Another £6m of taxpayers’cash for Prestwick Airport

LOSS-MAKING Prestwick Airport is set to have its taxpayer bailout topped up by another £6.5 million.

Budget documents show SNP ministers have set aside the cash in loans for the nationalised airport for the year 2018/19.

This will take the amount of public money tied up in the Ayrshire airport to £46.5m – nearly twice as much as originally proposed when Prestwick was bought by the Scottish Government for just £1 in 2013.

Last week Prestwick posted a pre-tax loss of £8.6m in the year to March – down from £9.2m the previous year. Total revenue rose by 18% to £13.6m, according to the accounts.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, said: “It is high time the Scottish Government got to grips with the situation at Prestwick as, year on year, we see more public money being promised to the airport with little prospect of it returning.”

Last month The Sunday Post revealed that Prestwick has slashed the charges for servicing military and private jets to try to attract new business.

Andrew Miller, chairman at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, said the year had seen “progress and visible upturns” across the business.

He added: “Our objective, in line with our strategic plan, is to return the airport to private ownership.

“While we believe this is achievable, there is still a significant amount of work to do before the airport is in a position of profitability.”