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Cheap Glasgow Airport Parking » Airport Information>History History of Glasgow AirportBuilt in the Abbotsinch area, Glasgow Airport has grown to be the busiest of the three largest airports in Scotland. Although the airport competed for a number of years with Renfrew, it has prospered while Renfrew finally closed.
The official opening of Glasgow Airport was in 1966, although it has existed much longer than that. In fact, historians think that there were aircraft in the Abbotsinch area as early as 1913 although they did not stay to set up an airport.
In 1932 Abbotsinch was used as an overspill airport for the Renfrew RAF base. Renfrew was larger and more likely to grow than Abbotsinch.
David McIntyre found land in the area of Ayrshire and bought 348 acres to set up a factory that he called Scottish Aviation Ltd in 1935. Within that same year he had constructed a small control tower, a hangar, some offices and a lecture room. He began a flight training school.
Scottish Aviation had to cease its training school when the war broke out. The airstrip was used to receive American aircraft on a lend-lease program. Scottish Aviation was able to do some aircraft manufacturing during that time as well. The factory expanded and after the war, it was quite large.
In 1941, the Palace of Engineering, built in Bellahouston Park for the 1938 Empire Exhibition, was carefully torn down and rebuilt at Abbotsinch on the north side opposite the terminal. The Palace of Engineering is one of the attractions at this airport.
In 1943 the Renfrew Airport was handed over to the Royal Navy and was renamed HMS Sanderling. Finally in 1963, it closed, leaving any remaining business to Abbotsinch Airport.
In 1958 the future of Glasgow Airport at Abbotsinch was becoming clear. The government announced plans to build a new terminal, a control tower, a runway extension, a freight building and a loop road around the airport. By 1962 the control tower was finished. Two years later, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother officially opened the new terminal building.
In 1966 BEA began service from Glasgow to London. That same year marked Glasgow Airport’s one millionth passenger. A major carrier, KLM, moved some of its routes to Glasgow Airport.
Two years after extending the runway by 2000 feet to 8720, Glasgow Corporation sold the airport to BAA. Great growth followed. In 1976 a 2 million pound investment in terminal extension enabled the airport to handle 3.5 million passengers per year. Another extension in 1989 made it possible for Glasgow Airport to handle 6 million passengers per year.
Prestwick Airport had owned a monopoly on transatlantic flights up to this time. In 1990 this monopoly was lifted so that other airports could now offer such flights. This made Glasgow Airport even more popular for passengers wanting to fly to North America.
As the airport became more updated through constructions, Continental Airlines moved Glasgow into its flight schedule, flying people to its hub in New Jersey.
By 2002 several low-cost air carriers began using Glasgow Airport. This airport with such humble beginnings has come into great stature among the airports of the UK.
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