Glasgow Prestwick Airport staff swap planes for white water rafts

FIFTY Glasgow Prestwick Airport staff raised more than £1,000 for a local charity by taking part in the Ayrshire Airport’s second white water rafting event.


[Pictured: Glasgow Prestwick Airport staff, left to right and working from the front of the raft to the back of the raft: Nicholas Rodwell, Andrew Little, Kevin Wright, Jenny Harding, Laura Findlayson, Andy McLauchlan, Stuart McLeod and Kimberley Fisher. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

This year it was the Ayrshire Hospice that benefited, when a cheque for £1,300 was handed over by Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell at the Ayrshire Hospice Summer Ball.

The event, at Aberfeldy on the River Tay, was first held in September last year and was a resounding success, providing the staff with a great day out while also raising money for charities that were chosen by those staff.

Congratulations this year go to winning team The Artful Dodgers, while The Honolulu Honeyz were the last team to cross the finishing line.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said: “This is a great energetic day out, and because we have so many staff and departments spread over a large area, it also provides them with an ideal opportunity to meet each other and mingle outside the pressures of work.

“The 50 staff who took part can be proud of the fact they managed to raise £1,300 and it was a pleasure to hand this over to the Ayrshire Hospice, a fantastic cause which was chosen by the staff themselves.”

The Airport hosted two tables at the Hospice event, and among the attendees were members of management and employees who had been nominated to recognise their performance and contribution.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport also donated its cardboard Elvis, signed by tribute act Gordon Hendricks and a prominent feature at last year’s staff party, to the silent auction. This raised £120 for the Hospice and has been earmarked as a Christmas present for an Elvis fanatic.

LINKS:

www.glasgowprestwick.com
www.infratil.com
www.ayrshirehospice.org

* * *

There are currently 274 Ayrshire business stories permanently archived on this site. To locate those of most interest to you, please use the site search facility in the top left hand corner of this page. Type your search term in the white box, then click “SEARCH BLOG”.

* * *

Glasgow Prestwick Airport reports
increased passenger and freight numbers

GLASGOW PRESTWICK AIRPORT’S performance in May saw year-on-year and month-on-month increases in the number of passengers handled.


[Pictured: Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell.]

A total of 221,840 passengers used the airport during May – this represents rises of 2.5% on May 2007 and 12% on April’s performance.

The main driver for the positive year-on-year variance is increased capacity on a number of existing routes and new Ryanair and Wizz Air destinations, introduced since May last year.

These new destinations include Belfast, Budapest, Cork, Katowice and Poznan, while Ryanair have recently announced three new routes for the coming winter – Malaga, Tenerife and Faro.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport also handled 2,704 tonnes of freight during May, representing an increase of 5% on May 2007.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said: “This is a pleasing result in what is a challenging economic environment, and paves the way for what we anticipate will be a successful summer.”

www.glasgowprestwick.com

* * *

There are currently 272 Ayrshire business stories permanently archived on this site. To locate those of most interest to you, please use the site search facility in the top left hand corner of this page. Type your search term in the white box, then click “SEARCH BLOG”.

* * *

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle high fliers at Glasgow Prestwick Airport

THE Elite Ayrshire Business Circle members and their guests assembled at Glasgow Prestwick Airport for the Circle’s latest meeting at 8am on Friday 30 May.


[Pictured: Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman Norman Geddes (centre) welcomes Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre managing partner Willie Mackie, left, and South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan, right. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION]

They were treated to a fascinating presentation by Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured below), which highlighted the airport’s importance as a major hub of the local and Scottish economies.


The presentation was followed by a tour of the airport, which included several of the parts that everyday passengers do not reach.

Guests at the meeting included John Scott, MSP for Ayr, several leading local politicians from both South and East Ayrshire Councils, and many prominent entrepreneurs and business people either located in or with a business interest in Ayrshire.

As is the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle custom, they were each afforded the opportunity of giving a brief presentation about their own organisation to the assembled membership.


[Pictured: five of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle's stalwart founder members: Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre managing partner Willie Mackie; Andrew Sinclair, Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants; Graeme Ferguson, Kestrel Press Ltd; Bill Inglis, PALIGAP Creative Marketing Agency; and Stephen Wilkie, Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants.]

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle managing director Murdoch MacDonald said: “We are all very grateful to Mark Rodwell and his team for arranging and running such an enjoyable and illuminating morning’s visit.

“The quiet efficiency with which Glasgow Prestwick Airport is run sometimes tends to disguise what a complex operation it is.

“It’s success is inextricably intertwined with that of Ayrshire’s economy as a whole, and it is undoubtedly one of Ayrshire business’s most valuable assets.

“I would also like to thank John Scott MSP for Ayr and South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan for their continuing support, as well as our other guests from the worlds of politics and business who were joining us today for the first time.

"In particular, Provost Stephanie Young (pictured below) and Councillor Tom Cook of East Ayrshire Council, who both gave us a valuable update on current developments in their area, notably the ongoing regeneration of Kilmarnock town centre."


Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman Norman Geddes said: “Today we enjoyed another record attendance. The Circle is proving to be very popular with local businesses who see it as a unique way to enhance their business profile and to network with like-minded business people.

“Our very popular websites provide the unique capability to quickly disseminate business information on the Internet, and are designed to enhance search engine rankings of all participants.

“We are delighted by the interest in the Circle which has been shown by the local Councils and politicians, and hope that with economic development now devolved to local government, we can rapidly develop this relationship further to our mutual advantage, and, more importantly, to the greater benefit of the Ayrshire economy as a whole.”

Guests at the latest Elite Ayrshire Business Circle meeting (click on hyperlinks to view their respective websites):

John Scott, MSP for Ayr
Winifred Sloan, Provost, South Ayrshire Council
Councillor Hywel Davies, South Ayrshire Council
Stephanie Young, Provost, East Ayrshire Council
Councillor Tom Cook, East Ayrshire Council
James Hawkins, Stewart Corporate Travel (part of Stewart Travel)
Allan Ross, First Independent Finance (asset finance brokers)
Tony Flint, Culzean Autoclassica (international heritage motoring event)
John Matthews, Editor, Ayrshire Extra
Alan McLeish, QTS Group
Stuart McCallum, Thomson McCallum Financial Consultancy
George Haye, Orchard Homes Scotland
Glenn Fulton, Graham Group Ltd
Jim Sproat, Community People
Kenny McLeod, Rockwood Homes
Stewart Mackay, Rockwood Homes




Links:
OpenPress I-Newswire FreePress 24/7
PR-GB ClickPress UKPRWire PressBox

Photographs by:
Graeme Pollock Photography

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is in the process of creating an
archive of its photographs on Flickr, the online photo management and
sharing application.

The archive can be viewed at:

www.flickr.com/photos/eliteayrshirebusinesscircle/

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle profile is at:

www.flickr.com/people/eliteayrshirebusinesscircle/

The archive will be added to in the weeks to come.

* * *

Glasgow Prestwick Airport introduces
four new sunshine holiday air routes

By: Neil Richardson

RYANAIR has today (Thursday 29 May) announced three new destinations from Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire.

From the end of October Ryanair will operate flights to the popular sunshine destinations of Malaga, Tenerife and Faro. Seats are already on sale at www.ryanair.com

The announcement further strengthens Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s route network, bringing the total number of scheduled destinations operated by Ryanair to 29 following several new route announcements in the last year.

Ryanair will also introduce an additional daily flight on their Belfast service, which currently operates once a day.


Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured above) commented: “Today’s announcement once again demonstrates Ryanair’s commitment to expand and offer the best choice of European routes from Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

“These new destinations have always been popular among Scots holidaymakers, and it is great news that they will now be available throughout winter, with Ryanair’s low fares making them even more attractive.

“The Belfast service has performed well in the business and leisure markets since its introduction last year, and the additional daily flight offers passengers on that route more flexibility.”

Ryanair’s sales and marketing manager for the UK and Ireland Bridget Dowling said: “Over two million passengers travelling from Glasgow Prestwick Airport this year will save over £100 million by choosing Ryanair’s guaranteed lowest fares over our competitors.

“This latest route expansion will deliver low fares to Faro, Malaga and Tenerife. Our existing routes will meanwhile provide passengers with lower fares and better punctuality compared to the high fares levied by British Airways and Easyjet in Scotland.

“To celebrate these new routes, we are giving away seats from £10 one-way for travel in June and July, and we recommend passengers to book these £10 seats immediately on www.ryanair.com as demand for these guaranteed lowest fares will ensure that they're snapped up quickly.”

Holiday flights to Turkey from Scottravel

And holiday flights from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to Turkey started up this week, with the first sunseekers flying out on Monday 26 May.


[Pictured from left: Glasgow Prestwick Airport staff Louise Muir, John Kennedy, Gillian McPherson and (far right) Nicola Clark with Robert and Freda Sweeny from Winton Street, Ardrossan, passengers on the first Scottravel flight to Dalaman in Turkey. CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

And the people behind the flights to Dalaman, Scottravel Holidays, have some great offers for passengers looking to travel in June.


[Pictured: early passengers to Dalaman - sisters Jessica and Jasmin Bradford from Barbieston Road, Auchinleck, with their grandmother Grace Bradford.]

The Lanarkshire-based firm will fly once a week over the summer season to Dalaman, which serves the popular and lively resort of Marmaris, its laid-back sister resort Icmeler, and also the Fethiye region which includes Olu Deniz and Ovacik/Hisaronu.


[Pictured: early Dalaman passengers Helen and Calum Keenan from Marina Road, Prestwick, with Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s Gillian McPherson (centre). This is the first trip to Turkey for the Keenans. Calum is a human resources officer with South Ayrshire Council and Helen is a lecturer at Strathclyde University.]

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell commented: “It’s great news that we can add Turkey to our growing range of summer holiday options for 2008.

