I'm not mad.
This was the 90s, the recent past. I use the example to show how close the airport came to closure before it was sold to ACAP.
It does generate substantial benefit to the local Ayrshire economy but it also costs a lot of money before it does. It costs way more to deliver the benefits than it currently generates, hence it's a loss making black hole. Right now you can bet a cost/benefit analysis is being undertaken to look at closing all passenger ops and right sizing what remains. That way the economy keeps the airfield, training, cargo, tech stops and mainteneance and loses the Ryanair cost burden. Government gets to "save" PIK and a good deal for taxpayer as losses are brought under control. If it is not being looked at then it's just politicians frittering away more of someone elses money for votes.
I lived through semi closure last time btw, if you don't understand how close it came and what was done to narrowly avoid it, all the positivity on Earth won't help you.