Glasgow City Council today, (Tuesday 16 December 2004), agreed to press forward with a campaign to make the case for additional terminal facilities and new runway at Glasgow International Airport.

The move, which was approved unanimously at a meeting of the Council’s Policy & Resources Committee, is the authority’s initial response to the announcement made earlier by Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, regarding the future of Air Transport in the UK.

Councillor Charlie Gordon, Leader of the Council said:-

"The government is behaving unfairly. It is sending out a clear signal to the business and wider communities that Edinburgh is the favoured son as far as airport expansion is concerned.

"The government might try and put spin on the issue by saying it wants the local authority to safeguard land for a new runway at Glasgow, but that is considerably less assuring than the explicit support given to Edinburgh by the Secretary of State."

"Glasgow City Council, Edinburgh City Council and Scottish Airports all indicated that the best way ahead would be to allow the two airports to reserve land and for market forces to dictate if there would be any need for additional runways. I find it bemusing that the Secretary of State has taken a contradictory position. "

"This is not an East v West battle. All that we are asking is for the government to look in a fair-minded way at the strengths of both airports. We believe that as with the consultation process itself, certain facts have been distorted and far too downbeat a picture has been presented about Glasgow’s economic performance in the years ahead."

"We previously commissioned independent academic research which highlighted the flaws in the government’s approach on this very important issue. Today’s decision by the Policy & Resources Committee paves the way for the Council to go down that particular road one more time."

The leader of the SNP opposition group, Councillor John Mason, was also critical of the announcement made in the House of Commons. He said:-

"There is huge potential for both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports to grow in the years ahead, and it is simply wrong to pre-judge the issue of additional runways. The government also do not appear to have taken into consideration the fact that passengers will find it easier to access Glasgow Airport once new public transport links are completed. I’m totally supportive of the Council taking the government to task over this issue."