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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Prestwick Airport flights win and Royal Bank of Scotland journey
Ian Forgie, chief executive of Prestwick Airport, hailed this agreement with China Southern Air Logistics as a 'game changer'. In doing so, he echoed the phrase used by Nico Le Roux, head of cargo operations at Prestwick, about e-commerce flights in February, after the airport won major business from Hong Kong. It has been fascinating to observe, and write about, Prestwick Airport's big push on the cargo side of its business, and its focus on winning e-commerce traffic. Mr Le Roux in February revealed the airport's expectations that cargo revenues would more than treble to in excess of £10 million a year. He was speaking hours before the arrival of the first Hong Kong Air Cargo flight at Prestwick, bringing packages ordered by UK and Irish consumers on the likes of the Temu, SHEIN, and TikTok platforms. Cargo revenues at the airport, which is known officially as Glasgow Prestwick Airport, totalled £3.228 million in the year to March 31, 2024. Mr Le Roux revealed his expectation that cargo revenues would be more than treble that level in the airport's financial year to March 31, 2026, on the back of recent new business wins. The agreement between Prestwick Airport and China Southern Air Logistics has seen the carrier start scheduled cargo flights at four per week between Guangzhou and Prestwick, with plans for this to increase to a daily service. The first of these scheduled flights landed on May 16 at Prestwick Airport, which described the freighter services as 'a new direct export route to China from Scotland for high-value Scottish seafood and whisky'. Prestwick Airport, when it announced the arrival of China Southern Air Logistics on May 16, noted it had invested £2.3 million in equipment in the past 12 months. It also highlighted its continued investment in ground-handling equipment and cool chain supply facilities, as well as the building of its workforce, to maximise its capabilities in handling large freighters. The investment at Prestwick, which has included equipment to handle the wide-door Airbus A350 cargo aircraft, was plain in February when I went airside with Mr Le Roux. My subsequent column in The Herald on May 21 declared: 'It is most encouraging to see all the planning and investment at Prestwick Airport coming together.' It added: 'The airport makes a very important economic contribution to Ayrshire and more broadly to Scotland, one that is too often disregarded by the politically motivated carpers. These detractors also seem to forget that the airport supports an aerospace cluster in and around it which employs about 4,000 people, or maybe they just do not really care about this. 'Prestwick Airport's growing success is all the more reason for the Scottish Government to ensure that any sale is made with the future prosperity of this strategic asset, including on the employment front, in mind.' The column observed there was no reason to believe this would not be the case. When I asked Kate Forbes about the future of Prestwick Airport in April, in the wake of First Minister John Swinney confirming the existence of an 'active bid' in late March, she said: 'We have obviously saved Prestwick Airport more than a decade ago, precisely because of its strategic importance to the Scottish economy. 'If and when Prestwick is sold, it will be for the new owner to develop a business case.' Read more Deputy First Minister Ms Forbes, who highlighted Prestwick Airport's cargo operations, declared: 'We have set out very clear lines that we want Prestwick to continue to operate as an airport.' The institution formerly known as Royal Bank of Scotland (now NatWest Group) has also been in focus in the past month as it has headed towards full private ownership. In a column in The Herald, I reflected on having covered the institution's rollercoaster ride over the past three decades. This article addressed the 'perennial big question' in the mid-1990s, observing: 'Back in the mid-1990s, Royal Bank was progressing solidly but the big question which perennially hung over it, as it did over rival Bank of Scotland, was whether the institution would be swallowed up by one of the big London players.' The column went on to recall the frenetic bid battle to buy big four UK bank NatWest between these two Edinburgh clearing banks, in which Royal Bank of Scotland ultimately prevailed. The column highlighted the 'good times' that followed. It then recalled, in 2007, Royal Bank's hostile bid, in a consortium with Santander and Fortis, for Dutch bank ABN Amro. The column observed: 'By the time the acquisition of ABN Amro was completed by the Royal Bank consortium in October 2007, there had already been signs of what turned out to be the emergence of the global financial crisis that was going to take a lurch for the worse less than a year later with the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008.' In autumn 2008, Royal Bank had to be bailed out by the UK taxpayer, ultimately to the tune of £45.5 billion. The article noted: 'It was not entirely clear at the time but this was to mark the beginning of the end of Royal Bank being an institution based in Scotland.' Mulling the shift of control to London, the column observed: 'Stephen Hester succeeded Mr Goodwin as chief executive of Royal Bank amid the global financial crisis. He appeared acutely aware of Royal Bank's importance to Scotland, visiting The Herald's offices soon after taking up the role. New Zealander Ross McEwan then took up the top job in late 2013. 