There is a lot of both informed and downright ignorant comment on here about the airport's subsidy etc.

In my opinion, Prestwick has no viable future as a passenger airport and we should not be wasting any money on trying to pretend that it does. It can however have a bright future as a maintenance and training base, as well as hosting other aviation-related industries. The Chevron news is great and it is for developments like this that the Scottish Government had the foresight to purchase it and provide subsidies until it is able to stand on its own two feet. If they hadn't, we would not now be celebrating this news nor any of the other developments which are in the pipeline. Someone has to take a longer term view and thank goodness that for the benefit of both the local economy and for Scotland in general our First Minister and Government did so.

Theredbarron.

Your last sentence seems at variance with the rest of your submission. If you agree with me and others that it has a future as an air-related site but not as a passenger airport, then why is ScoGov subsidising its continued operation as one? If the previous owners had been allowed to close the terminal, then would they have wanted to sell it?

Thought that occurs to me following something someone said in another thread...

... Can Prestwick renew an apparently amazing deal for an airline now it is state owned?

Sorry to say. but it ain't looking too good ...

Prestwick Airport bailout loans head towards £40m - BBC News

At what point do state aid rules kick in here? This is not a loan, this money will likely never be paid back, the place is unviable - it will turn into another Shannon with 100 million plus of public money disappearing down a black hole into a large legacy facility that serves no real purpose in the context of modern aviation. At least Shannon has its own catchment area and might be potentially profitable as long as they never have to pay the money back, Prestwick on the other hand is only 30 or 40 miles from a successful, profitable airport and does not really seem to have a point to its continued existence.

It has no future in commercial aviation.

It is situated in a rural backwater with no significant business community to speak of, with 2 large airports within 70 miles.

Prestwick Airport is surplus to requirements.

As a reluctant share holder in this airport I say shut it down. Now!

On a smaller scale? We have the same concerns in the NE. Teesside sitting only 35 miles from Newcastle and 45 from Leeds.
But at what point does a responsibility and local economics come into play.Teeside has lost t out massively industry wise,to loose the airport as well would be economic disaster?

However with an owner like Peel what hope is there??

What, only by Brexit?

I am struggling to contain my laughter.

This is a miss use of public funds, so £40m down the pan on a vanity project that is not needed on any rational business case, meanwhile wee Sturgeon moans about cuts from central government.

if the Scottish Government is serious about supporting aviation in Scotland it would be better giving up on Prestwick and instead reduce APD at all Scottish airports.

Where've you been? SNP policy for some time has been to abolish APD. Totally misguided in my view. Pax numbers already rising at a completely unsustainable level at GLA and EDI without any change in APD. Meanwhile the public services used by most of these holidaymakers are being slashed. Less APD means even worse public services.

Spot on - the latest growth figures from GLA and EDI hardly suggest the need for government support. With credit to BHX5DME on the Manchester thread, December year on year growth figures:

EDINBURGH 862,194 up 14.37892 %
GLASGOW 627,446 up 10.326 %

What was it Johnny said? "Cheap holidays in other peoples misery..."

Fair point. I knew that was SNP policy but it seems that what the SNP say and what they do are often not the same. With EDI and GLA recording growth like that even less justification for throwing money at PIK

Or, in another world, to designate Prestwick as Scotland's long-haul airport in order to reduce the pressure at EDI and GLA and make more efficient use of existing national aviation infrastructure.
Oh, and re-establish an international-standard commercial flight training school.

NorthSouth are you trolling? Scotland would have a fraction of the direct long haul it now enjoys if they turned the clock back to saving George Younger's seat with a crazy airport policy. Perhaps all DUB long haul should stop once more at SNN?

Any long haul carrier is free to start ops at PIK today and sell it as a hassle free unconstrained hub. No one has simply because GLA/EDI are way better options to the airlines.

S1E I was going to post something similar.

They should sell the passenger terminal and use it again for raves like they did back in the 90s!!