“Many holidaymakers are now turning their attention away from the more traditional European destinations due to a very unfavourable exchange rate from the pound to the Euro.

“This makes Turkey a more attractive proposition to visit, not to mention the soaring summer temperatures it gets. We have worked with Scottravel Holidays before, and look forward to working with them over the summer.”

Scottravel Holidays managing director Serkan Aydin added: “Turkey is a vast country which is steeped in history and culture. The hospitality is also exceptional, and provides visitors with the warm Turkish welcome that our clients enjoy so much.

“We have extensive knowledge of the best holiday resorts, accommodation and facilities which means we can create the perfect Turkish adventure to suit all tastes and budgets.”

Scottravel is online at www.scottravelholidays.co.uk or call 01698 745522 seven days a week, Monday - Saturday 9am to 6pm; and Sunday
11am to 4pm.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

* * *

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle high fliers head for the airport

THE Elite Ayrshire Business Circle’s next meeting will be hosted by Glasgow Prestwick Airport at 8am for 8.30am on Friday 30 May.


Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured below) will give a presentation about the airport, its strategic importance for the Ayrshire economy and plans for the future.


This meeting will also feature the launch of the brand new Elite Ayrshire Business Circle website, created by leading full-service creative marketing agency PALIGAP.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is located 32 miles south of Glasgow City Centre and celebrated its 70th birthday in 2005.

The airport currently handles approximately 2.5 million passengers per year and offers more than 30 scheduled services to European destinations, as well as charter flights to popular holiday spots. Glasgow Prestwick has excellent road and rail links to the rest of Scotland.

THE ELITE AYRSHIRE BUSINESS CIRCLE

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is a newly formed association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.

Its purpose is to publicise its members, and to celebrate and promote the rich diversity of industry, commerce and business services available within the county boundaries of Ayrshire.

Members include the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse and the Western House Hotel, and member company activities include building and construction, architectural practice, estate agency and land management, chartered accountancy, insurance broking, legal services, golf club management, marketing services and brand creation, web design and public relations consultancy.

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle runs its own online news magazine, which can be found at: www.ayrshirebusinessnews.com
As well as regularly updated illustrated articles about member companies, Ayrshire Business News also features rolling news, business and sports headlines, and its own online department store.

For further information about The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle and to apply for membership, e-mail eliteayrshire@gmail.com

Founder members of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle:

Clydesdale Bank www.cbonline.co.uk
Ayr Racecourse www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk
Western House Hotel
CKD Galbraith Property Consultants www.ckdgalbraith.co.uk
Frazer Coogans Solicitors www.frazercoogans.co.uk
Accident & Injury Claims Centre www.accidentclaims.com
MacKay Corporate Insurance Brokers www.mackaycorporate-brokers.com
Donald Ross Estate Agents: www.donaldross.co.uk
William Skinner & Son Building Contractors www.willamskinner.co.uk
Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants www.sinclairscott.com
Paligap Creative Agency www.paligap.com
ARP Lorimer & Associates Architects www.arpl.co.uk
Brunston Castle Golf Club www.brunstoncastle.co.uk
Visimetrics www.visimetrics.com
Fouters Restaurant www.fouters.co.uk
Christie Financial Planning Ltd www.christiefp.com
Allison Lightbody Waddell Chartered Surveyors www.alwsurveyors.com
Fame Publicity Services www.famepublicity.co.uk
Kestrel Press Ltd Printers www.kestrelpress.com

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle
Registered Office:
Dalblair House
46 Dalblair Road
Ayr KA7 1UQ

Telephone: 01292 281498
Mobile: 07833 667322.

SEE US ON FACEBOOK! CLICK HERE

OpenPress FreePress I-Newswire UKPRwire ClickPress PR-GB SeeNation PressBox 24/7

* * *

Glasgow Prestwick Airport re-opens
Ayrshire’s gateway to South of France

By: Neil Richardson

GLASGOW PRESTWICK AIRPORT is delighted to announce that its gateway to the south of France reopened today (Thursday 1 May).

Ryanair’s direct low cost service to Marseille will carry thousands of Scots to the warmth of the Mediterranean over the summer, and Glasgow Prestwick Airport is expected to handle an additional 40,000 passengers as a result.


Among the passengers on the first Marseille flight of 2008 were Ian and Eleanor Macdonald from Irvine (pictured above), who booked up in January for a 10-day barge tour in the Marseille area.

Ian and Eleanor were chosen at random from the passengers to receive a bottle of champagne and a pair of return flights to Marseille to mark the occasion.


[Pictured: Eleanor and Ian MacDonald with GPA marketing executive Louise Muir (left) and GPA marketing manager Gillian McPherson (right). CLICK ON EITHER IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

The flights operate three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and an early departure time from Scotland means visitors to the region can make the most of their first full day there.

