Neither Kinloss nor Leuchars are closed. The Kinloss runway is maintained in fully operational configuration as a diversion airfield for Lossiemouth, and is used daily by Moray Flying Club. Leuchars remains fully operational, mainly as a diversion airfield for Lossiemouth, but also with daily ops by the UAS and for exercises. In any case, even if they were closed, what would Prestwick offer that isn't available elsewhere?

Technically it's not a subsidy, but a loan, or at least thats what the government will tell you - EDI/GLA may argue otherwise.

Allowing lower APD rates from PIK than from GLA/EDI would be a subsidy, and would probably be deemed illegal state aid pretty quickly.

Without wanting to go too of topic, how come INV manages to get around the rule for being exempt from APD like airports in Northern Ireland?

From what I've read, it looks as though the airport could function reasonably well as a small cargo airport along with all the attached aviation businesses around it.

Perhaps it could operate as a passenger airport with a much smaller terminal (or just operate with less staff?).

Of course, I have no details of the day to day running of the airport, so I could have written a load of balderdash. :)

Totally agree with you here chaps, While the passenger side may never truly take off (pun intended), there is definitely the case for other activities, especially Maintenance. There's already a sizeable chunk of Aircraft Maintenance Hangers there, if they could aquire a bt more of the land either by Monkton or eitherside of 03/21, you could have a whole line of hangers parallel to the runway, with the 2 perpendicular runways, it provides the perfect test bed after C/D checks.

Just my 2 pennies....

I'm not 100% sure, and its an interesting question.

You cant pick and choose airports, but you can give exceptions based on geographic area - e.g Northern Ireland and Highlands & Islands in the case of Inverness. I guess you could try and add an exception for "Ayrshire", but that may be pushing it a little, and I'm sure GLA would be very quick to challenge the legality of it if you did.

Apron A and B would be an ideal maintenance area if the old terminal was demolished, no need to buy more land.
If IAG ever decide to consolidate more in house maintenance, they should be in there with an offer like a shot. It's not as if they can build more at LHR and PIK is close to both DUB and LHR/LGW. "Why send your A380s to Manila for heavy checks via Clark (or even LGW!) for the one hour per week when you can land them when you can use either of our runways 24/7 with a strong BA and EI service at GLA to transport staff back?" THAT's the sort of subasidy the Scottish Government should be thinking about, a BAMC of the North.

I think any MRO provider will be hesitant in spending a large sum of money on a brand new facility to be located at an airport, which is heavily dependant on state funding to keep it operating and especially when it's a shadow of what it was just a few years ago.

Not only that but it's becoming harder for MRO facilities in Europe to compete with facilities like LH Technik in the Philipines, that can offer first world services with the huge benefit of cost efficiencies of it being in the developing world.

Acres of parking space, logistics, specialist cargo handling, hazardous cargo handling, 24/7 ops, no noise restrictions....just a few to mention.

North of RAF Leeming it is the next best thing available to the military with only one fully operational base in Scotland (RAF Lossiemouth). Not just to the MOD, but the other international forces that use it.

MME is north of Leeming 😉😈

Given that (a) the OP was suggesting that it was sensible to keep Prestwick open because Leuchars and Kinloss are closed; (b) Leuchars and Kinloss aren't closed; (c) flights that require the things you mention don't currently use Leuchars or Kinloss (or indeed Lossiemouth), I conclude that neither the UK nor any other military have any significant requirement for Prestwick over and above what they already do there.

Some new freight flights starting at Prestwick operated by CargoLogicAir, also hearing that Atlas Air may also be returning.

https://www.aircargonews.net/uncateg...-brexit-looms/

First of the new twice weekly scheduled Cargo Logic Air 747F flights "CLU817" operated today in the early hours between Houston - Prestwick - Frankfurt. Good work securing this business, hopefully more to follow.

Airport up for sale

Bargain!
 

Maybe i'm being cynical here, but it sounds like they know the spaceport idea isn't going to come off. You don't sell a business shortly before landing a big contract - you wait until after, as the value of the business will increase on the back of the confirmed contract.

Why is PIK being put up for sale now ? Would have thought the SNP would want to wait to see if there is an IndyRef2 and let people vote first

By putting PIK up for sale now, Scottish Govt is effectively saying PIK is not a strategic asset - I can't see many buyers in the private sector guaranteeing to keep the land as a large airport for 20+ years when housing might be more lucrative