Hundreds of people lined the perimeter of Glasgow Airport to catch a glimpse of a giant Airbus A380 landing on its first scheduled flight from Dubai to Scotland.
The superjumbo’s wheels hit the tarmac at around 7:45pm this evening, with the aircraft welcomed at a custom-built stand by a piper.
The jet took off again through the cloudy conditions for the slightly sunnier climes of Dubai at 9:30pm.
Today we made Scottish aviation history as we welcomed the A380 to Glasgow #HelloA380 #GLA380 pic.twitter.com/Ts38oz73qj
— Glasgow Airport (@GLA_Airport) April 16, 2019
The 500-passenger jets will operate on the route throughout this summer after £8m worth of work was carried out to upgrade Glasgow’s facilities to handle the aircraft.
This includes the erection of Scotland’s only triple airbridge to allow passengers entry to the double-decker jet.
It’s only the second time the world’s largest passenger aircraft has landed on Scottish soil, the last being part of a celebration of Emirates’ tenth anniversary at Glasgow in 2014.
A380s will now be a regular sight over Scotland’s skies as they fly the route until September 30.
Airport managing director Mark Johnston said: “It’s a first in Scottish aviation history and a really exciting day for Glasgow Airport.
“It’s an iconic aircraft and the airport’s really buzzing this evening.”
Economy Secretary Derek Mackay, who attended the jet’s arrival, said: “This represents enhanced connectivity and capacity for Scotland and Glasgow Airport.
“An aircraft of this size coming shows a vote of confidence in the city, in the country and the economy generally. It’s great news.”
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