FROM the Pope to popstars, Moira McGinty met them all during her 40 years at Glasgow Airport.

As the airport prepares to mark its 50th anniversary this summer, she has dug out her old photographs and stories with fondness for the friends she met and the fun she had.

Moira, from Clydebank, became a check-in agent for British United Airlines (which became British Caledonian before being bought over by British Airways) when she was 18 years old.

“Back then, it was called a receptionist and it was exciting to be part of this new airport, which none of us had seen anything like before,” she smiles.

“The old Renfrew airport was completely different – it was small, and you could practically stand at the bottom of the aeroplane stairs to wave people off.

“Suddenly we had this bright, big building with gates and lounges. It was very glamorous.”

Moira adds: “I loved the idea of working at the airport but I never wanted to fly. I liked flying to go on holiday, but the job of air hostess didn’t appeal to me. I was much happier on the ground.”

Getting to work from her home in Clydebank was a trek each day, as Moira recalls with a laugh.

“I had to get the bus on Dumbarton Road then the Yoker ferry to Renfrew Cross, then the bus to the airport,” she says. “Nobody drove back then, so you just had to do it.”

Moira loved her job, which eventually saw her promoted to duty manager, and she remained at the airport until her retirement in 2007.

The Evening Times even featured her in part of a 1970s series called ‘She’s a smart girl’ which featured working women.

“I still have the cutting, with me in my uniform,” she laughs. “It was very smart, with a little blue hat – almost military in style.”

Over the years, Moira says she was privileged to meet a whole host of celebrities, religious and business leaders and even members of the Royal family.

“I was sent to meet Pope John Paul II when his helicopter landed in Bearsden, when he came to Glasgow in 1982,” she recalls. “That was a real highlight. It was the first time he had been in the UK, so it was a very big deal.

“Princess Diana and her boys would travel up by the shuttle, they rarely chartered a flight.

“And I recall once having to walk with the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, through the executive lounge to where her flight was waiting.”

Moira adds: “Something came on the television as we passed, about Princess Diana’s brother divorcing from his wife and the Duchess stopped in her tracks and asked if she could stay and watch.”

Moira laughs: “I had to say no, sorry – you need to get on the plane…”

Moira and her team also looked after assorted popstars and bands, from Roy Orbison and Gene Pitney to Wet Wet Wet and Westlife. “Marti Pellow was lovely, and the boys from Westlife were very nice too,” she says.

“We had to rush Westlife through to our staff canteen at one point, because there were so many fans waiting to see them.”

She laughs: “I’ll never forget the looks on the faces of the girls turning up for their shift when they saw Westlife sitting in the staff room drinking tea.”

Moira also has moving memories of some of the darker times to have affected Glasgow airport. She was on duty the morning after Pan-Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, killing everyone on board and more on the ground.

“Pan-Am had no staff in Glasgow so they flew teams up from London, and it was very distressing for them and for us as we waited for news,” recalls Moira. “It was unimaginably horrific for everyone involved and we had to handle the situation with sensitivity and care.

“Afterwards, I got a lovely letter from Pan-Am thanking me and offering me two first class flights to anywhere in the world. I never used them but I’ve always been proud of what our team did to help on that awful day.”

Moira was also on duty on 9/11, when terrorists flew two planes into the Twin Towers in New York.

“All planes were grounded, of course, so a flight to San Francisco that had taken off had to come back,” she explains.

“It was terrible - some of the passengers had relatives in the Twin Towers, so they were desperately trying to find out what had happened.

“It was very upsetting, but we had a job to do and one of the things I always remember about British Airways is that their staff were incredibly well-trained. No-one got hysterical, everyone did their job and we got through it.”

Moira remains friendly with some of the women she met while working at Glasgow Airport.

“I met some great people,” she says. “There were hard times – angry passengers, difficult circumstances and tragedies, such as when someone dies on board a flight.

“But we built up a strong bond with each other and I have so many happy memories. It was a fantastic job.”

GLASGOW airport celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer and we want to hear your memories of the place.

Perhaps you worked there, or were involved in the construction, or met the Queen when she came to visit – or simply recall happy times flying in or out of the city?

Please send your airport memories to ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk, share them on our Facebook page, or on Twitter @TheEveningTimes or @GLA_Airport