Glasgow Prestwick Airport

About Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Glasgow Prestwick Airport lies on the Ayrshire coast, about a mile north-east of Prestwick town and around 32 miles (51 km) south-west of Glasgow. Its passengers come from Ayrshire, Glasgow and the south-west of Scotland. Air freight, business aviation and aircraft servicing are also important to the airport.

UK Civil Aviation Authority figures show 620,699 terminal passengers in 2025, around 16% more than in 2024. There are two runways: the main runway, 12/30, is 2,987 metres long with a concrete surface, and runway 02/20 is 1,906 metres long.

The Scottish Government bought Prestwick in November 2013 to prevent its closure, and it remains in public ownership. Several attempts have been made to sell it to a private buyer. The latest ended in November 2025, when talks with a preferred bidder broke down.

How to get to Glasgow Prestwick Airport

By train

Prestwick is the only airport in Scotland with its own railway station, which the airport owns and runs. The station is on the ScotRail line between Glasgow Central and Ayr, and a covered walkway connects it to the terminal. Two trains an hour run in each direction. Glasgow Central is about 40 minutes away and Ayr about 10 minutes, and passengers for Edinburgh can continue their journey from Glasgow. The platforms have step-free access, help points and live information screens. Tickets are sold online or on the train.

By bus and coach

The Stagecoach X77 express bus between Ayr Bus Station and Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station stops directly outside the terminal on the A79. Buses to Ayr run about every 20 minutes and take around 18 minutes. Buses to Glasgow run about every 30 minutes and take around 44 minutes.

By road

The terminal is less than five minutes from the A77, which connects with the M77 towards Glasgow. The airport estimates driving times of about 40 minutes from Glasgow and 1 hour 45 minutes from Edinburgh. The postcode for sat navs is KA9 2PL. Parking is available on site, and Streamline Taxis operates the taxi rank outside the terminal, with wheelchair-accessible vehicles available.

Terminal and facilities

Catering and retail are available both before and after security, with bars, restaurants, newsagents and duty free shopping. Facilities listed by the airport include:

• Check-in and bag drop, and security screening
• Cash machines dispensing sterling and euros, both before security and in the departure lounge
• Vending machines for hot drinks, cold drinks and snacks
• A prayer room and baby changing facilities
• Special assistance for passengers with visible or hidden disabilities, which should be requested through the airline at least 48 hours before flying
• A published accessibility guide
• Lost property and customer service

Airlines and destinations

Ryanair is the only scheduled passenger airline at Prestwick and bases aircraft there. Its summer 2026 schedule had 10 routes, including Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Lanzarote, Malaga, Murcia, Palma, Pisa and Tenerife, and Gran Canaria is also on the airport's list of destinations. A new winter route to Turin is due to begin in December 2026.

Cargo is a significant part of the airport's business. International freight carriers, among them Chinese cargo airlines, fly into Prestwick, and there is a fixed base operation for private and business aircraft.

History

The airfield was founded by David McIntyre and the Duke of Hamilton, both members of No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron and the first pilots to fly over Mount Everest. Their company, Scottish Aviation Ltd, developed the site, which later gained passenger facilities. During the Second World War the RAF used Prestwick as a base, and it played a key part in ferrying aircraft across the Atlantic. After the war it was the only Scottish airport with transatlantic flights, and the US Air Force also had a presence there. In 1960 Elvis Presley made a stop at Prestwick, the only time he set foot in the UK.

In later decades the airport gained a new terminal, a freight facility and a control tower, and its runway was extended to take large US military aircraft. The airport railway station opened in 1994, and Ryanair became the main passenger airline. In the 2000s passenger numbers peaked at about 2.5 million a year, and world leaders arrived through Prestwick for the 2005 G8 summit. The Scottish Government bought the airport for £1 in 2013.