An ideal climate and location make Marseille a versatile destination – take in the splendour of France’s second city and largest port, or use it as a gateway to Provence, and the Provencal way of life, by visiting spots such as Aix-en-Provence or Saint Tropez which, while quieter, are no less impressive.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said: “It is great to see the Marseille flights are back for the summer, as it is a fantastic destination for a holiday or even a short break.

“Marseille and Provence are areas that have something for everyone, with amazing coastal scenery and there is enough to satisfy those with a passion for art, history, culture, nightlife, sport and great food and drink.”

Ryanair’s UK sales and marketing executive Ashley Casey added: “We are delighted to welcome back today this service from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to Marseille, a popular destination for holidaymakers and second home owners. Marseille adds to the fantastic range of European destinations we now offer from Glasgow Prestwick Airport at guaranteed lowest fares.

“To celebrate Ryanair is offering flights from Glasgow Prestwick Airport to Marseille from £10.00* as well as some exciting European destinations from as little as £5.00* one-way including airport taxes and charges.

“Jet off to Belfast, Stockholm (Skavsta) or Barcelona (Reus) for just £5.00 from Glasgow Prestwick Airport! This unbelievable offer must end at midnight on Thursday 8 May, so we urge passengers to log onto www.ryanair.com and book immediately!”

Ryanair swapped the Marseille service for flights to Grenoble over the winter months, offering ski enthusiasts the chance their first ever ski route out of Glasgow Prestwick Airport during the winter months, when they offered winter sports enthusiasts the cheapest fares to Grenoble.

* Flights subject to availability.

www.glasgowprestwick.com
www.infratil.com
www.ryanair.com

Glasgow Prestwick Airport reports increasing
passenger numbers and freight figures

By: Neil Richardson

Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s performance in March signalled a strong end to the 2007/08 financial year.


The Ayrshire airport handled 192,142 passengers in March against 180,978 during the same month in 2007 - a year on year rise of 6%, and a 16% improvement on February’s performance.

Glasgow Prestwick handled 2,426,630 passengers from April 2007 to March 2008 – a marginal improvement on last year’s total.

New destinations that have started operating from the airport in the last year include Katowice, Belfast, Budapest, Cork and Poznan, with several of the new links exclusive to Scotland.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said the results once again demonstrate the importance of the airport to the Ayrshire and Scottish economies, particularly in terms of tourism and employment.

It is only weeks since Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond attended the launch of an economic study which found that inbound visitors using Glasgow Prestwick generate £173 million of expenditure, while the airport’s presence accounts for 3,000 jobs in Scotland.


Mark Rodwell (pictured above) commented: “It is pleasing to see growth in the passenger sector, particularly after we discovered how important foreign visitors are to the Ayrshire and Scottish economies.

“Several new services have been introduced over the last 12 months and are performing well, which is encouraging as we move towards the peak summer season.”


A strong focus on developing the freight business is also starting to pay off, with the airport now breaking the 3,000 tonne barrier on a more regular basis.


The March total of 3,260 tonnes marks a 5% improvement on March 2007 and a 34% increase on February’s total.

Freight has also increased year on year with the 31,735 tonnes handled between April 2007 and March 2008 representing a 4% increase on the previous 12 months.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

* * *

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle members
and guests discuss the Budget

THE latest meeting of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle took place at 8.30am on Friday 14 March 2008 in the board room of the Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre in Alloway Street, Ayr.


Guests at the meeting included John Scott, MSP for Ayr, South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan and deputy leader Margaret Toner, Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell, and local newspaper Ayrshire Extra editor John Matthews.


Members and guests heard an expert and entertaining analysis by Andrew Sinclair (pictured above) of Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants about the implications both for individuals and for businesses of Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling’s first Budget, which had been presented to Parliament two days earlier on Wednesday 12 March 2008.

Andrew’s presentation was followed by a comprehensive overview of likely future trends in interest rates, commodity prices and inflation given by Neil Wilson of the Clydesdale Bank’s Treasury Department.

Elite Ayrshire Business Circle managing director Murdoch MacDonald commented: “It was gratifying that once again so many members and our distinguished guests managed to find time to attend our latest meeting. I think this shows that key Ayrshire businesses are enthusiastic in pursuing our stated mission to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence in Ayrshire and to present a united shop window to the world.”


Elite Ayrshire Business Circle executive chairman Norman Geddes (above left) welcomes John Scott, MSP for Ayr.


Norman Geddes with South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan (above centre) and deputy leader Margaret Toner.


Norman Geddes with Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell (above centre) and Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre managing partner Willie Mackie.


Elite Ayrshire Business Circle members (above, left to right) Stephen Wilkie, partner at Sinclair Scott Chartered Accountants; David Kennedy, senior partner at Clydesdale Bank Financial Solutions Centre, Ayr; Graeme Ferguson, director of Kestrel Press Ltd; and Ian Warnock, managing director of MacKay Corporate Insurance Brokers.


Pictured above, left to right: South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan and deputy leader Margaret Toner with Ayrshire Extra editor John Matthews.

