Glasgow Prestwick Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Scottish Government | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Prestwick Aviation Holdings Ltd. | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | South Ayrshire,East Ayrshire,North Ayrshire &Greater Glasgow | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland | ||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Ryanair | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 66 ft / 20 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 55°30′34″N004°35′40″W / 55.50944°N 4.59444°W /55.50944; -4.59444 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  EGPK Location in South Ayrshire Show map of South Ayrshire EGPK EGPK (Scotland) Show map of Scotland EGPK EGPK (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||||||
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Glasgow Prestwick Airport (IATA:PIK,ICAO:EGPK), commonly referred to asPrestwick Airport, is aninternational airport serving the west of Scotland, situated one nautical mile (two kilometres) northeast of the town ofPrestwick, and 32 miles (51 kilometres) southwest ofGlasgow, Scotland.[1] It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of Scotland'sCentral Belt, afterGlasgow Airport inRenfrewshire, within theGreater Glasgow conurbation. The airport serves the urban cluster surroundingAyr, includingKilmarnock,Irvine,Ardrossan,Troon,Saltcoats,Stevenston,Kilwinning, and Prestwick itself.
Glasgow Prestwick is Scotland's fifth-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic, although it is the largest in terms of land area. Passenger traffic peaked at 2.4 million in 2007 following a decade of rapid growth, driven in part by the boom inlow-cost carriers, particularlyRyanair, which uses the airport as an operating base. In recent years, passenger traffic has declined; around 670,000 passengers passed through the airport in 2016.[2] There has been much public debate and speculation over the association of the airport with Glasgow due to the fact Prestwick and Glasgow are considerably far apart. Calls have been made for the airport to be renamed Robert Burns International Airport, however, this was ruled out by the Scottish Government in 2014.[3][4]
Prestwick has also had a long historical connection withtransatlantic flight, being part of theAtlantic Bridge route between Europe and North America, and remains an important airport for both theUnited States Air Force andRoyal Canadian Air Force, who use it as a refuelling stop,[5] and in the case of the former the favoured airport used byAir Force One whenever thePresident of the United States is visiting Scotland.
The operations centre ofShanwick Oceanic Control is located close to the airport, which controls all air traffic on the north eastern quadrant of theNorth Atlantic Ocean, including Scottish airspace (Scottish Area Control Centre), as well as the airspace over much of the north of England, the Midlands and north Wales (Manchester Area Control Centre).[6][7]
Passenger facilities were added in 1938. These were used until further investment made Prestwick compatible with jet transportation. The October 1946 USAAF diagram shows a 6,600-foot (2,000-metre) runway 14/32, with a 4,500 ft (1,400 m) runway 8/26 crossing just west of its midpoint. In 1958, runway 13/31 was 7,000 ft (2,100 m) long; in May 1960, the runway's extension to 9,800 ft (3,000 m) opened.[8]
A paralleltaxiway, link road and an all-new terminal building were opened by theQueen Mother in 1964. The extension of runway 13/31 caused considerable disruption to road users, for the main road from Monkton into Prestwick now crossed the tarmac of the runway. This was controlled by a "level crossing" system until a new perimeter road was completed.[9]
In theSecond World War theRAF controlled trans-Atlantic flights from Prestwick.[10]
Until February 2016, part of the Prestwick site was occupied by the Royal NavyFleet Air Arm withRNAS Prestwick, officially known by the Royal Navy asHMSGannet, where a detachment of threeSea Kings provided asearch and rescue role, covering one of the largest SAR areas of the UK including Ben Nevis, the Lakes, Northern Ireland and 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) past the Irish coast. Additionally, Gannet SAR provided a medical evacuation service to the Scottish island communities. Personnel at the base numbered 15 officers, 11 ratings, 28 civil servants and 50 civilian staff. The crews regularly featured as part of the popularChannel 5 documentary seriesHighland Emergency. In 2009, the unit broke a new record as they were tasked to 447 call-outs, 20% of the UK's total military SAR call outs for 2009 and making them, for the second year in succession, the busiest search and rescue base in the UK.[11]
