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John Dundas · Guest

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5020045.html

GLASGOW Airport has failed to attract enough new routes to keep city
businesses competitive, council leaders were told today.
And the news has sparked new interest in a possible council buyback of the
airport site.
Glasgow City Council leader Charles Gordon has floated the idea of the 11
west of Scotland councils buying the airfield from BAA.

And today Mr Gordon said the routes problem should prompt more questions.
He added: "It raises the question of whether there would be a more vigorous
route development programme if the airport was in different ownership."
Mr Gordon spoke as a report to the 11 council leaders called for urgent
action to promote direct flights.
It said Glasgow and surrounding areas would struggle for new investment
without a range of services to Europe and America.

The report by Renfrewshire Council comes amid ongoing concern that Glasgow
Airport has been sidelined by Edinburgh politicians grooming the capital's
airport as a mini-hub for the whole of Scotland.
It makes it clear exactly how important the airport is to the city economy.
It says: "Increasingly a good range of air services is seen as a
prerequisite for the attraction of overseas tourists and business
investment.
"The main issue of concern is that the hoped-for development of direct
routes from Glasgow to Europe is not happening at the level necessary."

Glasgow City Council has put up £500,000 for marketing support.
And the Scottish Executive has pledged to back the airport but has still to
come up with any money from a £6.8million route development fund.
Edinburgh Airport has secured seven new routes with cash help from the fund.
Last month Glasgow revealed that flyglobespan.com would base three planes at
the airport to fly to nine destinations next summer.

And the airport has bagged five new daily flights to Canada from Zoom
Airlines.
But neither move meets tough criteria for support from the routes
development fund.
A BAA spokesman said: "Any support local authorities can give along the line
of Glasgow's excellent initiative is welcome."