There has been much tiresome moaning over the Scottish Government's rescue of Prestwick Airport, writes Business Editor Ian McConnell.

While this carping has diminished in volume, some now appear irritated by the airport's success, so it was interesting this week to hear the views of one of Scotland's best-known business figures on the Scottish Government's ownership of this asset.

Having written extensively on Prestwick Airport over years and decades, through ups and downs, it has been fantastic to see this great asset back on an upward trajectory in recent times.

The tiresome moaning over the Scottish Government’s 2013 rescue of Prestwick Airport through a £1 purchase from Infratil of New Zealand - and the advancing of tens of millions of pounds of loans in the drive for future prosperity - has certainly diminished in volume as fortunes have improved.

In December, the airport reported its sixth consecutive annual profit. Its operating profit in the year to March 31, 2025, was £3.5 million, up by around £300,000 on the prior 12 months.

And Prestwick Airport had a highly positive update at that stage on the current financial year to March 2026.

Chief executive Ian Forgie said in December: “For the current financial year, the business has exceeded last year’s performance, already achieving its annual operating target in the first six months to September 2025, and is continuing to build on its success this year.”

Perhaps not surprisingly given we live in demoralisingly polarised times politically, all the great news about Prestwick Airport still appears to irritate some. Personal political ideology, often seemingly including an intense dislike of the SNP Government, seems generally to be at the root of this continued carping.

This camp is hopefully diminishing in number as some realise they are on to plums with attempts to criticise what is clearly a success story and instead direct their ideological ire elsewhere.

The fact of the matter is that the airport is thriving.

And it is difficult to see how anyone could, with a straight face, claim that it........

© Herald Scotland