PRESTWICK
Can space ships operate in class "D" airspace? Would commercial traffic operating in the local area be able to continue normally or would NATS have to close the upper airspace for each space ship movement? What separation would be needed between a space ship and an airliner? Its not like a space ship could be told to maintain a flight level or obey a speed reduction, I guess when they need to return it would have to be the priority.
bb
bb
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Wasn't Flyglobespan only at Prestwick for about six months or so? I remember flying with them from Glasgow to Malaga.
Think you`ll find Skipness, that FlyGlobespan were well away from Prestwick when they went bust
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Re:the space port
I'm no expert of course but you might imagine whole sections of the North Atlantic track system and Airway system to the FIR boundary would need to be quarantined for either the departure or arrival of a Space-plane.
The total intellectual Pit of the mindset of people that make suggestions like this is beyond belief. The same goes for the "Space ports" of the outter reaches of the Scottish mainland.
Baikonur and other launch sites have a huge advantage, possessing by virtue of their remoteness; enormous volumes of un congested Airspace. (Not so sure about the Kennedy Space Center)
This is one for an orbital launch specialist really, but the UK is an especially bad candidate - Literally a No Brain-er.
CAT III
The total intellectual Pit of the mindset of people that make suggestions like this is beyond belief. The same goes for the "Space ports" of the outter reaches of the Scottish mainland.
Baikonur and other launch sites have a huge advantage, possessing by virtue of their remoteness; enormous volumes of un congested Airspace. (Not so sure about the Kennedy Space Center)
This is one for an orbital launch specialist really, but the UK is an especially bad candidate - Literally a No Brain-er.
CAT III
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Kennedy Space Center has restricted airspace out over the sea to a radius of 35nm. It's closed to all traffic at Launch -3hrs and Recovery -3.5hrs, SFC to UNLIMITED.
Spaceplanes obviously have different profiles and the effects of a launch at Prestwick would depend on where the spaceplane separates from the mothership, and at what height. But I imagine the recovery would require closure over a very wide area.
Spaceplanes obviously have different profiles and the effects of a launch at Prestwick would depend on where the spaceplane separates from the mothership, and at what height. But I imagine the recovery would require closure over a very wide area.
But I imagine the recovery would require closure over a very wide area.
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Why? It's been bandied about as the saviour of Stornoway, Lossiemouth (!), Leuchars, Machrihanish and Prestwick for some time now. This is an ideal place to discuss the practicalities, such as "it's never going to happen"
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Newmarket Holidays offering tours from PIK on limited dates over the coming year 15/16
Holidays from Prestwick Airport - Hotels, Transfers and Accommodation - Newmarket Holidays
Holidays from Prestwick Airport - Hotels, Transfers and Accommodation - Newmarket Holidays
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Some interesting movements on the management front
Glasgow Prestwick Airport adds four new directors to board - BBC News
And Mr Salmond trying to do his best
Alex Salmond reveals failed bid to boost Prestwick - The Scotsman
Glasgow Prestwick Airport adds four new directors to board - BBC News
And Mr Salmond trying to do his best
Alex Salmond reveals failed bid to boost Prestwick - The Scotsman
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Salmond, writing in his referendum diary The Dream Shall Never Die, said he met a delegation from the Chinese airline Hainan last July.
He wrote: “For some time we’ve been trying to interest the Chinese in viewing Prestwick Airport as a potential hub. It has long runways, lots of air space, plenty of ground space, a strategic location and is ideal for private jets.”
He wrote: “For some time we’ve been trying to interest the Chinese in viewing Prestwick Airport as a potential hub. It has long runways, lots of air space, plenty of ground space, a strategic location and is ideal for private jets.”
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Losses increase at Prestwick Airport - BBC News
Comedy of errors as things look set to get worse. The fact they're wittering on about potentially being a spaceport tells you who you're dealing with.
Dear God.....
Comedy of errors as things look set to get worse. The fact they're wittering on about potentially being a spaceport tells you who you're dealing with.
Prestwick Airport images
Losses have increased slightly at the Scottish government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport over the past year.
The airport, which was bought by Scottish ministers for £1 in November 2013, returned a loss of £4.1m in 2014/15.
This was up from £3.9m the previous year.
Prestwick accepted it had been "another challenging year" but said there were "promising signs in a number of areas".
The annual reports from TS Prestwick Holdco Limited - the company set up up to acquire the airport on behalf of Scottish ministers - warned the loss of some Ryanair flights to Glasgow Airport could be "more severely felt" in the current financial year.
Pre-tax losses for 2014/15 stood at £8.9m - almost double the £4.6m loss before tax the previous year.
Return to profit
The airport's loan from the Scottish government has also increased, rising from £4.5m at the end of March 2014 to £10.8m at 31 March this year.
That could increase further, with ministers having budgeted for a total of up to £25m of loan cash for the airport by the end of 2015/16.
The Scottish government took the airport into public hands after former owner Infratil earmarked it for closure.
While the government hopes to return it to a profit before selling it back to the private sector, ministers have warned that could take time.
The annual report said there had been "positive signs in a number of areas" at Prestwick, including freight business and military activity.
