World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Glasgow International Airport (GLA)
Tel: (0141) 887 1111. Fax: (0141) 848 4586.
Website: www.baa.co.uk

The airport is located 13km (eight miles) to the west of the city centre. Glasgow International is Scotland’s busiest airport and the fourth busiest in the UK, with over seven million passengers per year, flying to 40 scheduled and 50 charter destinations.

Major airlines: The national carrier, British Airways (tel: (08705) 444 000; website: www.britishairways.com), is among the many airlines that serve Glasgow International. Other airlines include Air Canada, Air Malta, American Airlines, BMI Baby, BMI British Midland, Continental Airlines, easyJet, Go, Icelandair and KLMuk.

Airport facilities: These include bureaux de change, ATMs, left luggage, shops, duty-free shops, post office, buffet, bar, cafs, restaurants, tourist information and baby-care rooms. Wheelchairs, toilets and telephones for the disabled are also available. Car hire companies that are represented include Alamo, Avis, Europcar, Hertz and National.

Business facilities: Payphone, payfax and modem facilities are all available. The Glasgow Airport Business Centre (tel: (0141) 847 5450; fax: (0141) 847 5499) offers meeting rooms, conference facilities, an IT suite and full secretarial support.

Transport to the city: There are rail connections (see Getting There By Rail) to Glasgow Central station from Paisley Gilmour Street station, which is three kilometres (two miles) from the airport. There are approximately six-seven trains per hour, running 0630-2400 Monday-Saturday, and up to three trains per hour 0900-2400 Sunday (journey time – 11-15 minutes). Paisley Gilmour Street station is linked to the airport by bus 60 (see Public Transport in Getting Around), which runs every ten minutes, and bus 300, which runs hourly.

The M8 motorway links the airport with the city. Shuttle buses to Glasgow’s city centre cost 3.30 (5 return). Bus 905 is provided by Citylink and Fairline Coaches – branded Glasgow Airport Link (tel: (08705) 505 050; website: www.citylink.co.uk). Buses run 0600-2400, departing every ten minutes Monday-Friday between 0800-1800, every 15 minutes between 1800-2000 and every 30 minutes between 2000-2400. On Saturday, buses depart every 15 minutes between 0700-2000 and every 30 minutes between 2000-2400, while on Sunday services start at 0700 and run every 15 minutes until 2000 and every 30 minutes between 2000-2400. The buses drop passengers off at various stops, including the rail and bus station, on its journey to Glasgow’s city centre (journey time – approximately 20 minutes).

Metered taxis are available 24 hours a day from the front of the main terminal building – the flat fare to the city centre is 16 (journey time – 20 minutes). Cab Fly (tel: (0141) 848 4588) is the taxi management company for the airport.

Traveline (tel: (0870) 608 2608; website: www.traveline.org.uk) provides information on all public transport.

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (PIK)
Tel: (01292) 511 000. Fax: (01292) 511 010.
Website: www.gpia.co.uk

Billing itself as ‘Scotland’s Independent Airport’, Prestwick International is located on the coast, 52km (32 miles) to the southwest of Glasgow, offering limited scheduled services as well as charter flights.

Major airlines: Budget airline Ryanair (tel: (0870) 156 9569; website: www.ryanair.com) operates ten flights per day to London Stansted, three to Dublin, two each to Paris and Brussels and one to Frankfurt. There is also an extensive summer and winter holiday charter programme to the western Mediterranean and the USA. No other passenger airlines serve the airport.

Airport facilities: Facilities include a tax- and duty-free shop, bureau de change, newsagent, gift shop, cafs and bars. Car hire is provided by Avis, Europcar, Hertz and National.

Business facilities: The Aviator Suite (tel: (01292) 511110; fax: (01292) 511120) has facilities for social functions, conferences and receptions.

Transport to the city: Prestwick Airport has its own railway station, which is connected to the airport by a covered walkway. ScotRail (tel: (08457) 550 033; website: www.scotrail.co.uk) operates a service with trains departing for Glasgow Central station every 30 minutes 0550-2358 Monday-Saturday and every hour on Sunday 0950-2307 (journey time – approximately 45 minutes). The fare is 5 for a single ticket or 8.80 return (6.40 off peak return).

The A77 (which becomes the M77) is the main road route to the city (journey time – 40 minutes). A coach service is provided by Stagecoach Western (tel: (01292) 613 700; website: www.stagecoast-westernbuses.co.uk), with buses running every 30-60 minutes. The hourly X77 Express Service runs 0640-1930 Monday-Saturday (no service on Sunday) and costs 3.70 (journey time – 50 minutes). The A4 Airbus runs every 30 minutes 0630-2315 Monday-Saturday (from 0700 on Saturday) and 0745-2230 on Sunday, costing 0.50 for those producing a valid flight itinerary (journey time – 1 hour 30 minutes).

Passengers of certain airlines flying from Prestwick International Airport are entitled to a 50% reduction in their ScotRail or Stagecoach fares to the airport from anywhere in Scotland – details are provided upon purchase of the airline ticket.

Taxis are available from Streamline Taxis (tel: (01292) 477 525) and cost approximately 35 for the half-hour journey to Glasgow’s city centre.

Approximate flight times to Glasgow: From London is 1 hour 15 minutes; from New York is 6 hours 50 minutes; from Los Angeles is 11 hours 40 minutes; from Toronto is 6 hours 40 minutes and from Sydney is 23 hours 5 minutes.

Arrival/departure tax: Included in the price of the ticket.