Photography by:

Graeme Pollock
Tel: 07792 327693
E-mail: graeme@pollock1968.fsnet.co.uk
Website: www.GraemePollock.com

ClickPress PressBox I-Newswire OpenPress PR-GB

* * *

Ayrshire’s Glasgow Prestwick Airport accounts for 3,000 Scottish jobs

SCOTLAND'S First Minister Alex Salmond today (Tuesday March 11) visited Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, where he was presented with a new study which reveals that the airport accounts for nearly 3,000 jobs in Scotland.


[Scotland's First Minister is welcomed by Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell.]

The study also shows that total expenditure associated with the airport is well in excess of £200 million per annum, with £173 million generated by inbound visitors to Scotland who use it.

The First Minister expressed an interest in visiting Glasgow Prestwick Airport after it responded effectively to the attempted terrorist attack on Glasgow Abbotsinch Airport in June 2007. Security was quickly tightened and numerous additional passenger flights were handled when Glasgow Abbotsinch closed.

The First Minister Alex Salmond said: “My visit to Prestwick today is a reflection of my Government’s gratitude to the airport for its excellent support and help during last year’s terror attacks on Glasgow Airport.

“It was a testing time for Scotland, most notably for our airports and emergency services. Glasgow Prestwick played a key role in enabling Scotland to remain open for business with minimum disruption to travellers.

“The importance and value of Glasgow Prestwick Airport as a gateway to Scotland was again highlighted during this period. I would like to thank all staff for extending their welcome and first class service to the many redirected passengers and visitors from around the world throughout the terror attacks.

“I have been presented today with an economic report prepared by the airport which I will read with great interest. We are clear that our number one priority as a Government is to increase sustainable economic growth.

“Airports are a key driver in this – in terms of securing and growing business and tourism links as well as job creation in the aviation and customer service industries.”


[Mark Rodwell, left, and Alex Salmond, right, meet Glasgow Prestwick Airport Skillseeker Skillseeker Charmaine Taggart, centre.]

The First Minister met with airport management before attending the launch of the economic benefits study, which was carried out by Edinburgh-based SQW Consulting.


[Piture shows left to right: John Scott, MSP for Ayr, Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell, First Minister Alex Salmond, Leader of South Ayrshire Council Hugh Hunter and Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council.]

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell commented: “We are delighted to welcome Mr Salmond to the airport for the first time as First Minister, as we release the results of this economic study.

“Along with our partners South Ayrshire Council and Scottish Enterprise, we felt the timing was right to commission the study as a prelude to the launch of our draft Master Plan, that will see us enter into a period of public consultation about the airport’s future.

“The findings of the study show how important the airport has become, particularly to Ayrshire but also to Scotland as a whole, in terms of generating employment, tourism, expenditure and investment, as well as providing valuable connectivity around Europe.”

Glasgow Prestwick employs 480 staff, while activity at the airport is responsible for 1,733 jobs in Ayrshire and 2,941 jobs in Scotland (this total includes Ayrshire).

In 2007 Glasgow Prestwick handled 2.4 million passengers but if the airport was not here, the study estimates that approximately 240,000 incoming passengers would have been lost to Scotland and approximately 780,000 lost to Ayrshire.

Under this scenario, some of the activity and therefore economic value would be transferred elsewhere in Scotland and Europe and therefore not lost to the wider economy, although most of it would be lost to Ayrshire.

Economic value is often measured by Gross Value Added (GVA) rather than the total expenditure generated by a business. GVA is the value of wages and profits generated; it does not take into account the value of goods and services brought in and consumed in production, making it lower than expenditure.

It is estimated that GPA creates £48 million GVA in Ayrshire and £79 million GVA in Scotland.

Councillor Hugh Hunter, the Leader of South Ayrshire Council, commented: “South Ayrshire Council values the strong contribution that Prestwick Airport makes to the Scottish economy, supporting jobs and aerospace innovation.

“Tourism is an economic growth sector in Scotland, and I welcome the opportunity the airport provides in linking South Ayrshire to business and visitor centres in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.

“The airport will be a great asset in welcoming visitors to South Ayrshire in 2009 to enjoy the Homecoming celebrations, to discover Burns country, play golf and enjoy the many facilities and outstanding scenery that we have to offer."

Scottish Enterprise operations director Evelyn McCann added: “A fundamental part of any country’s ambitions for economic growth is the need for high quality physical infrastructure. Glasgow Prestwick Airport (GPA) plays a significant role in ensuring that Scotland is a globally attractive location.

“The importance of the airport as a tourist gateway and a hub for the aerospace industry is clear. New routes through GPA and its continuing expansion have had a significant and positive impact on overseas visitor numbers to Ayrshire and Scotland and it has also played a key role in developing our cluster of successful aerospace businesses.”

As part of the study a survey of 1,000 Ayrshire businesses was taken. This survey showed:

* More than half of all respondents feel the airport is important to their business performance and nearly a fifth think it very important or critical.

* Among businesses that have moved to the area from elsewhere, the airport’s presence is important to 18%.

