Glasgow Airport Consultation : Airspace

Added on 16 October 2017

Glasgow Airport’s Airspace Consultation 2018

We are proud that Glasgow Airport is integral to the communities we serve.  As a key city, regional and national asset we recognise that Glasgow Airport must continue to invest, modernise and grow responsibly.  

An industry wide drive to create airspace infrastructure fit for the 21st century is now underway.  A key element of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Future Airspace Strategy involves the replacement of ground-based navigation aids across the UK with new state-of-the-art satellite navigation systems, by the end of the decade. This initiative has a direct impact on Glasgow as it means the ground navigation aids we currently use to guide aircraft to and from the airfield will be decommissioned in 2019. 

In moving to this new navigational system, Glasgow Airport has a need to modernise our current arrival and departure procedures. This will enable us to better manage the airspace around the airport without compromising the safety of aircraft which will be able to operate smoother and more efficient arrival and departure routes.  

The introduction of such procedures will help minimise the amount of time planes queue, both in the air and on the ground, reducing overall emissions and helping to improve flight punctuality.  Additionally, we are seeking to reduce the number of people affected by aviation noise where possible.  As well as the environmental benefits, which will be measured against CAA and Department for Transport criteria, this will also create the foundation for sustainable growth as we connect to more destinations and attract more investment and visitors.

As part of this modernisation initiative Glasgow Airport will be consulting widely on our proposed arrival and departure routes early in 2018 and we would be very grateful if you could take the opportunity to participate in the consultation process.  

It is important to stress we will only make changes to the arrival or departure flight paths once we have considered the views of all those who respond to the consultation. We will also be consulting on our Noise Action Plan in parallel with our Airspace Strategy to enable you to share your views on how we best mitigate the impacts of noise.

We are committed to growing the airport responsibly in a manner that balances our positive economic and social benefits in partnership with local communities.  Prior to its launch we would be keen to receive feedback on what aspects of our consultation are important to you. You can email any thoughts or questions to airspace@glasgowairport.com or visit our dedicated web site www.glasgowairport.com/airspace which will be updated regularly, for further information.