Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Glasgow Prestwick Airport | |||||||||||||||
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AMSL 66 ft / 20 m | | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 55°30′34″N 004°35′40″W / 55.50944°N 4.59444°W | ||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||
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Sources: UK |
Glasgow Prestwick Airport (IATA: PIK, ICAO: EGPK), commonly referred to as Prestwick Airport, is an international airport serving the west of Scotland, situated one nautical mile (two kilometres) northeast of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire and 32 miles (51 kilometres) southwest of Glasgow.[1] It is the less busy of the two airports serving the western part of Scotland's Central Belt, after Glasgow Airport in Renfrewshire, within the Greater Glasgow conurbation. The airport serves the urban cluster surrounding Ayr, including: Kilmarnock, Irvine, Ardrossan, Troon, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Kilwinning, and Prestwick itself.
Glasgow Prestwick is Scotland's fifth-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic, although it is the largest in terms of land area. Passenger traffic peaked at 2.4 million in 2007 following a decade of rapid growth, driven in part by the boom in low-cost carriers, particularly Ryanair, which uses the airport as an operating base. In recent years, passenger traffic has declined; around 670,000 passengers passed through the airport in 2016.[2]
There has been much public debate and speculation over the association of the airport with Glasgow due to the fact Prestwick and Glasgow are considerably far apart. Calls have been made for the airport to be renamed Robert Burns International Airport, however, this was ruled out by the Scottish Government in 2014.[3][4]
Prestwick has also had a long historical connection with
History
Origins and passenger facilities
Passenger facilities were added in 1938. These were used until further investment made Prestwick compatible with jet transportation. The October 1946 USAAF diagram shows a 6,600-foot (2,000-metre) runway 14/32, with a 4,500 ft (1,400 m) runway 8/26 crossing just west of its midpoint. In 1958, runway 13/31 was 7,000 ft (2,100 m) long; in May 1960, the runway's extension to 9,800 ft (3,000 m) opened.[8]
A parallel taxiway, link road and an all-new terminal building were opened by the Queen Mother in 1964. The extension of runway 13/31 caused considerable disruption to road users, for the main road from Monkton into Prestwick now crossed the tarmac of the runway. This was controlled by a "level crossing" system until a new perimeter road was completed.[9]
Commercial use
Until 1990, the British government required all transatlantic flights to and from Scotland to use Prestwick.[10]
In 1945, American Overseas Airlines began regular transatlantic commercial flights began between Prestwick and New York.[11] AOA was later acquired by Pan Am, which used Prestwick as a stop between Europe and North America into the 1970s.[12] BOAC also used Prestwick as a stop between London and New York in the late 1940s and 1950s.[13]
In the 1980s, Prestwick continued to see scheduled transatlantic flights by Air Canada and Northwest Airlines.[14] These carriers both moved their operations to Glasgow Airport after government restrictions were lifted in 1990.[10]
Military use
In the
Until February 2016, part of the Prestwick site was occupied by the Royal Navy
There was controversy over the airport's use in the CIA's
Elvis Presley stopover
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is the only place in the United Kingdom where Elvis Presley (who had distant Scottish ancestry) was known to have set foot, when the United States Air Force transport plane carrying him home to the United States stopped to refuel in 1960, en route from West Germany.[19][20]
However, on 21 April 2008, during a BBC Radio 2 interview with Ken Bruce, theatre impresario and chairman of Everton FC, Bill Kenwright, said that Elvis actually spent a day in the UK being shown around London by Tommy Steele in 1958.[21]
1990s
1992 marked the beginning of a renaissance for the struggling airport when purchased by "Canadian entrepreneur"[22] Matthew Hudson in a "dramatic rescue".[23] Hudson initiated the construction of the airport's railway station on the existing Ayrshire Coast Line (Glasgow–Ayr), which runs past the airfield, making it the first Scottish airport with its own railway station.[24] In her book about Prestwick Airport, South Ayrshire councillor Ann Galbraith writes about this tough time in the airport's history, saying that "if it hadn't been for Matthew Hudson the airport wouldn't be here today".[23]
In 1994, Irish budget airline
2000s
In 2001, the airport was purchased by
Despite objections that it promoted the wrong image of Scotland to foreign visitors and embarrassed local travellers, the airport management insisted the logo was "fun and visually stimulating". However, it was removed a matter of weeks after installation, after the South Ayrshire Licensing Board said the logo trivialised excessive drinking.[27] The "pure dead brilliant" branding was removed from the main terminal building in January 2014.[28]
