Having followed the fortunes of Prestwick Airport closely, it was heartening to hear on Friday night of another very significant win for it.

The possibility of a sale of this key strategic asset by the Scottish Government, which rescued Prestwick Airport in 2013 by buying it for £1 from Infratil of New Zealand, is sharply in focus.

While we wait to see what transpires on this front, with First Minister John Swinney having in late March acknowledged the existence of an “active bid”, the team at Prestwick Airport has been continuing with its drive to win business and push profits higher.

For all the griping from some people about the Scottish Government’s ownership, Prestwick Airport was able to reveal last November that it had made a fifth consecutive annual profit.

Going airside with Prestwick Airport’s head of cargo operations, Nico Le Roux, in February, what was plain was the heavy investment being made to attract new flights.

By that time, Prestwick Airport was already starting to reap the rewards of this investment and planning.

The investment has included equipment to handle the wide-door Airbus A350 cargo aircraft.

Mr Le Roux in February highlighted the airport’s expectations of more than trebling cargo revenues to in excess of £10 million a year. He flagged e-commerce flights as a “game changer”, after winning major business from Hong Kong.

The cargo sector veteran said: “This new business is going to be a game changer for the airport. It will totally transform the airport basically.”

The airport is the subject of an 'active bid' (Image: Colin Mearns)

Cargo revenues at Prestwick Airport totalled £3.228m in the year to........

© Herald Scotland