PRESTWICK

[apron alpha]

Whats everybodys sensors indicating for the way forward for prestwick in the next few years?

[davidjohnson6]

apron - perhaps wait for the Scottish referendum next year first, before making any predictions ?

[apron alpha]

Explain what you mean by that

[billyg]

He's probably referring to the fact that many see this acquisition as a political pre-vote decision. If the vote is lost then it's anyone's guess as to whether the govt will see it as financially worthwhile to continue to prop the place up.

[ScotsSLF]

Options?

I think there are a number of options for PIK moving forward. Assuming Scotland still is part of the UK then I reckon it will remain very much as it is - low cost passenger, widebody freight, tech /fuel stops , SAR, maintenance, aircraft scrapping, GA and training.

If Scotland does vote for independence then I can see the Scottish Government having two main 'air defence force' bases - Lossiemouth and Prestwick. I can't see Macrahanish being reinstated and I think Leuchars and Kinloss would remain as army bases although Leuchars might retain some flying units depending on how the new 'defence force' is constructed.

How the exact format of the bases would look is anyone's guess but there is definitely the room at PIK to have a dedicated military presence (outside SAR) given that the 'green site' is mothballed at present along with available hangers and apron space.

Anyway the present priority of the Government is to get PIK in its present form back on an even keel and start to get it operating more efficiently and profitably. I am looking forward to the awful Infratil branding disappearing soon

[12-30 Wind Sock]

David Johnson has lost the plot if he thinks we will all have to wait 10 months for anything to happen just because of a referendum next year. The government will put in place there own team to run the airport and business plan will be put in place on how to turn things around and we will gradually see change at Glasgow Prestwick Airport which is long overdue.

[davidjohnson6]

Things will happen between now and the referendum vote, although unlikely to see major differences in activity in the next 10 months, simply because airline schedules are set so far in advance. Commercial passenger schedules are already set until late October 2014. Very few passenger services are launched at the end of October, except perhaps for the Canaries. Thus, if new passenger services are to be launched, they will start in March 2015. Airlines will likely announce these services perhaps in Nov 2014 after the vote.

Apron alpha asked for predictions over the next few years - not just the next 10 months.
Those Govt inspired plans may very well change significantly after the referendum vote - ie whether Prestwick takes on a greater defence role or goes back to being a more minor airport. Too many 'what ifs' around the referendum to make predictions 2 or 3 years ahead

[Skipness One Echo]

Those Govt inspired plans may very well change significantly after the referendum vote - ie whether Prestwick takes on a greater defence role or goes back to being a more minor airport.

I don't believe the "strategic importance" was primarily a military one David, I think it was commercial, in that once the asset is gone, it's gone forever. There would be no ability to fly large cargo aircraft in any meaningful way given the constraints at GLA and EDI. Any Scottish Military will be insignificant, and I say that as a Scot. All the SNP guff about protectiung cap badges and such is hot air as Scotland would not maintain anything like the level of military presence post UK break up. It would be very much an Ireland type model, and there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you vote for. However there's no chance of PIK being the BZZ of the North.

The government will put in place there own team to run the airport and business plan will be put in place on how

A third party private one rather than a Civil Service one I hope?

[DX Wombat]

Onwards and Upwards

Well that would be a better slogan than the present dire one.

[racedo]

Well, that's it official. Prestwick is now in public ownership.

BBC News - Prestwick Airport sold to Scottish government for £1

Big question is who got the bestd eal out of this ?

[Leatherman]

Pik poundstore

I fear an overspend of 99p taxpayers money by SNP

[12-30 Wind Sock]

How can anyone in there right mind take comments from someone called Facelookbovvered serious on here ." unbelievable ". Mostly quoting things that everyone has heard and then adds a few lines regarding prestwick. So Negative its unreal. Why are you so bothered about prestwick rather than your local airport ?. Or you just another Prestwick Hater ?

MADNESS

[SWBKCB]

The pedant in me would like to point out that the M6 stops short of the Scottish border

Facelookbovvered could have sent his money up the A1, but it'd still be stuck behind a caravan trying to get past a tractor just North of Alnwick...

Anyway, back to airports!

[Skipness One Echo]

Anyhoo in no particular order.

it provides no importance other than employing people and is and will remain loss making, it will not become a airbase for a Scottish airforce either, the SNP cannot grant it exemption from APD with out doing the same at GLA/EDI for that would be state aid.

