Scottish Elises

New Zealand Group that owns Prestwick was unable to find a buyer so the SNP have stepped in and plan to purchase it to save 1300 jobs. Only customer of the airport is Ryan Air. Ok I am on the east coast , have travelled from Prestwick maybe twice .... horrible trip to get there. Cant see the sense in saving an Airport with no competition and little in the way of customers. Anyone on the West coast of a different opinion ?

It's ace it's 10 mins from my house and has a rail link. I would rather fly from Prestwick than Glasgow. However I feel anyone north of Kilmarnock may feel the opposite.

Then again I don't undertand airports. They were speaking about adding more capacity at Heathrow. because it suits the south east and some people won't go anywhere else.

BiggestNizzy wrote: I would rather fly from Prestwick than Glasgow.

Because its easy to get to ? Are prices the same as Glasgow or not an issue for the most part ? can you get to where you want to go most of the time ?

I flying to France on Monday using easyjet from GLA. I looked into Prestwick and it was MUCH cheaper but the flight times were nuts and the transport links don't help. I live in the centre of Glasgow so it shouldn't be that hard for me to use Prestick but it is generally a pain in the arse....ie the last train leaves 30 mins before the Ryanair flight lands. As such i'm paying a significant amount more to fly from Glasgow.

Doesn't it do well as a cargo airport ?

There's a reason they couldnt find a buyer - an Airport with only one customer (and a bugger of a customer at that - Ryanair) with only 27 routes is stuffed.

The only way to make the airport commercially viable is to get the number of operators back up rapidly.

Realistically though, given the population, I doubt theres much sense operationally for having another option rather than Glasgow ??

I could be wrong on this, but i heard most airports are actually only commercially viable by the extra revenue streams that they have open to them, i.e. shopping, food etc. Certainly a rumour i heard in the industry but unsubstantiated. If true though the tax payer will end up footing the bill from Prestwick till they close it.

The main customer at Prestwick isn't passengers but freight. Military re-fueling makes a massive use of the facilities and now Machrahanish (sp?) is not fully operational, it's the only choice this side of America for really big & military traffic.

On a course, more later.

Passenger numers have dropped for 2.4 million to 1.1 million in the last 5 years.
We have used Prestwick once and despite it being closer to our house than Glasgow it's a pain in the ar$e to use because theres no decent infrastructure or transport links.
I believe its also the British airport of choice to direct terrorist inflicted flights as it has large enough runways and is fairly remote if it does get blown to buggery

woody wrote: it's the only choice this side of America for really big & military traffic. On a course, more later.

Thats interesting , would like to know more when you have 5.

Andy G wrote:There's a reason they couldnt find a buyer - an Airport with only one customer (and a bugger of a customer at that - Ryanair) with only 27 routes is stuffed.

The only way to make the airport commercially viable is to get the number of operators back up rapidly.

Realistically though, given the population, I doubt theres much sense operationally for having another option rather than Glasgow ??

I could be wrong on this, but i heard most airports are actually only commercially viable by the extra revenue streams that they have open to them, i.e. shopping, food etc. Certainly a rumour i heard in the industry but unsubstantiated. If true though the tax payer will end up footing the bill from Prestwick till they close it.

Get your wallet out sir... IDEAL for ragging supercars up and down lol..........

I have used it once or twice for Bryanair Flights to Majorca but coming from the East it's a bit of a pain to get to. The airport facility wise was/is 3rd world compared to say Edinburgh and the flights left at about 7am. Freight is it's mainstay other than Ryanair so not sure how this will pan out in the months/years ahead.

As someone who lives in Glasgow, I never use Prestwick, as Glasgow airport is just too convenient. In the past, I have been faced with the decision of using Edinburgh Airport, or Prestwick, and opted for Edinburgh each time (although I'm not a big fan of Edinburgh Airport Either)... guess we are spoiled with Glasgow.

As a family we used to use Prestwick almost weekly as they had a service to Bournemouth. The train service seems to work OK and the prices were good. But the Bournemouth route was cut and we switched to Edinburgh - wish we'd done that years ago as it's a much better service and more convenient, even at a higher cost. The 3rd world comment is a valid one!

I’m not keen in tax payers’ money being used to subsidise what is clearly a failing commercial operation.

woody wrote:The main customer at Prestwick isn't passengers but freight. Military re-fueling makes a massive use of the facilities and now Machrahanish (sp?) is not fully operational, it's the only choice this side of America for really big & military traffic.

On a course, more later.

And the space shuttle isn't flying anymore either so there's that need gone.. Prestwicks draw was always it long, military grade runway was it not, so it could handle the largest planes?

A couple of years ago or so my old company flew a couple of offshore cranes to the middle-Earth using an Antinov from Prestwick. It should be kept open just for reasonably interesting stuff like that..

I don't know why people are saying the train service from glasgow isn't good.
I've flown from Prestwick tonnes of times and have got the train from Glasgow.
Its been free as well because I've shown them my boarding card.

Prestwick has worked out much cheaper for us in the past but there aren't many flights going out there now.

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GBOBM wrote:I don't know why people are saying the train service from glasgow isn't good.

I see what youre saying but you need to be in, or get to, Glasgow to use the rail link, as Prestwick doesnt warrant any direct link from most smaller places.