PRESTWICK
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: UK
Age: 53
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"PIK in the other hand is currently a political hot cake and with MP's all over it trying to get re-elected next year"
I would disagree with that now. They can quietly do what the like with it now and unfortunately it will be the poor local economy that has to pick up the pieces (from a passenger operating going concern). Whether they can cobble together another long term role for the field is another story, but it is but now an indistinguishable blip on the political radar, there are far bigger fish to fry.
I would disagree with that now. They can quietly do what the like with it now and unfortunately it will be the poor local economy that has to pick up the pieces (from a passenger operating going concern). Whether they can cobble together another long term role for the field is another story, but it is but now an indistinguishable blip on the political radar, there are far bigger fish to fry.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: UK FIR
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The reality is that PIK doesn't make money. There may be many training flights and military flights but they do not make enough money to cover the operating costs.
When the government took over they retained the management team "for continuity". The only problem is that they continued to operate as they had been - very badly.
The reason the airport was taken over by the government is that it was badly managed. Tom Wilson has now left, but the remainder of the management team continue to fiddle while Rome burns.
The Scottish Government has some blame to carry in this, they have spent, from what I hear, over £200,000 on a report and this has yet to be released, along with a credible plan for developing the airport. Meanwhile new business opportunities come, had tours of the facilities and then disappear again - never to be heard of again.
It seems the management are comfortable getting ad hoc rent for the Polar Hangar from BA for a couple of months in the year rather than have sustainable businesses move in there.
There is a place in the Scottish aviation landscape for PIK but it needs management that can recognise it and have the imagination to build the business, but not by selling one of the runways or holding car boot sales.
When the government took over they retained the management team "for continuity". The only problem is that they continued to operate as they had been - very badly.
The reason the airport was taken over by the government is that it was badly managed. Tom Wilson has now left, but the remainder of the management team continue to fiddle while Rome burns.
The Scottish Government has some blame to carry in this, they have spent, from what I hear, over £200,000 on a report and this has yet to be released, along with a credible plan for developing the airport. Meanwhile new business opportunities come, had tours of the facilities and then disappear again - never to be heard of again.
It seems the management are comfortable getting ad hoc rent for the Polar Hangar from BA for a couple of months in the year rather than have sustainable businesses move in there.
There is a place in the Scottish aviation landscape for PIK but it needs management that can recognise it and have the imagination to build the business, but not by selling one of the runways or holding car boot sales.
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Prestwick
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G-AWZK. A very good post sir. The only thing I would add is apparently the airport made more off the recent A318 maintenance in 2 months than some of these so called hangar investors were willing to pay for rent in a 2 year period. So in that regard I applaud the airport as it is can no longer act as a charity.
Very concerning for me are the similarities between Blackpool and Prestwick, and we all know where Blackpool is heading unless there is an 11th hour deal to save it.
Very concerning for me are the similarities between Blackpool and Prestwick, and we all know where Blackpool is heading unless there is an 11th hour deal to save it.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Scotland
Age: 64
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I passed through Lulea in Northern Sweden at the weekend and was struck by some similarities between it and PIK. One side of the airfield is effectively a Swedish Air Force base, the other civil with Pax, GA and a couple of biz jets. The airport does around a 1m pax a year served in the main by SAS & Norwegian running a shuttle service to Stockholm. There's a few bucket and spade flights during the summer and local commuter flights but that's about it. The terminal is small and functional with what looked like around 5-6 air bridge gates. We flew out yesterday and were the only flight (Norwegian) in a 3 hour period. The terminal was quiet and staff appeared to multitask. (Remember the Matthew Hudson days?). All in all it was a very pleasant experience - I'd love to know if it makes a profit year on year or whether it is subsidised by the profits of the larger Swedavia Airports such as Arlanda?
PS. Thoroughly enjoyed the Norwegian experience. Sending texts via Wifi at 25,000 ft was a strange experience. I kept looking round for the CC to tell me off!
PS. Thoroughly enjoyed the Norwegian experience. Sending texts via Wifi at 25,000 ft was a strange experience. I kept looking round for the CC to tell me off!
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Scotland
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Cargo or Pax? Pax I would seriously doubt but I suppose if it was a cargo operatiion then given the oil links between the two countries there might be something in it. There's apparently been a fair amount of ad-hoc cargo traffic between PIK and West Africa recently
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: UK FIR
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tiger8
The airport has effectively been subsidising Ryanair for years.
The business is on its arse and needs someone to show some confidence in the long term future of the airport. If someone wants to set up a business and commits to a long lease, it is normal for a lease free period to be included to bring business in. If a company is prepared to commit to a 10 year lease it would send a powerful signal that at least one company believes PIK is there for the long haul. IMHO it is all about making the place look "lived in"; generating some activity that would act as a stimulus for others to show some interest.
The airport will not survive on 2 month ad hoc leases from BA. It certainly does nothing for the local economy! The engineers are brought down from GLA.
dc9, that sounds intriguing. Got any more info??
The only thing I would add is apparently the airport made more off the recent A318 maintenance in 2 months than some of these so called hangar investors were willing to pay for rent in a 2 year period. So in that regard I applaud the airport as it is can no longer act as a charity.
The business is on its arse and needs someone to show some confidence in the long term future of the airport. If someone wants to set up a business and commits to a long lease, it is normal for a lease free period to be included to bring business in. If a company is prepared to commit to a 10 year lease it would send a powerful signal that at least one company believes PIK is there for the long haul. IMHO it is all about making the place look "lived in"; generating some activity that would act as a stimulus for others to show some interest.
The airport will not survive on 2 month ad hoc leases from BA. It certainly does nothing for the local economy! The engineers are brought down from GLA.
dc9, that sounds intriguing. Got any more info??
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
Age: 42
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I'm sorry, but if unnamed Nigerian investors hoping to transport thousands of pax from PIK-Lagos is the new hope for PIK then the airport really is in trouble.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Ireland
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