Glasgow Airport Has Welcomed Snoop Dogg & The A380 With Bagpipes

Simple Flying

By Steven Walker

Published Mar 27, 2023

Two special guests have touched down in Glasgow this month - which one would you rather see?

Photo: Lukas Wunderlich I Shutterstock.

The Airbus A380 returned to Scotland on Sunday, marking the aircraft's first appearance at Glasgow Airport (GLA) in over three and a half years. On arrival, the Emirates aircraft was given a traditional Scottish welcome, complete with bagpipes.Emirates last deployed the Airbus A380s to Glasgow in September 2019, and when flights resumed following the pandemic, they were operated by the Boeing 777-300ER. The return of the Airbus A380, on a year-round, daily basis, gives a significant boost to capacity on the route, adding over 160 seats in each direction each day.

According to data from FlightRadar24.com, flight EK27 from Dubai International Airport (DXB) touched down in Glasgow at 12:38 local time on March 26th. The aircraft operating the flight was A6-EOU.

Glasgow Airport had set up a special viewing area so that members of the public could witness the aircraft's arrival. Among those celebrating its return was the airline's UK divisional vice president, Richard Jewsbury, who 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, but we’re seeing really good flows down to Australia, Thailand, the Indian subcontinent – which is very popular, particularly for VFR (visiting friends and relatives) traffic – and the Indian Ocean. It’s about growing the capacity back. As we go into the summer period, we’re expecting more visitors and inbound traffic from around the network.”

Ramping up capacity across the UK

Emirates' ongoing capacity increases across the UK do not stop at Glasgow. The Airbus A380 will return to Birmingham Airport (BHX) on July 1st, and London Stansted Airport (STN) will see a second daily Airbus A380 service from May 1st.

Emirates Airbus A380 — Photo: VanderWolf Images I Shutterstock.

The airline is currently retrofitting its fleet of 119 Airbus A380s - a project estimated to cost in the region of $2 billion. The refresh will see the continued rollout of the carrier's premium economy cabin, which is likely to be available on flights to and from Glasgow from early next year, according to Jewsbury.

The airline's premium economy-equipped Airbus A380s carry a total of 484 passengers in a four-class configuration - 14 in first class, 76 in business class, 56 in premium economy, and 338 in economy class.

See more of Emirates' premium economy cabin in this flight review from the Simple Flying team.

Another extra special guest in Glasgow

The mighty Airbus A380 is not the only special guest to receive a true Scottish welcome at Glasgow Airport recently. Back in mid-March, the rapper Snoop Dogg was treated to a bagpipe rendition of his song Still D.R.E, as he arrived in the city for a planned gig.

Piper Ross Ainslie told local newspaper Glasgow Live, "it was a very cool experience! I only had a day to suss out some music, but ‘Still D.R.E’ is a great pipe tune! Who knew?" The unique moment was captured in a video later posted on Twitter, and judging by his response, Snoop Dogg was equally pleased with his reception:

Have you flown on the Emirates Airbus A380 between Dubai and the UK? Which airport do you think will be next to welcome the Airbus A380? Share your thoughts and experiences by commenting below.

Sources: FlightRadar24.com, Travel Weekly, Glasgow Live