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Prestwick Airport has hired ninety seasonal workers. The new employees will help resident carrier, Ryanair, handle its “busy summer schedule”, which includes a new flight from the Scottish airport to the Mediterranean island of Malta. The twice-weekly route, which was launched on April 14, joins Alicante in Spain and Faro in Portugal as the cornerstone of Ryanair’s ‘sun and sea’ campaign at Prestwick.

Airport chief, Iain Cochrane, said that Prestwick was “gearing up” for the warmer months. “If we do well over the summer, it will demonstrate that Prestwick can be successful in (the sun and sea) sector." Mr. Cochrane’s comments allude to a gradual shift away from the domestic routes that had once been Prestwick’s speciality, such as Dublin and Edinburgh, towards resorts in Spain, France, and Portugal.

However, local newspaper, Herald Scotland, poured cold water on the airport’s plans for the summer, by suggesting that Prestwick’s slogan, 'Pure Dead Brilliant', would be more befitting of the airport if the final adjective was removed. A little cynical, perhaps, but Prestwick is nonetheless entering the 2011 summer season with 29 fewer Ryanair flights than in the same period last year.

Passenger numbers, arguably a measure of an airport’s fortunes, are falling, from 2.4m in 2007, to 1.5m in 2010. Prestwick has not turned a profit in two years, and that situation is unlikely to change, according to Louise Congdon, partner at York Aviation, who notes that airports struggle to make money unless they can anticipate annual passenger numbers in excess of 2m people.

Ryanair is currently the linchpin in Prestwick’s business, providing 24 of the hub’s 28 routes. The other four destinations are operated by Polish carrier, WizzAir, Newmarket Holidays, and Atlantic Holidays. The airline offers some financial security, but Prestwick’s future is nonetheless controlled by an airline that is prone to sudden, sweeping cancellations. The Irish carrier has already demonstrated this trait at Prestwick Airport, forcing 40 redundancies, and seeing off 40,039 passengers between January 2010 and the same month this year.

Whether the Herald’s doomsaying is justified will soon become clear. However, few would deny that Prestwick’s reliance on Ryanair is unhealthy. Finding another airline to compete with the carrier is imperative if bosses want to avoid a scenario in which Scotland's fourth airport only has a handful of routes on its books.

The latest figures released by New Zealand-based firm, Infratil, have revealed that Glasgow Prestwick Airport lost 40,039 travellers between January 2010 and the same month this year. The slump, equal to a 40% reduction in passenger numbers, is the result of capacity cuts by budget airline, Ryanair.

Whilst it would have been easy for Infratil to heap blame on Michael O’Leary’s airline, the Kiwi firm has singled out the Air Passenger Duty (APD) as the reason for Prestwick’s sour fortunes. Last year, O’Leary referred to APD as “tourism suicide” and “insanely stupid”, before making a decision to base fewer planes in the UK. The Irishman’s pledge ultimately resulted in the loss of domestic routes between Prestwick and airports in London and Belfast.

Comparisons will inevitably be made between the figures for January 2011, and those for October 2010, when the hub recorded a 17% boom in the number of people choosing to fly from Prestwick. The stark contrast in performance serves to emphasise just how much the Scottish hub relies on Ryanair to bring passengers and business into Ayrshire, a dependence that has previously been criticised by local MP, Brian Donohoe.

The termination of Ryanair flights from Prestwick has also forced 40 redundancies, around 10% of the hub’s workforce. Iain Cochrane, chief executive at the airport, said that the aviation industry was struggling with a “very difficult market” at present. However, Mr. Cochrane was hopeful that a series of new flights, due to debut this summer, would dispel the black clouds hovering over Prestwick. The new destinations include Spain, Portugal, the island of Majorca, and the Canary Islands.

Infratil, which also owns Kent Manston airport in the UK, and a 66% share in Wellington Airport in New Zealand, said that freight numbers were “performing strongly” at Prestwick. The Scottish airport also enjoyed a minor passenger boost in December, as heavy snowfall forced Edinburgh and Glasgow-bound aircraft to divert to Prestwick.

