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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Lauren Brownlie

WATCH: Emirates A380 lands at Glasgow Airport for first time in years

THE world's largest airliner landed at Glasgow Airport for the first time in years today.

Emirates A380 touched down at 12.38pm this afternoon, with its return due to an increase in demand for flights to Dubai. 

The double-decker aircraft, which is more than 24 metres high, can carry a total of 517 passengers.

September 2019 was the last time the plane took off from Glasgow. 

@glasgowtimes Come with us to see the Emirates A380 land at Glasgow Airport for the first time since 2019 ✈️ #glasgowairport #emirates #emiratesa380 #glasgow #scotland #doubledeckaircraft ♬ Summer day - TimTaj

With hundreds of people keen to watch the landing, Glasgow Airport offered visitors six hours of free parking.

Others were invited to watch the aircraft's arrival within the airport grounds, including Fraser Robertson, a friend of the pilot, along with his two sons Caleb and Daniel.

Fraser, from Musselburgh, said: "It's the first time we've seen the plane. We've travelled through.

"The plane is amazing; it's amazing that something this big can get off the ground. And it is huge.

"It's a marvel and I would love to fly in it one day." 

Meanwhile, Ellis, 11, from Airdrie, was invited along with her dad. 

The young photographer said: "It's the first time I've seen it. I like how big it is and the details on it. 

"I got some really good photos of it."

Richard Jewsbury, the airline’s UK divisional vice president, said: “The return of the A380 is purely demand driven. We’ve seen sustained demand from the Scottish market.

“Dubai is the number one destination."

Ronald Leitch, Glasgow Airport’s operations director, added: “Emirates’ Glasgow-Dubai route continues to be a tremendous success story for Scotland and the return of the airline’s flagship aircraft is a huge vote of confidence for Glasgow and the wider region.

The National: Ronald LeitchRonald Leitch (Image: Newsquest)

“As well as delivering unrivalled connectivity for Scottish leisure and business travellers to Dubai, home of one of the world’s biggest international hub airports, the daily service also plays a crucial role in exporting Scottish goods globally as well as supporting Scotland’s inbound tourism industry.

“Watching the iconic Airbus A380 aircraft touch down once again is a special experience not only for everyone who works at the airport, but also the huge number of aviation enthusiasts and members of the public who gathered today to capture the moment.”

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