GLASGOW plane-spotters have been left devastated as the local council remove a well-loved viewing area.
It was discovered on Tuesday, August 1 that the raised area nicknamed “The Mound” had been removed by contractors working in the area.
The patch off the side of Abbotsinch Road faces onto the runway at the airport and is commonly used by both aviation photographers and enthusiasts alike.
However it has now been taken down by order of Renfrewshire Council.
A council spokesperson said: “Materials used by an external contractor as part of development of land next to the airport are being removed now their works are complete and to reduce the bird hazard risk in the vicinity of the nearby runaway.”
They confirmed the land is part of Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation AMIDS.
This has left local aviation geeks with no real clear view of the runway to catch their favourite aircrafts.
Andy Han, an aviation photographer, wrote on social media: “Far more airports actively and aggressively discourage avgeeks [aviation geeks] and move them on.
“We at Glasgow are neither encouraged nor discouraged, which we should be thankful for.”
Now the alternative for many spotters would be a small car park by Greenock Road, which is disturbed by trees and has no view of landings or departures.
Glasgow Airport have stressed that they have a good relationship with the local aviation community, many of which were invited airside to capture the return of the Emirates A380 to Scottish tarmac.
However, they have confirmed that there are currently no plans for a dedicated area for spotters.
There are currently few airports across the UK that have areas for plane-spotters.
Manchester Airport has a dedicated area with a snack bar and parking. Alongside this there is also the Airport Pub which sits just 50 feet from the runway.
Closer to home, the much quieter Prestwick Airport has two unofficial spotting areas. One located on Main Street Monkton, and the other by The Prestwick Flight Centre off Shaw Road, allowing spotters to see various scheduled Ryanair flights, alongside Cargolux freight flights and the occasional military stop off.
