Glasgow Airport named Airport of the Year

The awards ceremony, presented by broadcaster James Naughtie, saw Glasgow Airport also scoop the Accessible Transport Award, thanks to its special assistance service, which is hugely popular with customers. 

In 2018, Glasgow Airport's special assistance service provided support for 121,000 people travelling through the airport. 

Glasgow Airport also opened a £144k Changing Places facility last year, becoming the biggest airport in Scotland - and one of only 14 airports in the UK - to have such a facility.

The third award won by Glasgow Airport was given to Chaplain Keith Banks, who is due to retire this month. He was presented with a Lifetime Contribution as a Frontline Employee Award for his work over the years.

The Glasgow Airport chaplain was given a standing ovation when he received his award.

Managing Director of Glasgow Airport Mark Johnston said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win the Airport of the Year Award. I firmly believe that our ‘one-campus’ approach, which involves over 5000 hard-working people from more than 100 separate companies across Glasgow Airport, continues to be the driving force behind our unique customer experience.

“We put our passengers at the heart of everything we do, so it’s fantastic that the hard work of everyone at Glasgow Airport has been recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards.

“Despite this being a challenging period for the airport and the wider industry, we continue to strive to deliver for our passengers and Scotland. The arrival of the iconic A380 aircraft into regular service on the Dubai route earlier this year, which was a first for Scottish aviation, is a fantastic example of our ambition.

“I was especially pleased to see our special assistance service recognised through the Accessible Transport Award. We welcome more people who require additional support each year than any other airport in Scotland and a huge amount of endeavour and investment goes into making sure every passenger enjoys a pleasant journey through the terminal.

“Finally, I’d like to congratulate our retiring Chaplain Keith Banks for his Lifetime Contribution as a Frontline Employee Award. Keith has served his colleagues and the millions of people we welcome through our doors each year with dedication and distinction. He leaves later this month with our best wishes and utmost gratitude.”

More than 450 transport industry professionals attended the 17th annual Scottish Transport Awards, alongside Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson MSP.