It has been heartening recently to hear the confidence of senior figures at two of Scotland’s airports, which have had contrasting experiences since the global financial crisis more than a decade-and-a-half ago now.

Last Monday, it was most encouraging on a visit to Prestwick Airport to learn about major ambitions for expansion of its cargo operations.

Prestwick Airport has been owned by the Scottish Government since it was rescued in 2013.

Last November, it filed accounts revealing a £3.2 million operating profit for the year to March 31, 2024. This was its fifth consecutive annual profit.

Prestwick Airport made an operating profit of £2.1m in the 12 months to March 31, 2023, up from £1.9m in the previous financial year.

This improving financial performance is a great relief, given the airport currently employs 354 people with plans to increase the workforce to around 400 on the back of the cargo expansion. And Prestwick Airport calculates that it supports more than 4,000 jobs indirectly in the aerospace cluster around it.

It would be most foolish to underestimate the importance of Prestwick Airport to Ayrshire and the broader Scottish economy.

That said, there have been lamentably many voices ideologically entrenched by opposition to ownership of Prestwick Airport by the Scottish Government who seemingly choose to downplay the value of this key strategic asset.

Nico Le Roux, who heads Prestwick Airport’s cargo operations, highlighted the scale of expectation for revenue growth from this division on the back........

© Herald Scotland