Glasgow gears up for the long haul
18.07.08
Scottish long haul travel will be ‘revolutionised’ as the number of intercontinental routes continues to rise, the Herrald reports. Improvements at Glasgow Airport could pave the way for non-stop flights to western Australia within the next few years, and some of Britain's leading airlines are considering direct routes to Central America and sub-Saharan Africa from the hub, the newspaper claims.
The bright future was predicted as Continental Airlines celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Glasgow Airport - New York route, the longest-running transatlantic service from Scotland. More than one million passengers have flown the route since it started.
A spokesman for the airport predicted big things on the horizon for travellers once facilities at Glasgow are improved to accommodate a new aircraft. He said: ‘The arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which comes into operation next year or the year after, will really revolutionise long-haul travel from Scotland. You have airlines talking about flying to Costa Rica, and you could see direct flights from Glasgow to the west coast of Australia, without stopping.’
The Dreamliner has been billed as the most environmentally friendly passenger plane yet developed, and it is able to fly more than 15,000km. It is slightly lighter than most aircraft with a similar range, so uses less fuel. A number of UK airlines, including BA, Virgin Atlantic, First Choice and Monarch, have placed orders for the aircraft.
However, carrier Thomas Cook will later this month launch a new direct service from Glasgow to Gambia in West Africa, The Herald has reported. The airline will carry passengers direct from Glasgow to the Gambian capital, Banjul, operating on a weekly basis from November 2008.
Frank Pullman, managing director of Thomas Cook Airlines, told the newspaper: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for Glaswegians to enjoy an exotic and unusual destination from the convenience of their local airport.’
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