Loss-making airport says land for free
Taxpayer-owned Prestwick Airport is facing criticism for giving away landing slots for free.
The Sunday Post has seen emails showing the loss-making Ayrshire facility touting for business by offering to wave all landing and navigation fees for a commercial customer.
Transport Scotland, which owns the airport, says the move is fairly common practice in the industry.
But an Edinburgh Airport spokesman criticised the tactic, saying: “We’ve continually voiced our concerns from the outset over the Scottish Government’s business case for Prestwick Airport.”
And MSP Jackie Baillie also warned: “There are clear anticompetitive and market distortion concerns if this sort of behaviour is going on.”
An email seen by The Sunday Post, and passed to the Scottish Government, shows a Prestwick official offering a potential commercial customer free landing fees, free navigation fees and free parking at the Ayrshire airport.
Last year Prestwick posted a pre-tax loss of £8.6 million in the year to March – down from £9.2m the previous year and bosses at the time insisted the airport is making progress.
Prestwick’s only scheduled airline operator, Ryanair, is this week expected to confirm an extension to its stay at the airport.
Some £46.5m of public cash is currently tied up in the airport.