 2000EX G-NJAD (left for Farnborough on 17th)...

17 December: Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign D-CMDH from Nice and Falcon 7X PH-GWS (f/v); 18 December: Bombardier Challenger 850 D-AFAN from Geneva; 19 December: Falcon 7X M-CELT, Citation Excel CS-DQB from Malaga and CitationJet CJ2+ G-TWOP from Bristol; 20 December: Bombardier Global 6000 9H-VJE (f/v) VistaJet Malta from Madrid, Eclipse 500 2-JEZA Channel Islands Jet Services, Embraer Praetor 600 D-BALL (f/v) Air Hamburg from Geneva, Embraer Phenom 300 G-JMBO and Citation Mustang PH-TXA from Dundee; 21 December: Dassault Falcon 2000EX CS-DLL (f/v) repositioned from Edinburgh, Cessna Citation Latitude D-CAWK and Learjet 75 G-ZENJ Zenith Aviation; 22 December: CitationJet CJ3 D-COKE (f/v) Atlas Air Service, Citation Excel SE-RIL and Phenom 300 CS-PHR (f/v); 23 December: Raytheon Hawker 850XP G--IMGP; 24 December: CitationJet CJ4 M-KNOX; 26 December: Dassault Falcon 2000EX G-SMSM from Luton and Citation XLS+ D-CAWO of Aerowest; 27 December: Falcon 2000EX G-NJAD, Raytheon Hawker 850XP G-IMGP, Cessna Citation Bravos G-CMBC and G-JHEX (f/v), plus Embraer Legacy 500 G-HARG; 28 December: Citation Mustang OE-FOE (f/v), Raytheon Hawker 750 9H-BSA and Citation Bravo G-JHEX returned; 29 December: Citation XLS G-NJAA; 30 December: Challenger 350 SP-ZEN (f/v); 31 December: Hawker 400XP SP-OOK.

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General Aviation

Yet again, Beech twins and HMCG rescue choppers made up the bulk of the movements here. There were a couple of foreign-registered visitors, but no photos: 01 December: Piper PA-34-220T Seneca V G-GSYS overshot runway 05 at 12:35 hrs; 02 December: Diamond DA42 twin Star G-ZAZU overshot Runway 23 at 10:40 then DA42 G-COBS landed in the afternoon; 05 December: King Air 200 G-IASB from Darlington and HM Coastguard AW189 G-MCGT; 06 December: King Air 200 G-FLYD Fly Wales from Haverfordwest, PA-34 G-GSYS made made another overshoot, plus AW189 G-MCGT was on the ground briefly between 00:40-00:55 hours; 08 December: King Air 200 G-NICB and Pilatus PC-12/45 M-YBLS; 09 December: King Air 200 G-KVIP Capital Air Ambulance flew in from Paris-Vatry Airport, Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGF HMCG, plus Mooney M20J G-BKMA overflew the airfield South>North at 10:15 hrs; 10 December: Seneca V G-GSYS came back for more overshoots (further visits during December not recorded)...

12 December: AW189 G-MCGR HMCG; 13 December: King Air 200 G-IASB; 16 December: King Air 200s G-NICB and G-IASA, Bell 429 GlobalRanger M-YMCM plus Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL HMCG; 17 December: SOCATA TBM-900 PH-FRA (f/v) from Southend; 19 December: AW189 G-MCGR HMCG; 20 December: Pilatus PC-12/47E OO-PCJ (f/v) (Kortrijk, Belgium>Oban weather diversion), plus AW189 G-MCGR called in again; 22 December: Pilatus PC-12/47E G-LUSO Ravenair; 23 December: King Air 200 G-VALK and Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGF HMCG; 26 December: HMCG AW189 G-MCGR; 27 December: AW189 G-MCGR yet again along with Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL; 28 December: King Air 200 G-JASS and finally, 30 December: HMCG Sikorsky S-92A G-MCGL returned.

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Military

Wednesday 1 December: Bombardier Global 6000 14+07 German Air Force on a training sortie from Aalborg overshot Runway 05 at 10:40 hours. Thursday 9 December: A good day for military traffic with Luftwaffe Bombardier Global 5000 14+04 (above) making a fairly high-level go-around of Runway 23 at 10:40, followed by RAF Embraer Phenom T.1 ZM333 which carried out a similar manoeuvre at 11:20. The highlight though was an inaugural visit by Mildenhall-based US Air Force CV-22B Osprey 08-0050 (f/v) on a training flight. The tilt-rotor machine, using the callsign `KNIFE 71`, made three circuits, two of which incorporated a touch-and-go, then it landed to refuel. It was on the ground, positioning on Area R as opposed to the Royal Pan, between 13:10-14:15 hrs.

Sunday 12 December: KC-130J Hercules 170037/BH (f/v) `OTIS 81` touched down at 16:35, having flown in from U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, and parked up on Taxiway Y). The US Marine Corps aerial refueling tanker remained there until 09:30 on the 14th. Based University Air Squadron Grob G.115E G-CGKU departed on Monday 13 December. Wednesday 15 December: Lossiemouth-based RAF P-8A Poseidon ZP805 `STINGRAY 02` made 3 touch-and-gos on Runway 23, at 15:50, 16:00 and 16:15 hours.

Tuesday 21 December:  Airbus A330-243MRTT T-056 (above) callsign `MMF 99` made a high overshoot of Runway 23 at 10:40 hours. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast resulting in this grainy image. A fairly recent addition to NATO`s Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF), T-056 carried out the training manoeuvre while en route from Cologne to Reykjavik. The aircraft, the third of the type for the MMF, was delivered on 19 November 2020 to its new home at Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands. The last of nine in total is due to be in service by 2024 with the tankers split between Eindhoven and Cologne.

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Construction & Development

Work on the new innovation and manufacturing district continues on the ground to the east of the airfield off Abbotsinch Road. No shots showing the progress this month though, just a distant view of the resurfacing work in Walkinshaw Road which runs along the airport`s north side.

The following photo looking onto the `23` approach was taken from the entrance to the new Gilchrist Gardens estate in Erskine. Builders have requested permission to utilize the land immediately north for more housing and although this has supposedly been denied, at least for the time being, survey work on the site continues.