I don't remember PIK making an operating profit of £5 M in 1989, or am I misunderstanding you. You can't honestly regret open skies, it was for the best in the long run, the medium term and honestly the shirt term too. I was against it at the time but as one grows older one should ideally become less "local"?

Fundamental misunderstanding there. CAP168 doesn't prevent airports from doing commercial deals and doesn't discuss commercial charges, as a few seconds' reflection about the real world would tell you. The "equal terms and conditions" in CAP168 section 3.1 refers to operational terms for a Public Use airfield, i.e. if you are open, you are open for all users - you can't pick and choose who can operate. Nothing to do with airport charges, marketing support, rebates, etc.

Operating losses 1989 - 2.1 million
Operating losses 1990 - 2 million

Not sure who dreamt up 5 million profit

Skipness. C'mon! Based at GLA and opposed to "open skies"? But you have to admit that it did have a detrimental effect on Piks pax and staff albeit until the rf resurgence. What I find puzzling are the posts advocating some form of traffic sharing, the split was always regarded as mutually beneficial. Cyrano. Oops a little knowledge and all that, apologies. Just that CAA are usually so pedantic I'd have expected an"operational" in 3.1. Besides my confusion was highlighted by prestwicks charges being detailed in "terms and conditions". CC. Something Baron Younger of Prestwick (as he'd.become) mentioned after a meeting with the then PIK management. How do you guys access BAA internal accounts? You don't happen to know piks 87/8 and 88/9 published results? Ah PIK, the stench from the ex Biafra DC6 (4?) abandoned adjacent to SALs engine test bed.

I was in the pro-Prestwick camp, and after open skies, a lot of the staff were let go, particularly when ACAP / PIK took over. Those who stayed were working for a whole lot less than BAA pay rates. But that's a classic local versus national debate. Protecting George Younger's constituency interests was against the wider interest of encouraging access and inward investment to Scotland. Since the removal of that traffic distribution rules and the shredding of the lowlands airports policy, inward tourism has had a choice of three main airports in a market that ideally might only have *one*. For a time I thought a growing Ryanair city route networl complimented by sun routes from Air Europa, Futura, Iberworld and co under-pinned by cargo would be a sustainable base. It appears however, that sadly it was a bubble.

However having said that, if any airport ought to be able to survive on everything but commercial passengers, it's Prestwick. However the current management team appear to be hopeless at er....managing.

JP Morgan? Uh oh, I guess they have been invited in to asset strip the place. Housing on the smaller runway before the end of the year.....

Infratil tried to 'develop' the secondary runway but their 'development' plans were soundly rejected by the local Council. Let's see what the JP Morgan guy comes up with in his report which I gather is due out in May.

Let me save them the time& money ( JP Morgan )
 

Interim report in May

We have identified a number of opportunities and are developing them with stake holders and present our full recommendations at the end of September

Or kick in to long grass until after certain Scottish referendum

Fast forward to end of September

No viable future without continued subsidies, recommend housing and IT park development

SNP AKA Scottish numpty party

The consultant supposedly has a very strict 3 month contract and is to sift through the legions of business proposals that have been arriving since the government took over.

Meanwhile the team who ran the airport into the ground continue to make merry on the taxpayers largesse. It really is a funny old world, if I had been responsible for losing nearly £10,000,000 of my companies money I don't think I would have a job anymore.

I agree to an extent Facelookbovvered, even when you consider that the SNP have lost over £6million GBP since taking over the running of EGPK, there is no way Alex Salmond and his party will close the airport before his referendum. His campaign is losing support faster than EGPK is losing money. By closing the airport he would effectively be committing political suicide. Wither you believe it to be the right thing to do or not, he simply will not do it. Here we have a fine example of politicians playing politics.

FP - where on earth did you get the £6m loss from and the assumption that the YES campaign are losing support?

The £6m figure may come from a mis-interpretation of the figures in this

Thanks Tartan201 - some actual facts for a change. Hopefully monies invested for a return and (as yet!) not exactly 'lost'

....and that is where the government has made a fundamental mistake.

Agree with your sentiments GCE. It does take time though to sift through management teams of failing companies because usually contained within them there are people who have not been allowed to thrive because of the 'culture' and ineffective leadership. I have first hand experience of this type of 're-organisation' and to simply replace an old management team with a new one doesn't always work especially when there are existing employment contracts in place. I would hope that there is a process in place whereby a new management team will be created keeping the good guys and getting rid of the ineffective people. One thing is certain new blood with new ideas and energy is essential. Unfortunately this will take time but hopefully time well spent.

Hopefully somebody can tell the difference - usually its the other way round...

SWBKCB - Had to laugh but your point is often very true. For PIK's sake let's hope not.

This site is becoming laughable , So many so called rumours , so many so called reliable sources. Its all B S . I just hope all these people come back on here and apologise when they're reliable sources are WRONG. Really looking forward to it ,.

Got anything positive to contribute windsock?

Wind Sock, instead of claiming everyone else’s input is “BS” and that various “reliable sources” are actually wrong, why don’t you enlighten us with the facts?