Prestwick Aerosystems is the new sign over the door that signifies another chapter in the history of Scotland’s biggest aerospace manufacturing site
- Ayrshire Daily News
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Aviation Editor Doug Maclean – 21st January 2021
On December 8th a press release from the Airbus SE announced they had completed the acquisition of many aircraft manufacturing sites owned by Spirit Aerosystems. The Spirit manufacturing site at Prestwick had been working for both Airbus and Boeing.
Picture Eddie Wallace
Prestwick Aerosystems is the new name for aircraft manufacturing at the Monkton site and the vast majority of its staff are now employed by an affiliate company of Airbus. A smaller number of staff working at the Innovation Centre have transferred to Boeing.
Prestwick Aerosystems and will continue to manufacture key wing sections for the best selling Airbus 320 family of aircraft. An incredible 20,584 A320 family aircraft have been ordered with 12,954 aircraft delivered. (Source Airbus)
The site also manufactures parts for the much larger A350 family of aircraft where 1,529 aircraft have been ordered and 699 delivered.
Prestwick Aerosystems name now adorns the huge building known as the Palace of Engineering at Prestwick airport. It will continue the proud history of the site which started as Scottish Aviation and became British Aerospace, BAe Systems and until now Spirit Aerosystems.
Allan Mackintosh of Prestwick Aviation Tours tells us that The Palace of Engineering, now known as Building 1, is a striking Art Deco structure with a fascinating history tied to both Scotland’s pre-war exhibition legacy and wartime aviation needs.
It was originally constructed in 1938 as the centrepiece of the Empire Exhibition held in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. Designed by architect Thomas Tait it was the largest building at the exhibition, showcasing engineering and industrial achievements of the British Empire.
With the onset of World War II, the building was dismantled and relocated to Prestwick to support the expanding operations of Scottish Aviation Ltd founded in the 1930s by David McIntyre. The relocation occurred “brick by brick” over a four-month period from April to September 1940. It was re-erected on the north side of the airfield as a major hangar and engineering facility.
During WWII, Prestwick became a key site for the Atlantic Ferry Organisation, handling thousands of American aircraft deliveries under Lend-Lease, maintenance, repairs, and conversions. The Palace of Engineering played a vital role as a large hangar for aircraft repair and maintenance work amid the airfield’s rapid wartime growth. An incredible 37,000 aircraft landings and take offs were recorded between 1941 and 1945. The building was affectionately nicknamed “The Palace” by locals and workers—a name that persists today.
Post-war, it continued as part of Scottish Aviation’s facilities, supporting aircraft production namely the Prestwick Pioneer, Twin Pioneer and later Jetstream and Bulldog aircraft under British Aerospace/BAe Systems. The building remains an excellent surviving example of 1930s Art Deco architecture and is a listed building by Historic Environment Scotland.
The Palace is a symbol of Prestwick’s past and present and still used for aerospace engineering and manufacturing work. It stands proudly on the north side of the airport, opposite the main passenger terminal, overlooking the modern international operations at Prestwick. The structure symbolises the airport’s evolution from 1930s training field to WWII hub, transatlantic gateway, and ongoing aerospace centre.
It’s a rare preserved piece of both exhibition and aviation history, and local tours (like those by Prestwick Aviation Tours) often highlight it as a highlight of the site’s story.
