Who We Are
Glasgow Prestwick Airport was purchased by the Scottish Government in November 2013 to protect jobs and safeguard a strategic infrastructure asset. The airport operates as a commercial business at an arm’s length from the Government.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport was purchased by the Scottish Government in November 2013 to protect jobs and safeguard a strategic infrastructure asset. The airport operates as a commercial business at an arm’s length from the Government.
A Group Structure was put in place following the purchase of the airport. The structure includes Prestwick Aviation Holdings Limited Board, which is chaired by Willie Mackie.
Willie Mackie was appointed as Interim Chairman in February 2024 and leads a knowledgeable group of Non-Executive Directors.
In addition to the Non-Executive Directors, the airport went through a reshaping exercise that saw the creation of a new Executive team.
This team lead the day-to-day running of the airport with the view of returning the airport to a position of profit and long-term sustainability.
This team is supported by approximately 300 staff who work across areas including business support, passenger handling, cargo, air traffic control, compliance, fire services and a number of other areas.
The airport has two runways, with its main runway 2,987 meters in length – the longest commercial runway north of Manchester. This enables the airport to handle all types of aircraft. Our highly skilled staff in our dedicated cargo processing facility has experience of handling specialist, large scale, high volume and quick turnaround cargo jobs.
Business aviation, military, medical and recreational flights can all be handled quickly and discreetly on a dedicated secure apron, supported by a remote immigration clearance facility.
Located on the Great Circle Route between North America and the Middle East, and being the first mainland airport between the USA and Europe, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is ideally located for fuel stops. The airport is also able to offer in-house de-icing and a full range of apron services.
On-site is the heavy maintenance repair and overhaul facility for Ryanair (PAML), operating across six bays within three purpose-built aircraft hangars.
Storm Aviation, a global leader in aircraft safety and maintenance for over 20 years, now provides comprehensive MRO services at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, including 24/7 AOG support in their 150,000 sq. ft. facility.
The superb weather conditions, clear airspace, lack of congestion, length of runway and the availability of take-off and landing over sea and agricultural land ensures that Glasgow Prestwick is one of the most popular and established training airports in the UK.
The airport is open all year round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and operates at Fire Category 7.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is one of only two tier-one airports in the United Kingdom able to take aircraft in the case of security emergencies. The airport actively organises regular training and verification exercises with partners and other key organisations to ensure the highest levels of preparedness are in place to deal with such emergencies.
As a commercial airport, all necessary emergency plans are already prepared and in place.
A further advantage in any emergency situation is the airport’s proximity to hospitals, including Crosshouse and Ayr Hospitals, both of which are within 20 minutes’ drive.
The airport has a range of property available for businesses including offices, specialist properties, warehousing and hangar space.
The footprint of the airport is 860 acres – with a substantial amount of this available for suitable aerospace developments.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is a current NASA partner that welcomes astronauts returning from space, via Kazakhstan. The airport provides space to NASA for hygiene facilities, health checks and rehabilitation.
The existence of the airport – along with its long history in aviation – enables it to play host to a number of aviation and aerospace companies and other auxiliary services.
Neighbours already include BAE Systems, Spirit Aerospace, GE Aviation, Collins Aerospace and National Air Traffic Control (NATS).
We pride ourselves on our ability to break traditional boundaries and offer customers opportunities, solutions and the best value in serving Scotland, the UK and the world.