China’s national airline, Air China, arrives at Prestwick to complete an incredible hat-trick of new freight carriers serving Scotland through Ayrshire
- Ayrshire Daily News
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Air China Cargo will base an operational and commercial team at Prestwick to develop their UK freighter operations and support the Prestwick service.
Doug Maclean – Ayrshire Daily News Aviation Editor
Just before 9 a.m. today the first ever Air China freight flight arrived in Scotland. The highly respected National Flag Carrier of China has chosen Prestwick to start its first ever scheduled freight flights between Scotland and China.
What a few months for Prestwick and Scotland. I have been involved in aviation for more than 40 years and have witnessed the rise and decline of services through Prestwick several times. I have seen the centre of civil airline operations drift east with Prestwick having to find new ways to keep the airport healthy and profitable.
Prestwick has diversified its business and the strong growth of maintenance companies and technical fuel stops for long range civil and military aircraft has turned the airport into a consistently profitable business.
The scheduled airline business has remained static for quite a few years with the main passenger airline Ryanair and the main freight airlines Cargolux and Air France. Charter operations use Prestwick on occasions and the “can do” attitude of staff right across the airfield has always kept those customers satisfied.
Today’s arrival of Air China quickens the pace of the rise in air freight traffic connecting Scotland and China.
When Ayrshire Daily News reported live from Prestwick, in the middle of a cold February night, we recorded the justified pride of Prestwick staff as they secured Scotland’s first allfreight route direct to China with HongKong Air Cargo Airlines.
Only 2 weeks ago we watched a second airline join the cargo route to the Far East when the world’s 4th biggest airline, China Southern arrived with a very significant 4 times a week service to the eastern city of Changzhou.
2 new airlines of such significance starting operations from Prestwick seemed the culmination of years of hard work marketing Prestwick’s advantages to the world.
However Prestwick Airport Chief Executive Ian Forgie intriguingly said that day “We anticipate this new trade route (to China) will grow rapidly in 2025 as Prestwick delivers on its 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.”
Little did we realise that “soon” would mean today and “further announcements” would mean that Air China, the National Carrier of China, would also start services from Prestwick. It is hard to describe just how huge this announcement is for Scotland.
Air China is proud to be the National Flag Carrier of a nation of over 1.4 billion people. The airline usually only operate from capital cities and have never operated scheduled services from Scotland. They operate with a long term plan in mind and usually build up routes and stay on those routes for many years. The new service to Guangzhou will start at an initial 3 return flights a week and Air China are bringing staff to develop the route.
But what has attracted Air China to Prestwick? Ayrshire Daily News reported last year that a multi million pound investment in new freight handling equipment was a smart piece of business. We followed the story as Prestwick signed an agreement with Royal Mail to become an e commerce hub. In ordinary terms that means goods bought online arrive at Prestwick, are cleared through customs and taken to a specially developed handling centre at the airport. There the packages are sorted for delivery to different regions around the UK. Then they are loaded on to Royal Mail trucks and sent on their way in double quick time. See our interview with Prestwick’s Business Development Director Nico Le Roux in the link below.
Imports to Scotland are already strong but the Boeing 777 freighters, with their 105 tonne capacity, are unlikely to make money by flying empty on the 11 hour return leg direct to eastern China. In a short time there will likely be daily flights direct to China from Prestwick. Indications are that there is a growing attraction for exporters across the UK to send their goods via Prestwick. The newly based Air China staff will be able to turn that attraction into freight bookings out of Prestwick.
On this momentous day we say Failte Gu Alba (welcome to Scotland) to our new premium brand airline, Air China. We hope they prosper in their relationship with Prestwick.
The freight flights list for today and tomorrow is mightily impressive. It shows arrivals from Los Angeles, Beijing, Houston, Guangzhou, Miami and Chicago.
Once again we say well done Team Prestwick. You do us all proud.
Interview with Nico Le Roux at Prestwick
