PRESTWICK
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...more money down the plug hole. If FR wanted to expand they could have done it by now. Major serious airlines won't touch it with a barge pole.
Public ownership does make sense as not only was it built by the taxpayer in the first place, it is a key part of the local and wider economy. As anyone who's ever spent time in the area will know, Ryanair is the least interesting part of PIK.
"Investment" may mean demolishing the whole 1964 built Terminal building and working with a small tin shed a fraction of the size that can be semi-closed in winter. The similar vintage Terminal 1 at LHR is coming down next year....
Last edited by Skipness One Echo; 8th Oct 2013 at 14:35.
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A deal with Ryanair for significant route expansion from summer 2014 coming up I would suggest.
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Scottish government have bought it.
flights are restricted by a political fix to PIK?
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Prestwick
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Well if the plans goign forward are put into action then, yes you should see an improvement at the airport. It has to be said it is somewhat disapointing that Infratil were threatning to close the airport rather than reduce the cost of purchase any further and or to make sensible arangements with 3 potential buyers since 2012.
Now - It was me who started a petition to bring PIK into public ownership and there has been significant input from people who actually know what they are doing.
Cargo, Passenger and new Revenue Management are all on the table and there will be a very agressive working group developing things.
Personally, having had dealings with Infratil for years and not liking what I was seeing / hearing etc, things could begin to move forward again. It will however depend on removing management and others who have been comfy doing nothing.
Now - It was me who started a petition to bring PIK into public ownership and there has been significant input from people who actually know what they are doing.
Cargo, Passenger and new Revenue Management are all on the table and there will be a very agressive working group developing things.
Personally, having had dealings with Infratil for years and not liking what I was seeing / hearing etc, things could begin to move forward again. It will however depend on removing management and others who have been comfy doing nothing.
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Joe they don't have the power to and I don't think anyone sensible is suggesting they'd even try....
Can we please leave the politics to JetBlast please? I am also voting yes, yes to not breaking up my own country. In other news.....
Great news but if Ryanair re-launch PIK-STN on the back of a taxpayer bail out, EZY, Virgin and BA will be knocking each other over on the way to the Court of Session / EU depending who has the final say.
Can we please leave the politics to JetBlast please? I am also voting yes, yes to not breaking up my own country. In other news.....
Great news but if Ryanair re-launch PIK-STN on the back of a taxpayer bail out, EZY, Virgin and BA will be knocking each other over on the way to the Court of Session / EU depending who has the final say.
"Investment" may mean demolishing the whole 1964 built Terminal building and working with a small tin shed a fraction of the size that can be semi-closed in winter
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 8th Oct 2013 at 17:58.
This is yet another attempt by socialists (in this case disguised as Scottish Nationalists) to rig a market they don't understand. If I was a taxpayer in Scotland, I would be objecting to my taxes going to subsidize a third airport in the Central Belt.
No state aid is allowed (until we leave the EU), so one avenue immediately closes.
There are, as Skipness suggests, no likely major commercial passenger operators other than Ryanair, and I imagine they can make more money operating from EDI.
Freight will not pay the bills - demand locally is too small.
Being fog-free is not even the advantage it was as technology improves.
The brave decision would have been to allow Infratil to close it, or bring in a new owner with different priorities (maintenance, manufacturing, etc). Nationalization is a weak decision, and one which my Scottish friends will regret.
No state aid is allowed (until we leave the EU), so one avenue immediately closes.
There are, as Skipness suggests, no likely major commercial passenger operators other than Ryanair, and I imagine they can make more money operating from EDI.
Freight will not pay the bills - demand locally is too small.
Being fog-free is not even the advantage it was as technology improves.
The brave decision would have been to allow Infratil to close it, or bring in a new owner with different priorities (maintenance, manufacturing, etc). Nationalization is a weak decision, and one which my Scottish friends will regret.
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If the Scottish Government had allowed Prestwick Airport to close with the loss of many jobs they would have come under fire for doing nothing. It seems no matter what the SNP do certain people will always criticise them just for the sake of it. I have no desire to see any of the three central belt airports close (unlike some people) but I do hope things change at Prestwick for the better and more jobs are created.
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The brave decision would have been to allow Infratil to close it, or bring in a new owner with different priorities (maintenance, manufacturing, etc). Nationalization is a weak decision, and one which my Scottish friends will regret.
With all due respect LGS I would suggest that decision the Scottish Government took today is a brave decision as simply closing things down is in my opinion a very weak decision and one which previous UK governments have been good at. The government's decision is being backed by all parties and the intention is quite clearly stated as that of supporting the airport to survive and prosper and then sell it back into private hands. In this type of situation nationalisation is a preferred option to simply 'wielding the axe'. I as a taxpayer am quite happy that some of my well earned cash is going to support 1400 local jobs and if they do enable the airfield to prosper then we will have three excellent aviation assets in PIK, GLA and EDI across the central belt and ones which will offer the Scottish population choice, convenience and reasonable fares.
With all due respect LGS I would suggest that decision the Scottish Government took today is a brave decision as simply closing things down is in my opinion a very weak decision and one which previous UK governments have been good at. The government's decision is being backed by all parties and the intention is quite clearly stated as that of supporting the airport to survive and prosper and then sell it back into private hands. In this type of situation nationalisation is a preferred option to simply 'wielding the axe'. I as a taxpayer am quite happy that some of my well earned cash is going to support 1400 local jobs and if they do enable the airfield to prosper then we will have three excellent aviation assets in PIK, GLA and EDI across the central belt and ones which will offer the Scottish population choice, convenience and reasonable fares.