Since 2007, the airport has occasionally been used by the BBC TV programme Top Gear as the location for various stunts and experiments. The best-known stunt was a scene similar to one featured in the film Casino Royale and featured both a Ford Mondeo and a Citroën 2CV parked behind the engines of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400, in an experiment to investigate whether the thrust from the aircraft's four jet engines really could lift a car off the ground.[29]
The car park and
2010s
In 2010,
On 8 March 2012, the airport owner Infratil announced that it planned to sell the airfield. The airport remained unsold until October 2013 when the
On 1 April 2014, the public petition committee at
In November 2014
As part of the privatisation of the UK's search and rescue service, Bristow Helicopters based two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters in a new hangar at HMS Gannet. The handover took place in January 2016. In March 2016, the airport revealed new branding and a new look to the inside and outside of the airport building.[39][40]
In 2015, Glasgow Prestwick Airport was shortlisted as a potential UK Spaceport,[41] as part of the British commercial spaceport competition.
In June 2019, the Scottish government announced that it was putting the airport up for sale. Bidders would be expected to commit to maintaining and developing aviation operations and employment.[42]
2020s
In February 2021, the Scottish government announced that a preferred bidder had been selected to buy the airport. The unnamed bidder was believed to be a European transport infrastructure investor.[43]
However, the Scottish government announced in December 2021 that the bid had been rejected, and that the sale would not proceed. The airport would consequently remain in public ownership, but the government stated it was committed to "returning it to the private sector at the appropriate time and opportunity."[44] As of January 2023[update], no private investor has been found yet but there was ongoing debate if the airport is financially viable or will require further loans from the government.[45]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
The following airlines operate regular scheduled passenger and cargo services to and from Glasgow–Prestwick:[46]
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Ryanair[47] | Alicante, Faro, Lanzarote, Málaga, Tenerife–South Seasonal: Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa |
Cargo
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air France Cargo[48] | Chicago–O'Hare, Paris–Charles de Gaulle |
Cargolux[49] | Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Seattle/Tacoma |
Statistics
Passengers
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Number of Passengers[note 1] | Number of Movements[note 2] | Freight (tonnes) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | 567,000 | 63,166 | 33,874 | |
1998 | 558,000 | 54,166 | 39,600 | |
1999 | 702,000 | 54,093 | 40,845 | |
2000 | 905,000 | 44,940 | 41,450 | |
2001 | 1,232,000 | 48,144 | 43,104 | |
2002 | 1,486,000 | 43,190 | 39,500 | |
2003 | 1,854,000 | 57,099 | 39,975 | |
2004 | 2,159,000 | 55,998 | 34,102 | |
2005 | 2,405,000 | 54,996 | 29,199 | |
2006 | 2,395,000 | 48,189 | 28,537 | |
2007 | 2,421,000 | 47,910 | 31,517 | |
2008 | 2,415,755 | 42,708 | 22,966 | |
2009 | 1,817,727 | 34,230 | 13,385 | |
2010 | 1,662,744 | 33,087 | 12,163 | |
2011 | 1,297,119 | 28,131 | 11,846 | |
2012 | 1,067,933 | 25,670 | 10,314 | |
2013 | 1,145,836 | 24,305 | 9,526 | |
2014 | 913,685 | 25,643 | 12,540 | |
2015 | 610,837 | 22,765 | 11,242 | |
2016 | 673,232 | 25,714 | 10,822 | |
2017 | 696,309 | 24,897 | 11,393 | |
2018 | 681,718 | 24,904 | 13,033 | |
2019 | 640,455 | 24,463 | 13,054 | |
2020 | 90,790 | 14,085 | 12,049 | |
2021 | 78,069 | 17,126 | 14,000 | |
2022 | 445,211 | 24,000 | 19,000 | |
Source: United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority[2] |
Routes
Rank | Airport | Total passengers |
Change 2021 / 22 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tenerife–South |
86,547 | 335.6% |
2 | Alicante |
81,298 | 282.8% |
3 | Málaga | 62,079 | 461.4% |
4 | Palma de Mallorca | 57,779 | 1,073.9% |
5 | Faro | 51,611 | 620.8% |
6 | Barcelona |
29,762 | 1,699.4% |
7 | Lanzarote | 28,536 | 1,146.7% |
8 | Gran Canaria | 23,341 | New Route |
9 | Murcia Intl | 20,111 | 172.2% |
Railway station
Prior to the opening of
Ayr Airshow
Prestwick Airport used to host a bi-annual
The revived
It has been announced that the airshow will return for 2023 being rebranded as
Incidents and accidents
- On 28 August 1944, a United States Army Air Forces Douglas C54A Skymaster flying from Boston via Keflavik crashed into houses on the south side of the airport while attempting to land, all 20 crew and passengers as well as five people on the ground were killed.[57]