But it added: "The largest driver of revenue is linked to passenger volumes and the associated passenger spend."
While it said load factors had increased, it added the number of flights has "seen an overall decline as total capacity has been reduced".
The report warned: "This will be more severely felt in the next financial year to 31 March 2016 following Ryanair's decision to open a base at Glasgow Airport from October 2014."
Airport chief executive Iain Cochrane said: "Following another challenging year the airport continues to work to turn around the financial performance and there are promising signs in a number of areas, though growing the passenger business remains a challenge whilst air passenger duty exists at its current level.
"The airport is a frontrunner in the process to become the first designated UK spaceport and is continually looking for opportunities to maximise both income and the broad scope and opportunity offered as a strategic national asset.
"The recent appointment of four high-calibre non-executive directors brings considerable new knowledge and experience to help drive the business forward."
'Long-term investment'
A Scottish government spokesman said that by stepping in to save the airport, it had safeguarded 3,200 jobs and secured a vital infrastructure asset that contributes more than £61m annually to the Scottish economy.
He added: "These financial results are as we expected. As we made clear at the start of the acquisition process, this is a long-term investment. There is no quick fix to turn Glasgow Prestwick Airport around but there are real opportunities to improve in all areas of the business.
"Our investment is on a commercial basis and takes the form of loan funding. This attracts a market rate of interest in line with state aid rules. The recent Audit Scotland report confirmed that we are highly likely to generate a return on this investment."
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said the latest figures were a "massive blow for Scotland's transport, business, infrastructure and tourism industries.
He added: "As one of Scotland's busiest airports, Prestwick should be thriving not operating at a loss.
"When it was announced that the airport was to be publicly owned, we issued an warning at the time, stating that it would take an enormous effort to get the airport back in to profit.
Losses have increased slightly at the Scottish government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport over the past year.
The airport, which was bought by Scottish ministers for £1 in November 2013, returned a loss of £4.1m in 2014/15.
This was up from £3.9m the previous year.
Prestwick accepted it had been "another challenging year" but said there were "promising signs in a number of areas".
The annual reports from TS Prestwick Holdco Limited - the company set up up to acquire the airport on behalf of Scottish ministers - warned the loss of some Ryanair flights to Glasgow Airport could be "more severely felt" in the current financial year.
Pre-tax losses for 2014/15 stood at £8.9m - almost double the £4.6m loss before tax the previous year.
Return to profit
The airport's loan from the Scottish government has also increased, rising from £4.5m at the end of March 2014 to £10.8m at 31 March this year.
That could increase further, with ministers having budgeted for a total of up to £25m of loan cash for the airport by the end of 2015/16.
The Scottish government took the airport into public hands after former owner Infratil earmarked it for closure.
While the government hopes to return it to a profit before selling it back to the private sector, ministers have warned that could take time.
The annual report said there had been "positive signs in a number of areas" at Prestwick, including freight business and military activity.
But it added: "The largest driver of revenue is linked to passenger volumes and the associated passenger spend."
While it said load factors had increased, it added the number of flights has "seen an overall decline as total capacity has been reduced".
The report warned: "This will be more severely felt in the next financial year to 31 March 2016 following Ryanair's decision to open a base at Glasgow Airport from October 2014."
Airport chief executive Iain Cochrane said: "Following another challenging year the airport continues to work to turn around the financial performance and there are promising signs in a number of areas, though growing the passenger business remains a challenge whilst air passenger duty exists at its current level.
"The airport is a frontrunner in the process to become the first designated UK spaceport and is continually looking for opportunities to maximise both income and the broad scope and opportunity offered as a strategic national asset.
"The recent appointment of four high-calibre non-executive directors brings considerable new knowledge and experience to help drive the business forward."
'Long-term investment'
A Scottish government spokesman said that by stepping in to save the airport, it had safeguarded 3,200 jobs and secured a vital infrastructure asset that contributes more than £61m annually to the Scottish economy.
He added: "These financial results are as we expected. As we made clear at the start of the acquisition process, this is a long-term investment. There is no quick fix to turn Glasgow Prestwick Airport around but there are real opportunities to improve in all areas of the business.
"Our investment is on a commercial basis and takes the form of loan funding. This attracts a market rate of interest in line with state aid rules. The recent Audit Scotland report confirmed that we are highly likely to generate a return on this investment."
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said the latest figures were a "massive blow for Scotland's transport, business, infrastructure and tourism industries.
He added: "As one of Scotland's busiest airports, Prestwick should be thriving not operating at a loss.
"When it was announced that the airport was to be publicly owned, we issued an warning at the time, stating that it would take an enormous effort to get the airport back in to profit.
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Defies all logic as to why the management team that ruined the place are still there.
Losses at Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport rise to £4.1m | Glasgow & West | News
IC keeps clinging to the Spaceport as if it is a magic fix, it seems more like a fairy story.
Losses at Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport rise to £4.1m | Glasgow & West | News
IC keeps clinging to the Spaceport as if it is a magic fix, it seems more like a fairy story.
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They must remember not to annoy Michael.....it would`nt take much to move his few assets over to Glasgow especially if they make him a stonking offer he could`nt refuse...Game over. Infratil have been proved right 