Prestwick Airport's resident airlines, Ryanair, Flybe, Wizz Air, and Freebird Airlines, which may or may not be named after the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, helped more passengers find their holiday destinations in October 2010 than in the same period last year. The rise, a boost of around 17%, has been attributed to the collapse of major airline, Flyglobespan, at Edinburgh Airport.

The Ayrshire hub is likely to have experienced higher than normal traffic in November and early December too, as Edinburgh and Glasgow, the first and second largest airports in Scotland, were forced to divert 30 flights to Prestwick due to heavy snow. Prestwick is frequently used as a ‘safety net’ for planes that cannot land at other airports, due to its apparent invulnerability to the elements.

In total, 177,280 travellers paid a visit to Prestwick in October 2010, a good 25,000 more than in October 2009. Graeme Sweenie, CEO at New Zealand firm, and current owner of Prestwick, Infratil, noted that the airport had a “strong summer,” buoyed by the loss of 24 Flyglobespan routes at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. The airline’s demise sent its 1.6m annual passengers to other carriers, such as Ryanair at Prestwick.

October might seem like a slow month with regard to people jetting off on holiday, especially when compared to August or December, but the school half term at the end of the month is becoming an increasingly lucrative period for UK airlines. Budget flights from Prestwick to Arrecife on Lanzarote and Faro in Portugal are helping families escape the Great British drizzle, whilst the city of Riga in Latvia, also on Prestwick’s books, is an ideal location for ballet and theatre fans.

However, Graeme Sweenie remains cautious about the bleak mid-winter months, to quote a carol, noting that the colder season tends to be “challenging” for the aviation industry.

Aviation firm, National Air Traffic Services (NATS), has raised concerns about a proposed wind farm near Prestwick Airport, claiming that the blades of wind turbines could create "clutter" on radar screens, endangering nearby aircraft.

The farm, which is being managed by Scottish and Southern Energy Renewables (SSE), will be located 35 miles east of Prestwick, on either side of the M74 motorway.

SSE wants to build 152 turbines on the site, with a view to infusing the Scottish power grid with an extra 548 megawatts of electricity, enough to keep toasters running in 320,000 homes.

However, the development could ‘blind’ NATS’ traffic tower at Prestwick Airport to approaching aircraft. The aviation firm appears to be particularly concerned about light planes, which have smaller radar signatures, and are more likely to be hidden beneath other radar objects, such as windmill blades.

Criticism from NATS appears to have taken SSE by surprise. The energy firm has “miscalculated the impact” that the windmills could have on Scottish aviation, according to local newspaper, the Evening Times, prompting organisers to delay the project for up to a year and a half.

A statement on the NATS website reads, “Wind farms can degrade the performance of voice communications facilities and en-route navigation aids.” To compensate, the company has been given 18 months to build a new traffic tower in Glasgow, which should counteract any negative effects that the wind farm has on radars.

NATS regularly assesses the impact of near-airport developments on aviation through a specialist department known as NERL (NATS En Route PLC).

Ryanair’s decision to pull half of its winter flights out of Prestwick Airport could have resounding consequences for the local workforce. The Ayrshire hub has revealed that up to a third of its permanent staff members could be fired, as passenger numbers at the airport continue to fall.

Prestwick employs around 410 people at present, including those housed in the various retail units around the site.

Job cuts will leave the hub shorthanded, but bosses have envisaged a plan to retrain staff to take on multiple tasks. Fire fighters could be encouraged to take on baggage handling duties, for example, but hopefully, the scheme doesn’t work in reverse: baggage staff are unlikely to be as efficient at dousing flames.

The airport will consult with unions and workers before axing any jobs. Iain Cochrane, the airport’s CEO, claims that Prestwick is ‘optimistic’ about the future, but warned that job cuts are ‘likely,’ - ‘these are extremely difficult times. I am very sorry to say that in this review it is likely that there will be redundancies.’