- On 20 October 1948, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation of KLM crashed on approach to Prestwick; all 40 aboard perished.[58]
- Early on 25 December 1954, at 03:30, the 1954 Prestwick air disaster involved a British Overseas Airways Corporation Boeing 377 Stratocruiser which crashed on landing at Prestwick, killing 28 of the 36 passengers and crew on board. The aircraft had been en route from London to New York City, when, on approach to Prestwick, it entered a steep descent before levelling out too late and too severely, hitting the ground short of the runway. The crash has been attributed to a number of factors, including: pilot fatigue (the Captain was well over his duty limit due to the aircraft being delayed); the landing lights at Prestwick being out of action due to repair; and the First Officer either not hearing a command from the Captain for landing lights (which might have helped judge the low cloud base) or mistakenly hitting the flaps, causing the aircraft to stall.
- On 17 March 1977, a British Airtours Boeing 707 crashed during a pilot training flight and caught fire. All four crew on board survived.[59]
- On 6 October 1992, a BAe Jetstream 31 operated by British Aerospace on a training flight to East Midlands Airport crashed shortly after takeoff at Prestwick after simulating an engine failure. Both occupants were killed.[60]
- On 15 June 2013, an
- On 5 September 2015, during the Scottish International Airshow, flare. There were no injuries and the aircraft and crew made a safe return journey to their home base with the gear extended.[62]
- On 23 April 2024 a Piper PA-28-181 with two occupants crashed near the airport[63]
See also
- Orangefield House, South Ayrshire – the former control tower
- Fail Monastery – remains of used as foundations for the airport
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Prestwick - EGPK". National Air Traffic Services Aeronautical Information Service. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "Aircraft and passenger traffic data from UK airports". UK Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Call for new owner of Prestwick Airport to rename it Robert Burns". 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Prestwick Airport will not be renamed Robert Burns Airport, the Deputy First Minister has confirmed". 18 June 2014.
- ^ Cameron, Greg. "Military fuel supply helps Prestwick airport make profit". The Times. News International. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ "Prestwick Centre" (PDF). NATS. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b "NATS". Prestwick Aerospace. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- The Glasgow Herald. 24 March 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 14 November 2017 – via Google News.
- ISBN 978-0-75243-484-1.
- ^ a b "Days of Northwest flying from Prestwick were ended by restriction being overturned". The Herald. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "New York to Prestwick. Start of Regular Commercial Flights". The Glasgow Herald. 22 October 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 15 November 2017 – via Google News.
- ^ "PA042973p10". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Airline Timetable Images - List of Complete Timetables". www.timetableimages.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "PIK83intro". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Robert Pollock Gillespie". School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ "Helicopter rescue unit has busiest year on record". STV News. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ Lavery, Charles (2 July 2012). "Exclusive: CIA torture plane lands at Prestwick Airport". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (7 February 2018). "Scottish government criticised over US military use of airport". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Elvis anniversary: Blue suede shoes and bobby socks". BBC News. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- ^ Lawrence, Edwin (19 February 2010). "Were you there when Elvis landed in Prestwick?". Maybole.org. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
- ^ "Elvis's secret UK visit revealed". BBC News. 22 April 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- ^ "Bus and Train Firm Takes to the Air". The Independent. London. 2 May 1998. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Prestwick Airport Book Set For Take Off". Ayrshire Post. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ "Train Travel 'first' Claim by Prestwick". The Glasgow Herald. 9 April 1993. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ McConnell, Ian (24 February 1999). "Hudson Takes to the Wing". The Glasgow Herald. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
- ^ "Infratil Acquires Majority Shareholding in Glasgow Prestwick International Airport". Infratil.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ Mcleod, Keith (4 March 2006). "You're Barred". Daily Record. Scotland. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012.
