More than 700 crimes were committed at Glasgow Airport in the last two years – more than any other airport in Scotland.
More than 70 per cent of crimes committed in and around Scottish airports in 2021/22 took place at the Paisley site.
Nearly 1000 crimes – including thefts, assaults, drugs and weapons offences – were reported to Police Scotland during the time period, with Glasgow Airport recording the highest figures of the country’s 14 airports.
The figure is about 14 times higher than the 51 recorded for Edinburgh – despite the capital being Scotland’s busiest airport – with more than 11.2 million passengers last year.
This is compared to around 6.5m in Glasgow.
As the summer holidays get underway, new Police Scotland figures reveal 983 incidents were reported at or outside Scotland’s 14 airports during 2021 and 2022. There were 122 thefts, 27 assaults – seven of which were of emergency workers – as well as 38 offences relating to drugs – mainly possession – six incidents involving weapons, and three of fire raising at Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh airports.
The stats obtained by the 1919 magazine, show that were 719 crimes recorded at Glasgow Airport. Among these were:
- 40 incidents of common theft in 2022,
- six incidents in 2022 of handling a bladed/pointed instrument
- 10 dangerous driving offences between 2021/2002
- 19 incidents of possession of drugs over 2021/2022
- 34 incidents of threatening or abusive behaviour over 2021/2022
- three assaults on emergency workers in 2022.
There were also 136 reports logged in Aberdeen, and 42 at Glasgow Prestwick.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Incidents of disorder and criminality at airports are fortunately relatively rare in the context of the number of people who use them.
“We will continue to work with our partners at airports across the country to ensure that they remain safe and orderly places to work and travel through.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind all persons using airports that disorder and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Officers are based at sites across the country and will take action where offences are identified.”
The overall police data also includes incidents that happened outside terminal buildings and covers a large number of motoring offences like speeding, drink and drug driving, and driving carelessly, while disqualified or without a licence.
A spokesman for AGS Airports, which owns and operates Paisley -based Glasgow Airport, said it operates a “zero-tolerance approach” to all types of disruptive behaviour.
The spokesman said: “The airport experience is where the holiday begins for many passengers and there’s nothing wrong with that.
“Millions of people who pass through our airports each year and do so without incident thanks to our industry-leading Campus Watch initiative, which has been in operation for 10 years.
“In the event of a potentially disruptive situation, the thousands of people employed across the airports operate on a ‘Spot It, Share It, Stop It’ to initiate any required action.
“While instances of this type of behaviour continues to be extremely rare, we will also continue to operate a zero-tolerance approach to ensure the safety and well-being of our passengers and staff. We ask passengers that if you encounter a situation like this, please alert a member of the team.”
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “We work closely with Police Scotland to deter and report any incidents that arise in and around the campus.
“While the vast majority of passengers do act responsibly, we remind everyone that we have a zero-tolerance approach to any criminal activity and the relevant authorities will act when and where appropriate.”
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