Glasgow International Airport (GLA) Information

(Glasgow, Scotland, UK)

Glasgow International Airport serves as the city's principal and closest air facility, although there are a couple of alternatives that may well be worth bearing in mind.

Prestwick International Airport (PIK) is situated approximately 51 km / 32 miles from central Glasgow, while the Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport (EDI) is also within comfortable driving distance, being found just 67 km / 41 miles from the city and located directly to the east, connected by the M8 motorway.

Glasgow International Airport (GLA)

Address: St. Andrew's Drive. Paisley, Renfrewshire, PA3 2SW, Scotland, UK
Tel: +44 (0)141 887 1111
The city's international airport is situated just 14 km / 9 miles to the west of central Glasgow and some 90 km / 56 miles from Edinburgh. Located alongside the suburbs of Inchinnan, Paisley and Renfrew, the airport's history has its origins in the year of 1932, when it was used by the Royal Air Force. Commercial flights really began to take off in the 1960s, with roughly 7 million passengers now passing through each year, onboard almost 80,000 flights.

Glasgow Airport (GLA) Guide

Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) Guide

Terminals

Glasgow's international airport has two terminal buildings, serving a large number of different airlines. The principal airlines include:

• Terminal 1 - serving BMI Regional, British Airways , EasyJet, Flybe, Thomson Airways and United Airlines
• Terminal 2 - serving Aer Lingus Regional, Air Transat, Jet2.com, Thomas Cook Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways (seasonal)

Facilities:

• Bureau de change provided by Travelex
• 24-hour cash machines (ATMs) and postal facilities
• Restaurants, cafés and bars on the first floor, including Bargo, the Central Sports Bar and Grill, the Deli Kitchen Cafe, the Drum and Monkey, the First Stop Cafe Bar, Frankie and Benny's, Fresh Food Central, the J&R Tennent Pier Bar, Starbucks and the Sandpiper
• Shopping area with stores such as American Express, Barrhead Travel, Boots, Brands by Collezioni, Celtic, Discover Glasgow, Dixons Travel, GameGrid, the Relaxation Station, Rolling Luggage, Spectrum Interactive, Tesco Express, Tie Rack, the WHSmith Bookshop and the World Duty Free Arrivals Store
• Car hire companies - including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and National Car Rental
• Business facilities and workstations are available onsite, with telephones, fax machines and computers with fast Internet access
• Conference and meeting room facilities are available at the onsite Business Centre
• Passenger pick-up areas are located close to the main building
• Short-term parking is available with direct access (payable per 10 / 20 minutes, per hour and per day)
• Long-term economy parking is located close by and is connected to the airport by courtesy shuttle buses (payable per 1, 2, 3 or 4 days - and per day thereafter)
• Special facilities for disabled passengers
• Further facilities include airline lounges, family amenities, information points, Internet access, left luggage, lost property, a prayer room, a sky lounge with views, smoking areas and telephones

Cars

Glasgow Airport is situated to the west of the city, being just off Junction 28 of the M8 motorway. By car, the airport is around 20 minutes from Glasgow city centre and one hour from central Edinburgh. Those looking to hire a car upon arrival will find the car rental desks located on the ground floor.

Book your Glasgow Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

Operated by 'First', the airport's bus service (number 500) travels into the city centre, stopping at the Glasgow Central Station, the Queen Street Station and the Buchanan Bus Station. This popular service runs five or six times an hour during the busiest times, with buses being available throughout the day and night. More than 100 further bus routes connect much of Greater Glasgow, with singles, same-day returns, open returns and day tickets all being available.

The 'First 747' bus service may also be of interest, linking the city centre and making a number of stops along the way, including destinations such as Braehead, Charing Cross, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Partick and also Renfrew. These buses depart roughly three times each hour and connect the Buchanan Bus Station in around 50 minutes.

Trains

Tel: +44 (0)870 748 4950
The Gilmour Street railway station is located in nearby Paisley, just 3 km / 2 miles from Glasgow Airport (GLA), where it can be easily reached by both bus and taxi. Regular trains travel into the city and also to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, amongst other locations. This is a particularly fast way to head into the city centre, once you reach Paisley's station.

Taxis

Taxis await fares at Glasgow International Airport 24 hours a day, being sited alongside the terminal buildings, close to Arrivals. Fares are calculated by distance, using meters which are closely monitored by the Renfrewshire Council. Those planning a lengthy taxi journey may well be able to negotiate a more favourable price by speaking to the driver before departing. Taxis collect passengers from the main rank at the front, while passengers are dropped-off on the western side of International Arrivals.