No strategic value? Only commercial runway capable of heavy cargo transports in the whole country? All that inbound cargo? Shall we just have all those imports by road then? No other facility for circuit training?
I'm confused as to who suggested it was to become military? This was not mentioned at all by airport or government.

So PIK joins CWL in state ownership at a time when most states are dumping these non preforming assets.

Except some parts of our "United Kingdom" do not share the view that worship of the free market is the be all and end all. Loganair are subsidised and last I checked they were a commercial business, however their business model relies on heavy subsidy from the taxpayer to make the air fares affordable in the market they operate in.

I can think of no Government solution that is better than a private sector solution when it comes to a business

NHS? Defence procurement? Bit of a grey area and overlap in the real world actually.

Would it make any difference if I reminded you that PIK was built by the taxpayer and was in public ownership until the mid 80s? It was also profitable until recently, and although no supporter of the SNP, this has been a sensible and pragmatic decision taken at little cost to the taxpayer.

In your wee world I imagine we would have allowed Rolls Royce to go bust in the 70s as the business had failed...

Madness, as someone said. btw if you are from Newcastle NI as in County Down I would be remiss not to mention you haven't had a private sector that could support your economy in living memory, although for other reasons.

[Facelookbovvered]

Skippness

RR was a very different case and was a unique situation in terms of the long term strategic interests of the UK, PIK does not fall into that category.

PIK history was all about the weather and incoming flights supporting the UK war effort before the days of auto land, it is very rare to have fog at PIK.

The NHS is a joke, worlds 3rd largest employer i believe with 75% of its budget now going on wages alone and benefits most the people who have paid little or nothing for it.

The Scottish administration will find it very difficult if not impossible to turn this airport around, the past is the past, who paid to build it matters not after all this time.....

NI is a very different situation both politically and economically.

Loganair PS routes are supported from the tax paper, not the airline.

[Skipness One Echo]

NI is a very different situation both politically and economically.

Loganair PS routes are supported from the tax paper, not the airline.

You do understand your economy is underwritten by the taxes of the English, Welsh and Scots though? That for decades due to the troubles, Northern Ireland was a commercial business free area? Businesses tend not to pick explosion prone locations if they can avoid them, market forces and all. You made a pretty low dig about taxpayers money being wasted on employment for the sake of it, not that I agree with you but that's exactly a decription of NI for decades, just to keep people in work.
My point is, for many things there are good reasons.
You also agree that Loganair operate a pseudo-commercial semi-taxpayer funded business model, just as PIK, which the taxpayer built, will be doing in the short term only.
The right management can return the airport to profitability and allow it to sold off at some profit I would imagine. There's more than a few business people keen to get involved at PIK, it's far from a lost cause and well done to all concerned for a canny solution.

[12-30 Wind Sock]

Well said skippy one echo.....echo....echo.echo...echo

[22 Degree Halo]

The NHS is a joke

The Scottish NHS is not a joke and is not to be compared whatsoever with its English counterpart. Let's get that correct right away.

The Scottish administration will find it very difficult if not impossible to turn this airport around

The same was said about the Scottish administration with regards their unforeseen landslide victory at the last meaningful elections. Some smart cookies in power up here; they'll turn PIK around no bother.

Now you can carry on with the topic in hand

[apron alpha]

Hopefully whoever runs the place for the government can think out the box and explore some avenues that's not been discussed/thought of on here. I bet Ryanair will be straight in there too secure new deal? Maybe get stansted route back? Some other routes as well? Could pik gain another 300,000 pax a year just out of that? Royal Mail flights?

[solent]

I actually think it's going to be very interesting to see what becomes of Ryanair and it's relationship at Prestwick, clearly PIK need new business but of course any new airlines will want some of what Ryanair are getting but maybe the new Operator will want more money from Ryanair to be at Prestwick and not wish to continue to operate with a higher cost base, move to GLA or grow EDI further?

There is no doubt no love will be lost between GLA and PIK, not so much EDI as it's further away and they are doing fantastic already what with the new route plans to the ME and US.

I guess if I were running Glasgow I would be extremely upset by the government led takeover of PIK but you and me as the discerning traveller are the winners as we will have more choice and hopefully more competitive prices.

Lastly I must finish with for those of us who live in the Central belt, aren't we jolly well luck we have 3 major 24 Hour international airports all within reasonable proximity.

Looking forward to see the developments!