Mr. Cochrane went on to list the problems that the airport was facing, including the Air Passenger Duty and the growing trend in ‘staycations’ – Brits holidaying at home. Prestwick is at the mercy of Ryanair, however, and the airline’s decision to cut 52% of its winter flights has done damage to the tiny airport.

In December, Ayrshire MP, Brian Donohoe, warned Prestwick bosses about the possibility of a Ryanair exodus, and even went to the trouble of phoning rival airlines, in an attempt to lure extra business to the airport.

The MP’s clairvoyance will be of no comfort to Prestwick’s beleaguered workers now though, as many of them could be jobless by the time the advent calendars appear on supermarket shelves. Irene Oldfather, another Scottish MP, expressed ‘deep disappointment’ at the news.

Last week, a Scottish police force bought chocolate and bottled water for 168 air travellers, after their Ryanair plane became stranded on a runway at Prestwick Airport. The aircraft, which was bound for Girona, Spain had been waiting on the Ayrshire tarmac for six hours, unable to take off.

There was nothing wrong with the plane, but a strike of air traffic controllers in France meant that airspace in Western Europe was subject to extensive queuing. The strike forced hundreds of cancellations at Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports. Teachers, train drivers, dockworkers, and factory hands were also refusing to work.

Ryanair’s ‘hostages,’ to quote the Scottish Sun newspaper, became agitated when staff refused to allow them any water or food. Travellers were permitted to use toilet facilities, but they were not allowed access to the aircraft’s bar, and told to remain in their seats in case the plane was granted clearance to fly.

The warm weather made the situation worse – with the engine switched off, the aircraft’s fans were not functioning. The problem was exacerbated when a bottle of water was handed to the pilot, but not to any of passengers, many of whom were worried about their children becoming dehydrated.

Fearing a revolt, the budget carrier called Strathclyde police at 18.00. ‘It was hectic,’ explained Sarah Toom, one of the stranded passengers. ‘Parents with young kids were getting upset and raising their voices. There was a loud cheer when police showed up with food and water.’ No arrests were made, and the plane finally took off at 19.49.

Ryanair claims that its staff were following aviation laws by not allowing passengers access to bars and food trolleys. The airline has since apologised for the incident.

Almost 1,000 people have signed a petition to rename Glasgow Prestwick Airport to Robert Burns International. The petition, which originated on a Facebook page, urges airport bosses to embrace Burns as the airport’s namesake, rather than Scotland’s second city, Glasgow, which is located more than 32 miles to the northeast.

When Prestwick chief, Steve Fitzpatrick, decided to adopt a new slogan in 2005, local people were eager to see which elements of Ayrshire life he would choose to immortalise on the terminal walls. Mr. Fitzpatrick promised to provide something ‘fun, and a little bit edgy,’ that would attract foreign visitors to local attractions.

Five years later, many Ayrshire residents are still reeling from Mr. Fitzpatrick’s edgy slogan, which not only embraced life in the wrong city, it implied that Prestwick Airport was little more than a concrete zombie. The words ‘Pure Dead Brilliant,’ a Glaswegian colloquialism, ultimately became both a slogan for a Scottish airport, and a lesson in how not to market a business.

Glasgow Prestwick is therefore, one of the most oddly named airports in the UK. The new Facebook petition seeks to fix the hub’s moniker, however, by exorcising all traces of Glasgow from the airport's name, and by embracing a true local hero in Robert, or ‘Rabbie’, Burns.

'It’s an embarrassment leaving and entering Prestwick as it is,' Colin Shearer, a concerned campaigner, explained. 'Belfast has George Best and Liverpool has John Lennon. Both will be forgotten long before Robert Burns.’

The poet and lyricist was born just four miles to the south of Prestwick, in the town of Alloway, Ayrshire. You can view the petition online via the associated Facebook page or at the official GoPetition website.

Parking costs at Prestwick Airport are so high that many travellers are opting to leave their cars on the streets, much to the dismay of local residents. The issue is not a new one, having been passed from consultant to councillor for over two years, but householders recently renewed their efforts to unclog residential roads.

