Glasgow Airport chief's flights news as transformation looms
Also encouraging was the determination and confidence of new Glasgow Airport chief Kam Jandu around building connectivity, as he highlighted key priorities on this front.
Mr Jandu took over as chief executive of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports owner AGS earlier this year following AviAlliance's acquisition of AGS.
The degree to which Edinburgh Airport has outperformed Glasgow Airport since around the turn of the millennium has been striking.
Glasgow Airport's lack of direct North American flights contrasts starkly with the days when it had several flag carriers which operated services to the US and to Canada.
And the days when Glasgow was Scotland's biggest airport, while also not really that long ago, seem like a distant memory in terms of its current passenger numbers relative to Edinburgh.
Glasgow Airport, which it must be recognised has seen a strong rebound in its passenger numbers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, had around 8.2 million passengers last year.
In 2024, Edinburgh became the first Scottish airport to ever exceed 15 million passengers in a year.
AviAlliance, the wholly owned airports platform of one of Canada's largest pension investors, revealed its plans for the transformation of the main terminal building at Glasgow on Wednesday as it unveiled an overall £350 million investment in the growth and decarbonisation of its three UK airports over five years.
And it seemed at pains, not surprisingly given the extent of the capital expenditure and its determination to drive passenger traffic growth, to highlight the scale of what it is planning at Glasgow Airport.
AviAlliance declared its plans constituted the 'single largest capital investment programme in AGS since it was formed in 2014'.
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It talked about creating 'best-in-class' operational and retail facilities at Glasgow Airport, and Mr Jandu also highlighted a drive to enhance dining options as the stops are pulled out to optimise the passenger experience.
The project is expected to increase the space in Glasgow Airport's main terminal building by about 20%.
Mr Jandu described the prospects of winning direct flights to North America as 'good' and highlighted talks taking place with US airlines.
He also spoke about a need for 'more connectivity' with three key European hubs with which Glasgow already has connections: Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.
This seems eminently sensible, given that these options may well be preferable to London Heathrow to many people when they are embarking on long-haul trips.
Greater connectivity with the three key European hubs identified by Mr Jandu would certainly provide far more choice for travellers thinking about flying from Glasgow Airport to a raft of different destinations around the world.
Mr Jandu meanwhile flagged Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples of priorities for new direct flights from Glasgow.
It would undoubtedly be good to have direct connections between Glasgow and these cities, and the aspiration of securing such links seems like a perfectly realistic one.
Mr Jandu also revealed Glasgow Airport is in talks with Emirates about the airline increasing its daily service to Dubai to double-daily.
Emirates currently operates a daily Airbus A380 service between Glasgow and Dubai.
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Asked if a move to a double-daily service was likely to happen, Mr Jandu replied: 'The double-daily - with the A380 and a narrow body [plane] - yes, I can see that happening in the next two to three years. And to have the second daily as a wide body - probably five to six years' time.'
It will be fascinating to watch the physical evolution of Glasgow Airport and how its endeavours in seeking new routes and increasing passenger numbers more generally work out.
Bearing in mind the importance of airports to the economies and labour markets around them, the airport will hopefully enjoy a resurgence under its new ownership.
Prestwick Airport has also been in the spotlight this week.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes highlighted the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' that it wants Prestwick Airport to continue to operate as an airport after any sale.
Ms Forbes said the Scottish Government continued to 'make progress' in terms of its aspirations to return Prestwick Airport, which it rescued in 2013 by buying the airport from Infratil of New Zealand for £1, to the private sector.
She made these comments when asked about Prestwick during a visit to Glasgow Airport for the major investment announcement by AviAlliance.
However, Ms Forbes said she was unable to provide an update on an 'active bid' for Prestwick Airport which was confirmed late last month by First Minister John Swinney - declaring that the matter was 'so commercially sensitive'.
Asked about the importance of the jobs at Prestwick Airport and the employment supported by the airport, in the context of any potential sale, Ms Forbes replied: 'We have obviously saved Prestwick Airport more than a decade ago, precisely because of its strategic importance to the Scottish economy.'
Prestwick Airport is certainly of great strategic importance.
So it is reassuring to hear Ms Forbes emphasise the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' about wanting it to continue as an airport after any sale.
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