* Without the airport 20% of respondents would make fewer trips, meaning trips still made would be at greater cost in terms of time and money.

* 8% would face major problems without the freight service.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

Ayrshire Scotland Business News -
where Ayrshire business news breaks first!

* * *

Glasgow Prestwick Airport personnel manage to get lean

EIGHT Glasgow Prestwick Airport employees have graduated from the Lean Management Programme, run by Accelerate, a company who specialises in streamlining companies and organisations to make them more ‘lean’. In the run up to busy Easter and summer holidays, the programme will help make processes more efficient for the operational and supervisory employees at the Airport.


[Picture shows Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s lean mean recruitment team (left to right, front to back) Susan Lynn, Gordon Hainey, Kenny Carter, Angela Hood, Elaine Anderson, Andy Barclay, Katie Kilgour and Alan McGeachie.]

Lean Management is a term familiar to some 90% of manufacturing businesses throughout the UK, and most will have undertaken some type of intervention, set to improve productivity thus improving profitability


The airport’s participation in the course, which lasted for six months, was driven by chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured above) and it aims to improve the efficiency of current recruitment processes within the airport.

In 2007, there was a 15% staff turnover and it was taking in some cases up to 45 weeks to complete the recruitment process, partly due to security measures and checks put in place and applying to Disclosure Scotland, for vetting and barring of candidates.

Since the Lean Management programme has been completed, the team is now working on the completion of the website, which will feature a Careers section. This feature will allow candidates to view different career paths available at the Airport, apply for jobs, as well as help to speed up the recruitment process by applying earlier to Disclosure Scotland, prior to attending any interviews.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport human resources manager Sonia Rafferty said: “We decided it was a good idea to get involved in the Lean Management programme as we were reviewing our recruitment process and feel that taking part will help us not only to recruit the best person for the job, but also that the recruitment process will take considerably less time than it does at the moment.

“The new part of the website, which is due to launch in July, will allow us to speed up the process of applications and become a more efficient function within the airport.”

By introducing lean practices and procedures in 2009, Glasgow Prestwick Airport will save nearly £30,000 through a reduction in paper waste, overtime, sickness and agency fees and switching to a CD Rom handbook, and has already cut down its carbon footprint as a result of reduced paperwork.

Sonia Rafferty added: “The new process has enabled us to cut down the time taken to complete the administration by approximately 29 weeks in the worst case scenario, to get an employee started, and also cuts down on paperwork.”

Scottish Enterprise Glasgow’s operations director, Stuart Patrick concluded: “Last year, the 23 companies who took part in our Lean programme, reported productivity gains worth more than £2.5 million. It is one of our most successful products, providing targeted, minimal intervention for maximum business return.”

Glasgow Prestwick Airport was Scotland’s fastest-growing airport from 2000–2005 and offers low cost scheduled flights to more than 30 European destinations. In 2007 the airport handled 2.4 million passengers.

P&R Accelerate Ltd has a very experienced Lean Management team who have been delivering Scotland’s largest Lean Improvement programme since 2003. The highly acclaimed “Lean Management Thinking” Programme has delivered over £25m in productivity improvements throughout Scotland involving almost 300 companies. P&R Accelerate has also been involved in leading successful Lean Management Programmes across the North of England, Yorkshire, West Midlands and Wales

For further information about the Lean Management programme, please visit www.pracc.co.uk
For further information about Prestwick Airport, please visit www.glasgowprestwick.com

Prestwick named best airport as WizzAir opens route to Poznan

GLASGOW PRESTWICK AIRPORT’S relationship with Wizz Air continues to go from strength to strength.

As Wizz launched their latest new route from the airport, the inaugural flight to Poznan coincided with the news that Glasgow Prestwick was named the airline’s Best Overall Airport for the month of December.

This follows on from a second place finish in November and is based on performance criteria such as aircraft turnaround time and baggage processing.


[Picture shows left to right: Nichola McLean, Barbara McMaster, Louise Hayes, Charmaine Taggart, Maureen Bayley and Ella Greenwood from Prestwick Handling celebrate in front of a Wizz aircraft.]

Poznan is the fifth largest city in Poland and the fourth destination in that country to be served by Wizz flights from Glasgow Prestwick, along with Warsaw, Gdansk and Katowice.

Wizz operates at more than 40 airports around Europe and recently handled its 10 millionth passenger.


[Picture shows the Malgorzatekiert family, who were returning home from a holiday in Scotland on the inaugural flight, at check-in with Glasgow Prestwick’s Nichola McLean. Mr Malgorzatekiert works in Glasgow and this route will help him return to visit his family more often as he lives a short distance from Poznan Airport.]

The Best Overall Airport accolade clearly shows not only the ability, but also the dedication and teamwork of the Prestwick Handling department, which is made up of Passenger Handling, Aircraft Dispatch, Ground Services, Motor Transport and Passenger Services.

Two Glasgow Prestwick staff members, Scott Plain and Barbara McMaster, received free flights from Wizz as a reward for the effort put in across all the departments.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said: “Wizz have shown they are serious about growing their customer base and route network at Glasgow Prestwick in the two years they have been here.