According to the South Ayrshire Council, all parking-related offences are the domain of the police force. Councillors have nevertheless earmarked £100,000 to solve Prestwick’s congestion problems, whilst urging the airport to reduce parking costs, and help improve an ‘utterly ridiculous’ situation,

Residents called into question the dedication of local traffic wardens, who have let rule-breakers go without so much as a stern word. Prestwick’s householders have also asked the council to keep an eye on roads susceptible to stationary traffic, in a bid to prevent further violations by airport travellers.

Local councillor, Helen Moonie, was incredulous – ‘It costs less to fly on holiday than park at the airport for two weeks. That’s the real problem. I’ve even heard of examples where people park in the street and then catch a cab to the airport.’

The airport is currently selling parking spaces for up to £70 per fortnight, depending on whether the customer books in advance. A pre-booked space is around £10 cheaper. Mrs. Moonie warned that congestion could become uncontrollable if the problem was left untended.

South Ayrshire Council has already attempted to alleviate the concerns of residents by conducting research into parking behaviour around the airport. The final report, which recommended a number of changes to local parking laws, was not well received by residents, and many felt that the council did not attempt to back up its promises with tangible results.

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In December, Ayrshire MP Brian Donohoe lamented Ryanair’s stranglehold on Prestwick Airport, warning that one axed flight could spell tragedy for the travel hub.

Just three months into the New Year, Mr Donohoe’s dislike for Prestwick Airport appears wholly forgotten about after Ryanair announced yet another expansion to its Ayrshire base. From the beginning of May, the Irish carrier is to add an extra flight per week to five destinations, including Carcassonne in France and Palma in Spain.

The news comes just weeks after Ryanair commissioned a new maintenance hanger to be built at Prestwick, the second of its kind in the area. The airport is also the home of the largest control tower in Europe, again completed within the last few weeks.

Prestwick’s future is not as bright as it seems, however: passenger numbers are still well below normal. In January, just over 100,000 people flew from Prestwick Airport, a 22% nosedive on the same period last year. The airport’s owner, Infratil, a company from New Zealand, blamed poor weather for the lull, despite Prestwick’s reputation as one of the most resilient airports in the UK.

With regard to Ryanair’s latest expansion, Brian Donohoe was bursting with joy. He said that the "enormous surge in business" was "very, very good news", and said that he was "absolutely delighted". The MP, who represents the Labour Party, is a keen follower of the airport’s fortunes.

Ryanair has almost trebled its presence at Prestwick since December: the carrier now has six aeroplanes on the runway and 29 routes on its Ayrshire schedules. The latest announcement also extends the firm’s commitment to Malaga and Alicante in Spain, and Faro in Portugal by one flight per week.

Michael O’Leary’s airline, Ryanair, is to build a new maintenance hangar at Prestwick airport, creating up to 200 jobs. The carrier has also announced an extension of its sun and sea routes from the Scottish airport, commencing in May 2010.

Prestwick might not be the most famous airport in the UK, and few people can claim to know exactly where it is, but the site has an illustrious history, being the only place in Britain to have felt the feet of the late Elvis Presley, and having the largest control tower in Europe within its perimeter.

The airport is increasingly becoming a focus for new aviation technologies, surpassing even the largest regional sites, such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow airports, and etching out a niche as one of the most reliable airports in Britain. Prestwick is rarely beaten by the elements.

O’Leary’s new hangar, which will become the second such building under Ryanair control, could boost the number of airline jobs in the area to 2400, cementing the carrier’s position as one of the largest employers in the Ayrshire region.

Construction will be subsidised by the Scottish government, to the tune of £1.5m in training grants and business funding. Alex Salmond, First Minister of the Scottish National Party, praised Ryanair’s efforts to support the local economy:

“Ryanair makes a substantial contribution to Scotland's economy through its engineering facilities. Investment at Prestwick supports this government's ambition to increase sustainable economic growth by creating quality new jobs."

The airline recently announced three new routes at Edinburgh, including Scotland’s first ever route to Morocco.

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