It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Prestwick Airport's success, writes Business Editor Ian McConnell.

Passing Prestwick Airport a little more than a week ago, I found myself reflecting briefly on the success achieved there in recent months.

It would be difficult to overstate how much of a positive it is that this key strategic asset is doing so well.

The airport now employs more than 500 people, with its workforce having increased very significantly since last year.

And Prestwick Airport also helps support thousands of jobs in the aerospace cluster in and around it.

The mix of operations at the airport itself is now quite different from that in the past.

For a long time in the last century, Prestwick was the only airport in Scotland to handle transatlantic flights and its viewing gallery was a major draw.

In the first decade of the new millennium, there were flights from Prestwick to many overseas destinations in Europe, on scheduled and charter services, as well as regular flights to London. Annual passenger numbers in each year between 2004 and 2008 were significantly in excess of two million.

Civil Aviation........

© Herald Scotland