Current status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 August 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what specific action it is taking to grow international route development at Glasgow Airport.
The Scottish Government is committed to working with Scotland’s airports, including Glasgow Airport, to help them grow international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions. Our aim is for Scotland to be as well connected as peer nations and regions, and we have regular engagement with Glasgow Airport to discuss potential opportunities. Our engagement with Scotland’s airports is commercially sensitive and I am unable to share specific details.
Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. In May, representatives from this cross government partnership attended the route development forum Routes Europe 2023, supporting Glasgow Airport and the other Scottish airports in attendance.
In March this year, the Scottish Government supported VisitScotland in rolling out a demand-building campaign to encourage travellers to seek direct flights to Scotland from across our key markets, with airlines serving Glasgow included in this campaign.