“The new route to Poznan is yet another indication of this commitment. Poland is a very strong market for us at the present time and we are keen to capitalise by offering new services.”

He added: “To finish second and then first in the Wizz league table in consecutive months is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates even further the strong working relationship between the two companies.”


Jules Matteoni, manager of Prestwick Handling, was delighted that his team helped the airport to seal top spot in December’s league table.

He said: “This shows our commitment to ensuring that airlines and their passengers have a brilliant experience here, with a focus on ensuring that delays are minimised and that passengers’ journeys are totally stress-free.

“Successful low cost airlines like Wizz have very high standards when it comes to on-time performance and I’m proud of my team for demonstrating how well we look after our airline customers here.”

In addition to handling aircraft for Wizz, Glasgow Prestwick has recently adopted a trial whereby Wizz passengers will be able to check-in four hours before departure, which it is hoped will lead to less queuing and congestion in the terminal during peak periods.

Passengers travelling on the new route to Poznan are entitled to free rail travel to and from anywhere in Scotland for the first six months of its operation, and half price rail travel thereafter.

Passengers simply present their official flight confirmation at the airport information desk or any staffed railway station to take advantage of the offer.

Wizz Air anticipates that it will carry approximately 300, 000 passengers on its Poznan routes in 2008.

Wizz Air currently operates a young fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft on more than 90 routes. The airline offers flights to and from Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania. Wizz Air carried over 3 million passengers in 2006.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is located 32 miles south of Glasgow City Centre and celebrated its 70th birthday in 2005.

The airport currently handles approximately 2.5 million passengers per year and offers more than 30 scheduled services to European destinations, as well as charter flights to popular holiday spots. Glasgow Prestwick has excellent road and rail links to the rest of Scotland.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.infratil.com

www.wizzair.com

Ryanair doubles daily flights between
Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Bournemouth

RYANAIR will operate two daily flights between Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Bournemouth for the summer 2008 season, starting on Thursday 3 April.


The move provides both business and leisure travellers with greater flexibility when moving between Scotland and the south coast of England, while also providing direct competition to services operating out of Glasgow Abbotsinch.

Ryanair’s head of sales and marketing Caroline Baldwin commented: “We are delighted with the extra daily flight between Glasgow Prestwick and Bournemouth as it will make life a lot easier, particularly for the business travellers in both regions, who will have the opportunity to travel out and back in the same day.

“It is also an added incentive for people in the south of England to make the most of the fantastic shopping Glasgow has to offer with easy access to the city centre, and with Ryanair’s low fares it becomes cheaper than travelling to London!”

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell added: “Ryanair are well-known for their ability to spot gaps in the market, and by making the Bournemouth service double daily they are making it a viable route for day trippers and business travellers.”

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.ryanair.com

www.bournemouthairport.com

Ayrshire Scotland Business News -
where Ayrshire business news breaks first!

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive
reports record festive season traffic


GLASGOW PRESTWICK AIRPORT chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured above) reports that the Ayrshire airport will be seeing record passenger numbers over the festive period.

Between Friday 21 December and Wednesday 2 January, around 80,000 passengers will pass through the airport – 40,000 inbound and 40,000 outbound.

The total of 80,000 compares very favourably with the same 10-day period last year, when the airport handled approximately 64,000 passengers – an increase of 25%.

New routes introduced since then include Belfast, Budapest, Kaunas, Katowice and Cork. Poznan will start operating in January.

Most popular routes –

London Stansted – 13,500 in total with 7,000 inbound and 6,500 outbound;

Dublin – 7,500 in total with 4,000 inbound and 3,500 outbound;

Paris – 7,000 in total with 3,500 inbound and 3,500 outbound.

ALL flights are operating at an average of just over 80% capacity.

20,000 passengers (with a 50/50 inbound outbound split) will travel on Irish services to Dublin, Belfast, Shannon, Derry, Donegal and Cork.

THE report of these record passenger figures comes in the same week as Infratil, the company which owns Glasgow Prestwick Airport, has scooped two top business accolades at a prestigious award ceremony in its home country of New Zealand.

Infratil received the Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year award for 2007, while their chief executive Lloyd Morrison was named Executive of the Year despite strong competition from fellow captains of industry.

The company is well-known for creating shareholder wealth, with average returns of more than 20% per annum since its first investment in 1994.

Judges described Infratil as “one of the world’s most enlightened, best managed, focused and risk-wise investors in growth infrastructure. It is thoughtfully led, articulates its strategy and corporate objectives, and has performed consistently over time.”

They also recognised the organisation’s growing influence beyond its native shores: “Infratil has stepped beyond New Zealand with investments in Australia and Europe. It understands the importance and relevance of the world’s changing environment.”

Infratil Airports chief executive Steve Fitzgerald commented: “We are very confident that our European airport investment strategy will deliver strong returns in the longer term by exhibiting the characteristics the judges have recognised. 