'There were signs that the nerve centre was gradually moving to London. However, it was only in the immediate wake of Alison Rose's appointment as chief executive in late 2019 that it could be stated definitively that this had happened. The key was that her contract stated she would be based in London. Paul Thwaite, who succeeded Dame Alison in summer 2023 and looks to have done a good job in raising the institution's profits, is also based in London and has made no bones about this.' In February 2020, not long after Dame Alison took the top job, a momentous name change was revealed. It was announced that Royal Bank of Scotland's name would be changed at parent company level to NatWest Group, and this took effect in July that year. The column concluded: 'Dame Alison, who joined NatWest as a graduate trainee, worked for the London bank at the time Royal Bank acquired it in 2000. 'With the confirmation of the move in where the bank was being run from and the name change, it looked as if things had turned very much full circle and, in terms of the London-Edinburgh dynamic, the boot was very much on the other foot.' This article was first published in The Herald's Business HQ Monthly supplement
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Ayrshire town celebrates 15-year link with Italian twin
The Prestwick Town Twinning Association has celebrated the 15th anniversary of their association with Ariccia in Central Italy An Ayrshire town has celebrated a 15-year link with its Italian twin. Prestwick and the Italian town Ariccia signed their twinning agreement in 2010 with Ariccia hosting the latest get together, 15 years on. Ariccia is a town within the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Lazio region of Central Italy. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the towns were unable to celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2020 so they decided to make up for it five years on. A tour of Chigi Palace - the official residence of the Prime Minister of Italy - was followed by a ceremony and concert involving the Dr Gianluca Staccoli, Mayor of the Municipality of Ariccia. The visitors, including eight new members of Prestwick Town Twinning Association, were given a tour of some of the Castelli Romani and treated to an evening reception in il Borgo - a local restaurant outwith the city. Speaking to Ayrshire Live, Rhona Allanach, president of Prestwick Town Twinning Association, said: "In May, a group from Prestwick Town Twinning Association visited Ariccia, in Italy. Over 15 years ago, the council signed an agreement to be twinned with this town which is about a 30 minute drive from Rome. "Having missed the reciprocal 10th, it was decided to commemorate the 15th anniversary. "The hosts did so in style, with a tour of the Chigi Palace followed by a ceremony and concert involving the mayor and musicians, dancers and groups from within the community. "A buffet reception was held in the summer dining room of the palace. The following evening a reception was held in il Borgo - a beautiful restaurant in the countryside outwith the city. "Prestwick members were delighted to return to Italy to renew old relationships and introduce eight new members to the Italian hospitality and way of life. "Visiting places you would never find on your own and sampling the local cuisine and customs of the area, really makes everyone feel part of a family. "The host families do everything to make their guests feel at home. The visit is always memorable, interesting and fun. "At a time when the world is unstable and Europe is more fragmented than ever, the aims and values of town twinning are more important than ever. "Remaining close and developing friendships is more desirable than it has been especially for the future of our younger generations. "Town twinning is alive and well in Prestwick and three different cities of Ariccia, Vandalia and Lichtenfels. The members are an active fun loving, bunch of folk who have special memories and relationships both at home and with those in our sister cities. "This is a community group who welcome new people. Don't miss out on wonderful experiences. Everyone is invited to join in. Find out more on Facebook or email rhona@ Last year, Prestwick Town Twinning Association celebrated 50 years of twinning with Lichtenfels, Germany after the association was set up in 1974.
