Credit: LeoPatrizi
PASSENGERS flying from Scotland’s biggest airports could see a huge shake-up to their flights.
Planes departing from Glasgow and Edinburgh could travel on new flight paths designed to reduce noise and cut emissions.
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Passengers departing from Edinburgh Airport could be affected by the proposed changesCredit: Michael Schofield
A flight path diagram shows routes above Glasgow AirportCredit: Glasgow Airport
The Airspace Change Organising Group revealed that modern planes are still using “outdated routes” from 70 years ago.
This often means flying further and longer than needed based on systems introduced in the 1950s.
According to air traffic service Nats, the change could reduce carbon emissions by 18,000 tonnes – the same amount of energy used by 5,000 homes.
Head of operations development Lee Boulton told BBC News: “With demand expected to rise over the next decade, airspace modernisation will help ensure the network can meet future needs.”
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It’s understood that respective airports are responsible for the modernisation of paths below 7,000ft.
Several consultations will take place between travel hubs, communities, local businesses and politicians.
Edinburgh Airport chief Gordon Dewar said: “The modernisation of our skies has been needed for some time, and the proposals we’re presenting have been shaped through our engagement and discussion with our local communities.”
Mark Beveridge, managing director of Glasgow Airport, added: “Our proposals aim to reduce the total adverse effects of noise from aircraft, improve capacity and minimise delays, and lower emissions per flight through more direct routing.”
Elsewhere, a popular airline was forced to stop flights after a ‘freak’ maintenance issue.
Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled or delayed due to an unusual safety problem.
According to Finnair, the issue that caused the cancellation was aircraft seat covers being cleaned incorrectly.
A statement from the airline revealed that the “seat cover cleaning method (water washing) on fire protection has not been properly verified”.
It continued to add that safety is its “top priority” and it would be acting on the “manufacturers’ maintenance instructions as well as the guidelines and recommendations of the authorities”.
The airline said that it would make daily aircraft type changes to minimise the number of cancellations, but that this would likely “lead to overbookings”.
It added that “several flights between 13 and 17 October 2025” had been cancelled and it would be likely that there would be more “flight cancellations, delays or changes in the operating airline”.
A Jet2 Boeing Airbus approaching the runway at Glasgow airportCredit: Getty