There was controversy over the airport's use in the CIA'sextraordinary rendition flights, as aircraft had used the airport as a stop-over point.[12] Since November 2013, when the Scottish government took control of the facility, service contracts have been established with theUSAF,USN,USMC,Defense Logistics Agency andNational Guard.[13]
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is the only place in the United Kingdom whereElvis Presley (who had distant Scottish ancestry) was known to have set foot, when theUnited States Air Force transport plane carrying him home to the United States stopped to refuel in 1960, en route from West Germany.[14][15] However, on 21 April 2008, during aBBC Radio 2 interview withKen Bruce, theatre impresario and chairman ofEverton FC,Bill Kenwright, said that Elvis actually spent a day in the UK being shown around London byTommy Steele in 1958.[16]
In 1945,American Overseas Airlines began regulartransatlantic commercial flights began between Prestwick and New York.[17] AOA was later acquired byPan Am, which used Prestwick as a stop between Europe and North America into the 1970s.[18]BOAC also used Prestwick as a stop between London and New York in the late 1940s and 1950s.[19]
In the 1980s, Prestwick continued to see scheduled transatlantic flights byAir Canada andNorthwest Airlines.[20] These carriers both moved their operations to Glasgow Airport after government restrictions were lifted in 1990.[21]
Until 1990, the British government required all transatlantic flights to and from Scotland to use Prestwick.[21]
1992 marked the beginning of a renaissance for the struggling airport when purchased by "Canadian entrepreneur"[22] Matthew Hudson in a "dramatic rescue".[23] Hudson initiated the construction of the airport'srailway station on the existingAyrshire Coast Line (Glasgow–Ayr), which runs past the airfield, making it the first Scottish airport with its own railway station.[24] In her book about Prestwick Airport, South Ayrshire councillor Ann Galbraith writes about this tough time in the airport's history, saying that "if it hadn't been for Matthew Hudson the airport wouldn't be here today".[23]
In 1994, Irish budget airlineRyanair opened a route to the airport fromDublin, followed by a second route in 1995 toLondon Stansted. In 1998, a third route toParis-Beauvais was introduced and the airport was sold by Hudson to the Scottish transport companyStagecoach Group.[25]
In 2001, the airport was purchased byInfratil,[26] a New Zealand company and majority owner ofWellington International Airport. Infratil also ownedManston Airport until November 2013. Manston was sold to a shell company owned byAnn Gloag, a co-founder ofStagecoach, Prestwick's previous owner. In April 2005, Infratil completed a major refurbishment of the terminal building, andrebranded the airport using the phrase "pure dead brilliant", taken straight from theGlasgow patter. Some of the rebranding has been controversial, in particular the redecoration of the airport bar. The bar was rebranded in February 2006 with a logo depicting a man in akilt, unconscious with an empty bottle ofwhisky.
Despite objections that it promoted the wrong image of Scotland to foreign visitors and embarrassed local travellers, the airport management insisted the logo was "fun and visually stimulating". However, it was removed a matter of weeks after installation, after the South Ayrshire Licensing Board said the logo trivialised excessive drinking.[27] The "pure dead brilliant" branding was removed from the main terminal building in January 2014.[28]
Since 2007, the airport has occasionally been used by theBBC TV programmeTop Gear as the location for various stunts and experiments. The best-known stunt was a scene similar to one featured in the filmCasino Royale and featured both aFord Mondeo and aCitroën 2CV parked behind the engines of aVirgin AtlanticBoeing 747-400, in an experiment to investigate whether the thrust from the aircraft's four jet engines really could lift a car off the ground.[29]
The car park andA79 outside the terminal building have been reconstructed to comply withgovernmental movement and access restrictions mandated in the aftermath of theGlasgow International Airport terrorist attack. According to a 2008 Master Plan, the departure lounge is at capacity and congested during peak operations. The plan proposes "a central pier that provides adequate circulation and waiting space prior to boarding the aircraft" to cope with a continuing increase in passenger departures.[30]