Join Date: Oct 2012
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I am rather shocked that we seem to have brought this down to politics.
Had the airport been left to close this would have decimated the area and wider. No SAR options, FR seeking compensation for the basis, loss of GE to mention just a few.
Had the SNP government (who I dont support before anyone wants to call names), have actually done the right thing. This isnt something that has just happened there have been cross party meetings, discussion with the relevant authorities, verification on Local Government Owned Airports.
Before anyone starts..Virgin / easy / BA will be in court blah blah. There are other airports in the same situation of ownership - this would mean EZY, BA..etc would have to stop these routes.
Have any of you actually looked at the accounts for PIK..In depth they make surprising reading, multiple people employed in overlapping roles, little or no profit from concessions, to many Managers...There is a massive business case for turning the airport around - and as I said to an MSP today when discussing it - ONLY if the Government are willing to be radical and change the way things are run.
PIK used to make most of its profit, from running its own services, such as bars, shops etc. The current owners changed this because they only knew how to run things major airport ways.
The airport used to have its own holiday company - which made goof profits and worked in more than one way of , advertising the airport, promoting the airport as a departure point, encouraging tour operators with an inhouse sales team...
Lets not be blinkered- I am more than happy for my tax to be supporting a large area of the economy. There is and always will be room for 3 airports. Stop the whining and look forward to aviation in Scotland Improving at all Airports.
oh and as a side note the Virgin Service is hardly performing on some routes with multiple cancellations to merge flights!!
Please leave personal politics out of this.
Had the airport been left to close this would have decimated the area and wider. No SAR options, FR seeking compensation for the basis, loss of GE to mention just a few.
Had the SNP government (who I dont support before anyone wants to call names), have actually done the right thing. This isnt something that has just happened there have been cross party meetings, discussion with the relevant authorities, verification on Local Government Owned Airports.
Before anyone starts..Virgin / easy / BA will be in court blah blah. There are other airports in the same situation of ownership - this would mean EZY, BA..etc would have to stop these routes.
Have any of you actually looked at the accounts for PIK..In depth they make surprising reading, multiple people employed in overlapping roles, little or no profit from concessions, to many Managers...There is a massive business case for turning the airport around - and as I said to an MSP today when discussing it - ONLY if the Government are willing to be radical and change the way things are run.
PIK used to make most of its profit, from running its own services, such as bars, shops etc. The current owners changed this because they only knew how to run things major airport ways.
The airport used to have its own holiday company - which made goof profits and worked in more than one way of , advertising the airport, promoting the airport as a departure point, encouraging tour operators with an inhouse sales team...
Lets not be blinkered- I am more than happy for my tax to be supporting a large area of the economy. There is and always will be room for 3 airports. Stop the whining and look forward to aviation in Scotland Improving at all Airports.
oh and as a side note the Virgin Service is hardly performing on some routes with multiple cancellations to merge flights!!
Please leave personal politics out of this.
To SunsetRep
Serious ramifications for GLA if Scotland's West Coast long haul or leisure flights are restricted by a political fix to PIK?
I'm ambivalent to the announcement - happy that jobs and an important diversion airport has been retained, but its the pax and the airlines who decide, whether Scotland is independent or not. Ultimately, this will bite the Scottish Government in the backside.
And Skipness, whilst I respect most of your informative posts, I find that most times its used, the term Weegies is derogatory. Please don't use it.
Chieftan o'the Pudden Race
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Ultimately, this will bite the Scottish Government in the backside.
Prestwick has a niche role to play in Scottish aviation it just needs the right team with a clear vision and strategy to ensure that role is realised.
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Virgin was planning to move down to Prestwick last year but only on the condition that Infratil built a seperate lounge for their passengers. Infratil was unwilling to do this because of the few flights that Virgin operates.
Why are you so sure that The Scottish Government will regret their decision? Prior to being owned by Infratil, Prestwick Airport did make a profit.
Why are you so sure that The Scottish Government will regret their decision? Prior to being owned by Infratil, Prestwick Airport did make a profit.
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During an interview on Radio Scotland this morning, Nicola Sturgeon stated a "private sector firm" would run the airport on the Scottish Govt's behalf.
Who is this firm, anyone know?
Who is this firm, anyone know?
I hope it doesn't bite them back, but I just fear that the SG can't succeed where others have failed. The record of politicians being involved (all political persusasions) hasn't been scintillating over the years, with the money wasted on EARL, GARL, trams, even their own HQ.
Let's say, just for argument, that all landing/handling costs are zeroed for a year. The market PIK serves can't change. Who would come? Fedex? Atlas? Wizz? More Ryanair? Lufthansa Cargo? Freight worldwide is on its a@£%, and many of the major players have already been and gone.
What about mail? Would take a massive investment, plus some big relocation, to move staff from EDI. And its further from many parts of the rest of Scotland.
Happy to be proved wrong.
Let's say, just for argument, that all landing/handling costs are zeroed for a year. The market PIK serves can't change. Who would come? Fedex? Atlas? Wizz? More Ryanair? Lufthansa Cargo? Freight worldwide is on its a@£%, and many of the major players have already been and gone.
What about mail? Would take a massive investment, plus some big relocation, to move staff from EDI. And its further from many parts of the rest of Scotland.
Happy to be proved wrong.
To those who viewed my post above as 'political' - it was in response to a political decision made by the Scottish Government. 
Whilst I certainly don't want jobs to be lost, nationalization is never the answer.
Whilst I certainly don't want jobs to be lost, nationalization is never the answer.