Praise for Kate Forbes was among several notable things as another major success for Prestwick Airport was announced last Friday, writes Ian McConnell.

And it highlights one challenge facing the SNP.

One of several notable things last Friday as another major success for Prestwick Airport was unveiled was the singling out of Kate Forbes.

This singling out related to praise for Scotland’s Deputy First Minister.

And it came from Ryanair’s chief executive, Eddie Wilson, as the budget airline revealed it was creating hundreds more jobs at Prestwick Airport, which was rescued by the Scottish Government in a £1 acquisition from previous owner Infratil of New Zealand in 2013.

Mr Wilson declared last Friday: “We thank DFM Forbes and the Scottish Government, the UK Government, South Ayrshire Council, Scottish Enterprise, and Prestwick Airport for their support and partnership on this expansion.

“Their focused approach in backing this project has been crucial in enabling us to grow Prestwick into a major heavy maintenance and training hub that will deliver skilled careers and economic benefits for many years to come.”

The specific mention of Ms Forbes grabbed the attention, particularly given that she and First Minister John Swinney were along at the airport as the latest major boost for it was announced.

That said, Ms Forbes is Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic and, in this post, has been very close to the situation at Prestwick Airport.

She has been quick to highlight the great advantages of the airport and its potential. And she has hammered home the importance of the employment in and around it to the local economy.

When I asked Ms Forbes last June for her views on Prestwick Airport’s recent business wins at that stage, in particular the start of cargo flights from and to China operated by Air China Cargo and China Southern Air Logistics, she replied: “We know that Prestwick is an attractive proposition because there are opportunities for growth and expansion, and you see from Prestwick’s annual accounts the fact that they are trading well and that they are developing new business opportunities.”

And she hinted then that there was a lot more to come.

Ms Forbes told me then: “You cited some there, but there are also other developments in train right now which I end up being sighted on but it's all part of the Prestwick aerospace cluster, which has seen rapid growth and [is] supported by Ryanair’s training facility there. I think that the opportunities for the Prestwick area are quite remarkable because of the work that Prestwick is doing in building new alliances and new strategic relationships.”

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And she declared: “We have set out very clear lines that we want Prestwick to continue to operate as an airport.”

It is worth observing that Ms Forbes has attracted praise from many senior business leaders, including some who would certainly not be SNP voters, because of her grasp of the big economic and business issues and a willingness to listen, something for which Mr Swinney has also been complimented.

So it is no surprise at all to find out, as emphasised by Mr Wilson, that Ms Forbes played an important part in landing the Ryanair jobs for Prestwick. The reference to a “focused approach” is also very much what you would expect.

There was, not surprisingly, also public funding to back the latest job creation by Ryanair, which certainly looks like money well spent.

Economic development agency Scottish Enterprise has approved an £11.6 million funding package for the expansion by Ryanair and will deliver a further £1.52m for "corresponding infrastructure improvements" in collaboration with the Scottish Government.

Also notable of course last Friday was the scale of the expansion at Prestwick Airport announced by Ryanair.

The budget airline is creating 450 engineering and mechanic jobs at its maintenance site at Prestwick Airport in a £40m expansion.

The jobs being created by Ryanair at the airport include 60 apprenticeships.

Ryanair's expansion of its maintenance site will involve construction of a new 11,938 square-metre, four-bay heavy maintenance hangar and additional component workshops at the airport, which is known officially as Glasgow Prestwick.

The budget airline noted the investment will expand its existing Prestwick operation from six to 10 bays.

It declared this would make the facility its largest heavy maintenance hangar, “further strengthening Prestwick’s position as a key aircraft maintenance and training hub within Ryanair’s network”.

Ryanair observed this latest project builds on its recent £5m investment in its Prestwick training academy, opened in October 2024, which it said is delivering 500 jobs and “industry-leading training for engineers, mechanics and support staff” to service its fleet as it "grows to 800 aircraft and 300 million passengers by 2034".

This expansion is great news for Prestwick Airport and the aerospace cluster in and around it.

And Ryanair’s news followed a boost for the airport revealed at the start of last week, when it was announced that Air China Cargo had increased its cargo service between Prestwick and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in China to a daily service from four times per week.

Air China Cargo began the Chengdu flights in November last year.

Prestwick Airport has enjoyed a major lift in the last year or so from its success in attracting e-commerce flights from China.

And it has been swift to seize upon the opportunity for Scottish exports, notably seafood and Scotch whisky, to be carried on the return flights.

Last week, Prestwick Airport’s management team highlighted the importance of the Air China Cargo service to Chengdu becoming daily to this drive to attract Scottish exporters to use Prestwick as a hub for overseas sales to China.

Returning to Mr Wilson highlighting the part played by Ms Forbes in enabling Ryanair’s latest major investment at Prestwick Airport, you would imagine that Mr Swinney would have been pleased to hear the contribution of the politician he chose as Deputy First Minister acknowledged.

And the acclaim is surely a feather in the cap for the Scottish Government, coming as it does from the chief executive of a very large airline and one that is not necessarily known for bandying compliments around for the sake of it.

However, Mr Wilson’s praise for Ms Forbes also underlines the challenge that Mr Swinney and the SNP will face in filling her shoes when she steps down at the Scottish Parliament election in May.

© Herald Scotland