How Glasgow Prestwick Airport has become one of the UK’s most important logistics hubs
Glasgow Prestwick Airport (Prestwick) is an international airport located about 30 miles southwest of Glasgow, Scotland. Business Development Director, Nico Le Roux, highlights the airport’s rich heritage: “It has a long history, particularly in transatlantic aviation, military operations, and as a hub for budget airlines. It was founded in 1934 by Scottish aviator David McIntyre and expanded during World War II as a major training base for the RAF. From 1945 to 1990, Glasgow Prestwick Airport was Scotland’s only transatlantic gateway. In the late 1990s, Ryanair established a major base, making Prestwick a hub for low-cost travel. In 2013, the Scottish Government purchased the airport to prevent closure.
“Prestwick’s cargo history began with mail during the war, and scheduled airlines soon followed. Cargo volumes increased during the initial electronics boom that
started in the late 1960s. The following decade saw oil and gas cargo pass through Prestwick on regular flights. The 1980s experienced another electronics boom. The airport was privatized in 1992, and the widebody freighters that still visit today, Cargolux and Air France, began operating into Prestwick. In 1999, a new cargo terminal was built to accommodate the increased scheduled flights. Today, the airport is the busiest freighter cargo hub in Scotland and is an important UK port of entry and exit for cargo. It is also a busy fuel stop and is home to the UK’s busiest Search and Rescue base. Ryanair continues to operate routes to holiday destinations in Italy, Spain, and Portugal and runs its largest heavy maintenance base from Prestwick Airport.”
Nico then shares a detailed account of the services provided: “Glasgow Prestwick Airport is an established cargo hub. Two of the world’s largest freighter operators, Cargolux and Air France, operate scheduled services. The in-house cargo team provides a fast and efficient service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team can turn around a full freight onload or offload within 90 minutes of landing. The airport is congestion-free and not subject to any curfews. It also has one of the UK’s longest runways, capable of handling A380s and Antonov 124s. We provide a full suite of ground servicing equipment and recently invested £2.3 million in new extra-wide high-loaders, push-back tug dollies, and buggies. Several large self-maneuvering parking areas are available for large aircraft.
“Prestwick is one of only three UK airports with a Border Inspection Post (BIP). Our handling team is dedicated to animal welfare, and our stables have been recently upgraded. We also have cold store facilities with a temperature range of -35 to +25 degrees, so we can handle perishables as well as pharmaceuticals.
“The Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) at Prestwick is also the busiest in Scotland, delivering world-class aviation services. Operating as the sole in-house FBO and aircraft handling agent, Prestwick Aviation Service provides a true one-stop shop experience for all our customers. All services, including ground handling, fueling, cargo, and ground transport can be arranged through a single point of contact, providing complete flexibility.
“Open 24 hours a day, services include military, tech stops, ferry flights, executive, general aviation, and fueling. In July, our FBO supported 138 private flights in conjunction with the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Course. Aircraft ranged from four-seat helicopters to large executive jets such as the Bombardier Global 7500.
“Given Glasgow Prestwick’s location on the Great-Circle Route, we offer a perfect solution for transatlantic fuel stops, specializing in quick turns for aircraft of all sizes. We provide JET A-1 and AVGAS 100LL around the clock and can supply fuel through most major suppliers.”
In-house model
Nico explains what sets the airport apart from other transport and logistics hubs: “What differentiates us from most other airports is that all our services are delivered by a fully in-house team, from ground handling, including dispatch, to cargo handling and security; a single point of contact simplifies the process. We are able to offer flexibility and ease of operation. We have no night curfews or slot restrictions, and our in-house model allow us to react to short notice handling requests.
Growth opportunities
“We have bonded warehouse facilities just 150 feet from our aircraft stands,” he continues, “meaning imports can be cleared by customs quickly. At many other airports, imports are transported to off-site bonded warehouses, adding to processing time. Our team is highly experienced, including the handling of heavy, outsized freight. Earlier this month, we offloaded a 67-foot-long piece of freight for the oil and gas sector, weighing 24 tons. It required three main deck loaders and two cranes for safe offloading. The operation was completed in 30 minutes.”
The airport’s efficient approach continues to attract significant interest as Nico explains: “Over the past year, we have collaborated closely with the top four Chinese e-commerce platforms: Temu, Shein, TikTok, and Alibaba to introduce our innovative e-commerce solution. Representatives from all four companies have visited the airport to gain a deeper understanding of our facility and our market-leading approach. They are confident that our solution will be significantly faster than others, as we have streamlined the process by eliminating two key steps. So far, we have handled shipments from Temu and TikTok, and we anticipate substantial traffic from all participating shippers.
“We have also been actively working to boost exports of Scottish products through the airport, recognizing the importance of utilizing available cargo capacity on return flights to the Far East. To capitalize on this opportunity, we are engaging with salmon producers and seafood trade bodies to attract a share of this market, the UK’s largest food export.
Looking ahead, Nico concludes by outlining the airport’s plans for the year ahead: “We remain committed to expanding e-commerce traffic through the airport. To drive growth, we have a dedicated full-time representative based in China, Colin Dai, focused on developing this business. In parallel, we are pursuing new general cargo opportunities, which are beginning to gain momentum. We anticipate that 2025 will be a milestone year with the continued growth of our air cargo operations.