Glasgow Airport 'will eventually close' with flights focused on Edinburgh

Glasgow Airport will close when high-speed rail reaches Scotland, with flights being concentrated at its better-located Edinburgh rival, a rail engineer and writer has predicted.

Gareth Dennis said Edinburgh was “the right airport to retain” because - located on the west side of the capital - it was more accessible from the rest of Scotland than Glasgow Airport, which is also west of its city.

Glasgow Airport was eclipsed in passenger numbers by Edinburgh in 2007 | Glasgow Airport

The comments follow Glasgow haemorrhaging airlines and routes to Edinburgh, such as Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic.

Edinburgh already markets itself as “Scotland’s Airport” and handled 15.8 million passengers last year - nearly twice as many as Glasgow - after overtaking the rival hub in 2007.

Speaking on his Railnatter podcast about planned Glasgow rail improvements, Mr Dennis said: “We need a high-speed line connecting the centre of Glasgow and the centre of Edinburgh via the airport of choice for Scotland.

"Sorry Glasgow, but the right airport to retain is Edinburgh because it's better accessible for the whole of Scotland. Glasgow ain't.”

He told the podcast, which has 12,000 subscribers: "There are massive development areas [in Glasgow], including the airport, which eventually won't be an airport - the perfect place if you want to do so.

"Rail connections would be very much worthwhile for that, even if it isn't the airport long term, which I don't think it should be."

Mr Dennis later told The Scotsman: “The timelines I'm talking about are related to high-speed trains eventually arriving into the city eroding the need for domestic flights.”

He said that was likely in the 2040s, “when new infrastructure starts creeping further north” following the completion of the first section of HS2 between London and the Midlands, which is due by 2033.

Mr Dennis added: “Any transport strategy in Scotland needs to think very clearly about focusing long-distance flights into one airport and making that airport as well connected as possible.”

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His remarks caused consternation among politicians.

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: “These comments will rightly come as a surprise to those working at Glasgow Airport as well as the millions of passengers who use it to get to destinations worldwide.

Ryanair switched departure gates for their Portugal flight but Special Assistance forgot to collect her in her wheelchair at the original slot. Picture: Lisa Ferguson | Lisa Ferguson/The Scotsman

“Given the importance of the airport for jobs and Scotland’s wider economy, this individual who has thousands of subscribers needs to urgently explain why he believes Glasgow Airport does not have a viable future.”

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson Claire Baker said: “Scotland’s airports are hugely important to our communities and our economy, but under the SNP poor connectivity is holding Glasgow Airport back.

“Glasgow Airport should have a bright future, but the SNP needs to show some ambition and set out a plan to help aviation drive growth and decarbonise. We need to connect our communities and airports and support the aviation sector so it is fit for the future.”

The Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland agency also defended Glasgow Airport.

It said: “We support Glasgow Airport’s ambitions of securing more direct routes. We are committed to working with Scotland's airports and airlines to help grow our international connectivity, essential for inbound tourism, business and the economy.”

Both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports declined to comment.