GLASGOW Airport has moved a step closer to securing a long-haul flight route to China.

The airport has signed a partnership agreement with Shanghai airport and will now begin lobbying China’s main airlines to establish a direct air link between the two cities.

Glasgow Airport and Shanghai Airport Authority, which operates the city’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports, have formed the Shanghai Airport Authority and Glasgow Airport Alliance with the goal of jointly developing a strategy to increase the number of passengers travelling between China and Scotland.

The partnership will see the airports work together to share expertise and best practice in all aspects of airport business and exchange ideas in order to help promote tourism opportunities between the two cities while creating an attractive environment for future direct air links.

The decision to form the alliance is as a result of months of discussions involving Shanghai Airport Authority’s president and senior executives and representatives from Glasgow Airport.

Commercial director Francois Bourienne, who today signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of Glasgow Airport, said: “It is a tremendous honour to be in Shanghai today to sign this partnership agreement, which marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the cities of Glasgow and Shanghai.

“This Memorandum of Understanding provides us with a unique opportunity to work alongside and share ideas with our new colleagues from Shanghai Airport Authority, which is responsible for operating the Chinese mega-city’s two main airports, handling in excess of 100 million passengers combined annually.

“The alliance will ensure both partners not only learn from one another, but work together to further enhance the growing business and tourism links between Scotland and China.”

Mr Ruijun Jia, vice-president of Shanghai Airport Authority, said: “Shanghai Airport Authority is delighted to enter in to this long-term partnership with the airport of Scotland’s largest city; Glasgow Airport.

“Our aim is to work collaboratively with the management of Glasgow Airport to exchange

best practices in

airport operations and to jointly implement initiatives to grow visitor numbers between Glasgow, Scotland and Shanghai.”

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Stuart Patrick added: “This is a fantastic coup for Glasgow Airport.”