In 2010,NATS, the organisation responsible for en-route air traffic control services to flights within the UK flight information regions, consolidated its air traffic control operations from four facilities to two. The 86,000 square feet (8,000 square metre) operations room[6] at Prestwick is solely responsible for all aircraft flying over Scottish aerospace (Scottish Area Control Centre), which includes all aircraft over Scotland,Northern Ireland, theNorth of England as well as over theNorth Sea from 2,500 feet up to 66,000 feet. In addition to being responsible for aircraft over Scottish aerospace as defined by the Scottish Area Control Centre, Prestwick is also responsible for the aerospace over much of the north of England, theMidlands and northWales from 2,500 feet up to 28,500 feet (Manchester Area Control Centre). Its Oceanic Area Control Centre controls the aerospace over the eastern half of theNorth Atlantic to a designated boundary in place withIceland.[7] With a responsibility of aerospace covering 2.84 million square kilometres (1.10 million square miles), the operations centre at Prestwick has the largest area of aerospace responsibility inEurope, handing 42% of the total aircraft movement across the United Kingdom.[6]
On 8 March 2012, the airport owner Infratil announced that it planned to sell the airfield. The airport remained unsold until October 2013 when theScottish Government announced it was in negotiations to take the airport back intopublic ownership.[31][32] Subsequently, the Scottish Government bought the airport on 22 November 2013 for £1, Infratil having incurred annual losses of £2,000,000. No job losses were anticipated after the government takeover. Then-Deputy First MinisterNicola Sturgeon toldBBC Scotland that work would then begin on "turning Prestwick around and making it a viable enterprise".[33]
On 1 April 2014, the public petition committee atHolyrood heard thatTheRobert Burns World Federation wished to rename the airport toRobert Burns International Airport.[34] In June 2014, Ryanair announced the relocation of some routes from Prestwick toGlasgow International Airport by October 2014; included among them were flights toWarsaw andDublin.[35]
In November 2014Donald Trump signed a partnership agreement with Prestwick making it the Scottish base for all Trump Aviation Operations, in order to service hisTrump Turnberry golf resort 20 miles (32 km) away.[36]
As part of the privatisation of the UK's search and rescue service,Bristow Helicopters based twoSikorsky S-92 helicopters in a new hangar at HMSGannet. The handover took place in January 2016. In March 2016, the airport revealed new branding and a new look to the inside and outside of the airport building.[37][38]
In 2015, Glasgow Prestwick Airport was shortlisted as a potential UKSpaceport,[39] as part of theBritish commercial spaceport competition. In June 2019, the Scottish government announced that it was putting the airport up for sale. Bidders would be expected to commit to maintaining and developing aviation operations and employment.[40]
In February 2021, the Scottish government announced that a preferred bidder had been selected to buy the airport. The unnamed bidder was believed to be a European transport infrastructure investor.[41] However, the Scottish government announced in December 2021 that the bid had been rejected, and that the sale would not proceed. The airport would consequently remain in public ownership, but the government stated it was committed to "returning it to the private sector at the appropriate time and opportunity."[42] As of January 2023[update], no private investor has been found yet but there was ongoing debate if the airport is financially viable or will require further loans from the government.[43]
The following airlines operate regular scheduled services to and from Glasgow–Prestwick:[44]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Ryanair[45] | Alicante,Barcelona,[46]Faro,Lanzarote,Málaga,Tenerife–South Seasonal:Gran Canaria,Murcia,Palma de Mallorca,Pisa[47] |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air France Cargo[48] | Chicago–O'Hare,Paris–Charles de Gaulle |
| Cargolux[49] | Houston–Intercontinental,Los Angeles,Luxembourg,Seattle/Tacoma |
| Hong Kong Airlines[50] | Hong Kong |
| Number of passengers[note 1] | Number of movements[note 2] | Freight (tonnes) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 567,000 | 63,166 | 33,874 | |
| 1998 | 558,000 | 54,166 | 39,600 | |
| 1999 | 702,000 | 54,093 | 40,845 | |
| 2000 | 905,000 | 44,940 | 41,450 | |
| 2001 | 1,232,000 | 48,144 | 43,104 | |
| 2002 | 1,486,000 | 43,190 | 39,500 | |
| 2003 | 1,854,000 | 57,099 | 39,975 | |
| 2004 | 2,159,000 | 55,998 | 34,102 | |
| 2005 | 2,405,000 | 54,996 | 29,199 | |
| 2006 | 2,395,000 | 48,189 | 28,537 | |
| 2007 | 2,421,000 | 47,910 | 31,517 | |
| 2008 | 2,415,755 | 42,708 | 22,966 | |
| 2009 | 1,817,727 | 34,230 | 13,385 | |
| 2010 | 1,662,744 | 33,087 | 12,163 | |
| 2011 | 1,297,119 | 28,131 | 11,846 | |