The Herald Scotland
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
China Southern Air Logistics starts service to Prestwick
Scheduled cargo flights will start at four flights a week, with plans to increase to a daily service. The agreement means the airport doubles its current scheduled freighter movements, in a move described as a "game changer" by Prestwick's chief executive Ian Forgie. Read more: He said: 'This is welcome news. The airport team have been working hard over the last 12 months to showcase the Prestwick solution as an alternative cargo gateway into the UK, and the board is delighted that a flagship carrier China Southern Air Logistics has established a scheduled service from China to Prestwick. 'We anticipate this new trade route will grow rapidly in 2025 as Prestwick delivers on it plans and the market responds to an alternative cargo gateway into the UK and a new direct export route to China from Scotland for high value Scottish seafood and whisky. "We are in discussions with other airlines and expect to make further announcements soon." The Airport has invested £2.3 million in equipment in the last 12 months and is continuing to invest in ground handling equipment and cool chain supply facilities as well as employing more staff, to maximise its capabilities in handling large freighters. Colin Dai, the airport's country sales director for Greater China, said: 'The airport has a long history and reputation for handling wide bodied freighters, providing fast aircraft turnaround and cargo handling, delivered through our in-house team. 'We are proud to announce this landmark agreement between China Southern Air Logistics and Prestwick Airport, and I know there is a lot of excitement from both sides to see the success of these flights.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- The Sun
Moment Brit woman is dragged off Ryanair flight & thrown to floor after ‘assaulting passengers and making bomb threat'
THIS is the moment a British woman was dragged off a flight after allegedly assaulting passengers and "making a bomb threat". Video posted on TikTok showed the woman being escorted off a Ryanair flight. 3 3 3 It then cut to more dramatic scenes, where she was thrown to the floor. The flight from Tenerife to Prestwick was diverted on May 18. A comment on the video read: "As the father of three girls who were on this flight, one of which was unfortunate enough to be sat next to this drunk lady, I believe she was dealt with appropriately. "For two hours on this flight, she verbally abused staff and other passengers. "She verbally and physically abused one of my daughters for quite some time. "Because of her actions, the plane was redirected and everyone else on that plane suffered due to her being selfish. "She left the plane when asked by the police, she was handcuffed in the shuttle bus when she became violent towards the police officers... "Given the fact she threatened my daughter and threatened to bomb the plane, I think this lady got off very lightly." Other passengers commented blasting her behaviour, saying children were "in tears and terrified" on the plane. Blair Morgan, a passenger on the plane, told MailOnline: "The passenger made a [false] bomb threat towards everyone on the plane, along with saying she would 'bottle' people with a glass wine bottle. "She was assaulting passengers whilst being drunk and vaping up and down the aisle. She was also standing up on seats, and taking people's headphones off and talking to them, threatening to hurt and bottle them." A spokesperson for Ryanair said the flight diverted to Faro after the incident. "Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Faro Airport and offloaded this passenger before this flight continued to Glasgow Prestwick. "Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption."
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Optimism that Scottish airport sale close as process reaches its 'most intensive'
Prestwick has been state owned since being saved from closure 12 years ago Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish Government has said the sale process for nationalised Prestwick Airport is "at its most intensive", prompting an MSP to predict a deal 'could be very close'. Ministers have been attempting to return the South Ayrshire site to the private sector since buying it for a nominal £1 in 2013 to avert closure and the loss of hundreds of jobs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Prestwick Airport was bought by the Scottish Government for a nominal £1 in 2013 to avert its closure. Picture: John Devlin | John Devlin/The Scotsman Gregor Irwin, director-general economy for the Scottish Government, told the Scottish Parliament's public audit committee on Wednesday: 'There is a process that's underway that began last year where we saw expressions of interest in the airport's market testing exercise. 'We are at the stage in the process where it is at its most intensive and we are doing what we can to ensure that we reach a satisfactory conclusion. The Deputy First Minister [Kate Forbes] is to come back at the appropriate time and inform Parliament if there are significant developments in that process. 'That is being progressed in a professional and satisfactory manner and I would hope that in the near future we would be able to tell you more.' Ryanair is the Prestwick's sole passenger airline and also has a significant aircraft maintenance base there, while the airport also handles cargo flights. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It has racked up Scottish Government loans totalling £55 million up to 2020, including £12m of interest. A question mark remains over whether all or part would be repaid as part of any sale. The airport has since made a profit for the past four years, but said the surplus was needed to fund operations rather than pay off the debt. A number of previous attempts to sell the airport have fallen through. 'Extremely positive remarks' Scottish Conservatives Central Scotland MSP and committee member Graham Simpson said: 'The remarks from this senior civil servant were extremely positive in relation to the sale of Prestwick Airport. 'They suggest that a deal could be very close now to be being done. The SNP Government should inform Parliament at the earliest opportunity if that is the case and what the future holds for this major asset.
