Glasgow International Airport is now 50 years old and has become one of the UK's busiest.

It carries around 9.0 million passengers each year, servicing destinations across the globe.

The airport has also played a role in many of Scotland's most important historical moments in its half-century. Here are some of the events in which have placed Glasgow Airport at the centre of history.

Ever the trailblazer, the boxer who called himself The Greatest came to Glasgow Airport before it had even properly opened, in the city for a series of exhibition bout.

Ali was just 23 at the time of his first trip to Scotland but would return later in life in 1993.

While air travel had been associated with the site of Glasgow airport since the 1930s, after a Royal Air Force was located there, the current airport was only officially opened on June 27, 1966.

It took over from the previous Renfrew Airport, and was built just a few hundred metres away after local politicians agreed that Renfrew could not handle the increase in passengers. The first flight landed from London Heathrow on May 2 in the same year.

The Brazilian icon has made a number of trips to Scotland through the years, including a friendly match at Hampden aged 25.

But fans got to see the world's best ever striker in 1989 when he came to support the World Under-16s Championship.

After seeing the youngsters strut their stuff, Pele left Scotland in a private jet from Glasgow.

The former US President visited Scotland after discovering his connection to the country.

In a fleeting visit, Reagan and his wife Nancy went to a church service in Paisley where the President's great-great grandmother had been married.

Their visit was kept under wraps and the usual congregation of around 150 turned up.

Extra security was laid on as the Reagan's landed at Glasgow Airport in their private jet surrounded by CIA staff.

The first terror attack on Scotland since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 took place at Glasgow Airport.

A car loaded with propane canisters was driven into the glass doors airport terminal and set ablaze.

The only death in the failed attack was one of the terrorists, and it made a hero of baggage handler John Smeaton, who was one of those who assailed the attackers.

Interviewed after the incident, Smeaton was asked if he had a message for the terrorists.

He replied: "This is Glasgow; we'll set about ye."

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi had been in a Scots prison serving a life sentence, but was released in a controversial move authorised by then justice secretary Kenny MacAskill.

Let out on compassionate grounds as he was terminally ill, al-Megrahi left Scotland for the last time from Glasgow Airport.

He lived as a free man for a further three years, and the debate over whether he should have been released rages on.

During the height of the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone, one Glasgow nurse who had been an aid worker in he country was diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Pauline Cafferkey was rushed to a specialist hospital in London, and a photograph of her in a special contamination chamber being loaded onto a plane at the airport came to be one of the most striking images of the outbreak.

The Syrian civil war led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who fled the fighting.

Many of those refugees came to Europe in search of sanctuary, and the UK pledged to take in around 20,000 over the course of five years.

The first refugees arrived on a charter plane to Glasgow in November last year and were given new homes around Scotland.