“There are many opportunities to develop the excellent airports we currently own, and we remain on the lookout for new opportunities.”

The awards - in their 18th year and generally regarded as the most prestigious business awards in New Zealand - were a personal triumph for Lloyd Morrison, who is also chairman of Infratil Airports Europe in addition to his role as chief executive of Infratil.

The judges commented: “Lloyd Morrison is an astute and strategically brilliant chief executive. He questions, probes and challenges conventional wisdom.”

They added: “Morrison is an outstanding executive in tune with the market, economic issues and environmental realities. He is also in sync with the needs and aspirations of his employees.”

Morrison founded Infratil and remains the driving force behind the company, which is managed by Morrison & Co – his own firm which specialises in managing and investing in infrastructure assets.

In addition to Glasgow Prestwick, Infratil owns Kent International Airport, Lübeck Airport in Germany, two-thirds of Wellington Airport and a number of energy (mainly renewable) operations and public transport services.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.infratil.com

Glasgow Prestwick Airport flies Ayrshire pupils
to their favourite destinations

PUPILS from ten Prestwick and Troon primary schools have visited Glasgow Prestwick Airport to receive tickets to some of Europe’s top cities.

The group took part in Destination Challenge – a venture between the airport and local schools – and came up trumps amongst their peers.


Primary seven classes at Barassie, Dundonald, Glenburn, Heathfield, Kingcase, Monkton, Muirhead, Struthers, Symington and Troon primaries were given a destination to study.

The pupils had to report back individually with their findings and the winners will be jetting off to the places they have swotted up on.

Class teachers picked the top five entries from each class and airport management selected the overall winner for each class, who received three flight tickets to the places they studied including Paris, Oslo, Frankfurt, Riga, Budapest and many more.

This is the second time schools have taken part in the project after it was successfully launched earlier this year.

Entries were judged on creativity, best effort, knowledge of the area, airline and airport; cultural understanding and history of the area.


The winners received a tour of Glasgow Prestwick Airport during their visit, and chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured centre above) presented the prizes.

Mark commented: “This project is a fantastic initiative, and a great link between the airport and local schools, as it offers the best possible incentive to learn about these destinations – the chance to actually visit them.

“It was hard to select the winners due to the standard being very high, and it was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into producing them. We hope they enjoy their adventures abroad.”


Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce business liaison officer Claire Baird added: “We are working with schools right across Ayrshire to expand their involvement in local businesses and we were delighted to be involved with the Airport’s Destination Challenge project. 

“The students were not only given the chance to learn about a new country but were given the opportunity to win a trip to that country.

“This is a great example of how business involvement adds value to what young people learn at school.”

The full list of winners is as follows –


SCHOOL: WINNERS NAME
BARASSIE: JENNIFER SORBIE
BARASSIE: PAUL BRYDEN
DUNDONALD: LEWIS REID
GLENBURN: CAITLIN BELL
GLENBURN: CHELSEY WELLS
GLENBURN: KIRSTIN EDGAR
HEATHFIELD: BILLIE CLEEVE
HEATHFIELD: ANDREW HUNTER
HEATHFIELD: LAUREN MCKIE
KINGCASE: SUSAN MACKIE
KINGCASE: NICOLA JOHNSTON
MONKTON: MARK WILSON
MUIRHEAD: MORGAN BROWN
STRUTHERS: HEATHER MACKINTOSH
STRUTHERS: MARK MCGUFFIE
SYMINGTON: RACHEL MCDERMENT
TROON: ASHLEIGH CARLILE
TROON: JORDAN GANNON

www.glasgowprestwick.com

Children's flight to Lapland lifts off from Glasgow Prestwick Airport

CHILDREN from all over Scotland arrived at Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire this morning set for a memorable visit to Lapland.


[Picture shows: Glasgow Prestwick Airport's Carrie Paterson and Gemma Rooney with six-year-old Keiran MacLean.]

Every year the charity When You Wish Upon A Star take planeloads of courageous youngsters who suffer from life threatening illnesses to meet the real Santa Claus.

And this morning the Nottingham-based charity took to the skies from Prestwick for the second time, after last year’s trip - their first from Scotland - was deemed a huge success.

An aircraft carrying 70 youngsters, family members and carers on board took off at 7am this morning and is due to return at 9.30pm tonight.

Also on board and tasked with keeping spirits high throughout the day were the BBC’s Jeremy Spake, who has close links with When You Wish Upon A Star, and Chico of X Factor fame.


[Picture shows: Chico seen with Keith & Kay Stephen and their six-year-old son Gregor.]

The trip allows the brave youngsters and their families to put their troubles aside for a short time, and Lapland has plenty to keep them occupied, with giant snowmen and sleigh rides with Rudolph and teams of huskies among the attractions.

The mood was best summed up by East Kilbride mum Tammi McManus who was travelling with her six-year-old son Anton, who was supposed to visit Lapland with the charity last year, but was unable to travel.