| 2012 | 1,067,933 | 25,670 | 10,314 | |
| 2013 | 1,145,836 | 24,305 | 9,526 | |
| 2014 | 913,685 | 25,643 | 12,540 | |
| 2015 | 610,837 | 22,765 | 11,242 | |
| 2016 | 673,232 | 25,714 | 10,822 | |
| 2017 | 696,309 | 24,897 | 11,393 | |
| 2018 | 681,718 | 24,904 | 13,033 | |
| 2019 | 640,455 | 24,463 | 13,054 | |
| 2020 | 90,790 | 14,085 | 12,049 | |
| 2021 | 78,069 | 17,126 | 16,209 | |
| 2022 | 445,211 | 19,034 | 15,298 | |
| 2023 | 524,880 | 24,471 | 10,673 | |
| Source:United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority[2] | ||||
| Rank | Airport | Total passengers | Change 2022 / 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenerife–South | 97,718 |  13% |
| 2 | Alicante | 85,124 | 5% |
| 3 | Málaga | 69,143 | 11% |
| 4 | Palma de Mallorca | 64,102 | 11% |
| 5 | Faro | 51,084 |  1% |
| 6 | Lanzarote | 34,798 | 22% |
| 7 | Barcelona | 33,563 | 13% |
| 8 | Gran Canaria | 28,498 | 22% |
| 9 | Murcia | 21,813 | 8% |
| 10 | Pisa | 20,107 | NEW ROUTE |
| 11 | Marseille | 16,152 | NEW ROUTE |
Prestwick Airport used to host a bi-annualAir show, the first of which was held on 30 September 1967. While very small in scale compared to such shows asRAF Fairford orFarnborough International Airshow, the Scottish air show attracted up to 100,000 spectators to Prestwick in its heyday in the 1980s.[52]
The revivedScottish International Airshow was brought back by 3 Ayrshire aviation and events professionals Danny Anderson, Bob Alexander (2014 and 2015) and Doug Maclean. The events company Zisys Events shouldered the organisation burden and financial risk. It was restarted on 6 and 7 September 2014; an air display was held at the Low green at Ayr Seafront and a static display on 7 September at the airport.[53] The event included appearances by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, including the only two flying Avro Lancaster bombers, and the last airworthy Avro Vulcan bomber, famous for being part of the UK's Nuclear "V Force" bomber fleet. The second Scottish Airshow was held on 5 and 6 September 2015.[54] Danny Anderson and Doug Maclean were innovative in their ideas for displays. The 2016 Scottish International Airshow included the first night display in Scotland. It started with the RAF Typhoon doing a first dusk display and ended with the Aerosparx Formation Team flying in darkness and discharging pyrotechnics from the aircraft wing tips.
Between 2014 and 2018 the Scottish International Airshow continued to develop and brought very respected formation teams and vintage aircraft and modern fighter jets from Denmark, Belgium The Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland as well as the highly unusual Swiss Vintage Formation of 3 Beech 18s and a DC3 flying together in a unique display. The attendances continued to rise each year with over 200,000 people reported to attend over 2 days in 2018. The 2019 Airshow was planned to highlight the return to Prestwick of the CF104 Starfighter from Norway and a Spanish Air Force helicopter formation. It was also intended to include a static aircraft display at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The show was cancelled at an early stage due to a dispute between the organisers and the local Council and the withdrawal of financial support by the Council. The 2020 Covid pandemic meant that there was no display planned.
It was announced that the airshow would return for 2023, organised by South Ayrshire Council and rebranded asThe International Ayrshow - Festival Of Flight beginning on the weekend of 8 September 2023.[55]
Glasgow Prestwick Airport connects with the UK motorway network via theA77 on to theM77. Using this motorway, you can be inGlasgow in 40 minutes andEdinburgh in just over 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Prior to the opening ofInverness Airport railway station in 2023, Prestwick airport was the only airport in Scotland with its own railway station,Prestwick International Airport railway station, built by the airport in 1994.[66] The station is connected to the terminal by an enclosed walkway over theA79 road, and platforms are accessed by stairs, escalators and lifts.[67] The station building continues to be owned and operated by the airport, and not byNetwork Rail orScotRail. The track through the station itself remains the responsibility of Network Rail.
Bus
Prestwick International Airport is well-connected by bus services operated by Stagecoach West Scotland. From the airport, the following bus routes are available:
These services ensure convenient connections between Prestwick International Airport and the surrounding areas.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Media related toGlasgow Prestwick Airport at Wikimedia Commons
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