- ^ Wilson, Stuart (17 January 2014). "Prestwick Airport ditches 'Pure Dead Brilliant' slogan". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ Top Gear (30 April 2010). Car vs Boeing 747 Engine. YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ^ "Glasgow Prestwick Airport Draft Master Plan" (PDF). Glasgow Prestwick Airport. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2015.
- ^ "Prestwick Centre" (PDF). NATS. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Prestwick Centre" (PDF). NATS. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "Scottish Government to pursue taking over Glasgow Prestwick Airport". Infratil (Press release). 9 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Prestwick Airport to be nationalised in bid to safeguard jobs". The Herald. Glasgow. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ "Prestwick Airport sold to Scottish government for £1". BBC News. 23 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
- ^ "Plea to rename Prestwick Airport after poet Robert Burns". BBC News. 1 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Ryanair launches new Dublin-Glasgow International route". Ryanair (Press release). 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Donald Trump pledges to make Prestwick Airport 'really successful'". STV. 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Wilson, Stuart (9 March 2016). "New look for Prestwick Airport to be unveiled as Scottish Government agree rebrand". Daily Record. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- ^ "Glasgow Prestwick Airport is getting a new look". Glasgow Prestwick Airport (Press release). Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
- ^ McArdle, Helen (20 May 2016). "UK spaceport competition axed in favour of licensing model". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ "Publicly-owned Prestwick Airport up for sale". BBC News. 13 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- ^ "Preferred bidder chosen for Prestwick Airport". BBC News. 23 February 2021.
- ^ "Scottish ministers 'decide against' Prestwick airport sale". BBC News. 21 December 2021.
- ^ dailybusinessgroup.co.uk - Prestwick Airport ‘has no need for more loans’ 25 January 2023
- ^ "Route Map". Glasgow Prestwick. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "Ryanair route map | Our European destinations". www.ryanair.com.
- ^ afklcargo.com - Network retrieved 6 November 2021
- ^ Cargolux Winter 2022 retrieved 11 October 2022
- ^ "Terminal Passengers 2012 - 2022 (in thousands)" (PDF). CAA.
- ^ "Cheap train connections to and from Glasgow Prestwick Airport". Glasgow Prestwick. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012.
- ^ "Online video detailing access to the rail services from the airport". Scotland on TV. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008.
- ^ "Thousands welcome return of Scottish Airshow to Ayrshire". BBC News. 7 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Scottish Airshow to return in September after 22-year absence". STV News. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Home". Scottish Airshow. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ "International Ayr Show - Festival of Flight 2023 Schedule - Military Airshows in the UK". www.military-airshows.co.uk. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ "Crash of a Douglas C-54A-1-DC Skymaster in Prestwick: 25 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-049-46-25 Constellation PH-TEN Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK)".
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707-436 G-APFK Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (PIK)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- ^ "Crash of a BAe 3101 Jetstream 32 in Prestwick: 2 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ Manning, Sanchez (16 June 2013). "Five seek asylum after threat diverts flight to UK". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ Leone, Dario (16 August 2019). "That time a WWII Spitfire helped a Cold War Era Vulcan with Nose Gear Emergency". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68884436.amp
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Further reading
- Ewart, Jim (1985). Prestwick Airport Golden Jubilee 1935–1985. Paisley: Scottish Airports.
- Berry, Peter (2005). Prestwick Airport and Scottish Aviation. ISBN 978-0-75243-484-1.
External links
Media related to Glasgow Prestwick Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Current weather for EGPK at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for PIK at Aviation Safety Network
- The 1938 Palace of Engineering