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Prestwick Airport Information

Facilities

There are a wide range of facilities available at Prestwick Airport and investment is continuing to constantly improve the services on hand to passengers. The airport has introduced internet kiosks to provide passengers with access to the internet and email whilst en route to or from their destination. Laptop computer or PDA users can also access broadband internet through BT Openzone from anywhere in the terminal.

Business Facilities - The business facilities on offer include the Aviator Suite, available for hire for conferences and events and boasts its own private lounge bar and a range of buffet menus. For smaller gatherings the Syndicate Seminar Room has a range of business services and is also available for hire.

Special Assistance Facilities - For those with special needs Prestwick's range of special facilities include lifts in the railway station for easy access to both floors, a lift in the concourse itself and a stairlift to the Aviator Suite.

Transport

There are regular train services from Glasgow Central station to Prestwick airport and a large number of onward connections are available from the station, including London Euston and Edinburgh Waverley.

The airport also has the Terravision facility, a fast and direct shuttle service at competitive prices between the airport and Glasgow city centre.

If wishing to travel by coach, National Express provide services from throughout the UK to Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre. From there, during the daytime the X77 bus service runs every half an hour and at night it is replaced by the X99, which runs last thing at night and first thing in the morning.

History

Although aircraft were recorded on the site of Prestwick airport in 1913, there were no developments on the site until 1934 when there were a few small planes using the Meadows at the end of Monkton Village. David McIntyre set up Scottish Aviation Ltd in 1935 and acquired the 348 acres of Ayrshire countryside just behind Orangefield house, developing it as a training airfield with a control tower, a hangar for Tiger Moth bi-planes, offices and lecture rooms.

Training was halted with the onset of World War II and the site was used as a base for US aircraft deliveries under the Lend Lease programme and on occasion, up to 300 aircraft arrived for onward delivery. Scottish Aviation Ltd began production of aircraft at Prestwick and this continued until production of the BAE Jetstream ceased in 1998. In 1941 the Palace of Engineering, built in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow for the 1938 Empire Exhibition was moved to the Prestwick site from Glasgow. This magnificent example of Art Deco architecture still stands on the airport grounds today.

Once the war was over the 17th century Orangefield House, built in 1690 by local landlord Dr Hugh Baillie, was used as a terminal building but this was demolished in 1966 to make way for a new parallel taxiway. The only known remaining items from Orangefield House are the murals which once decorated the main lounge and the maple floor which now graces the Aviator Suite function room in the present terminal building.

In 1958 plans were drawn up to develop the airport, including a new terminal building, freight building, runway extension and control tower. Also it was decided that a loop road around the airport was required because the main road out of Prestwick towards Monkton passed across the runway. The new control tower was completed in April 1964 and in September 1964 Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother officially opened the present terminal building.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport has always been at the forefront of Scottish Aviation and was known as the transatlantic gateway during the 1960s to 1980s. The airport is still looking to expand however, and in recent years can boast around 2 million passengers a year.