Prestwick’s cargo operation hits an incredible sea food export high in just 4 months

Doug Maclean - Aviation Editor

One million kilos and rocketing upwards.

Since Ayrshire Daily News started reporting on the successful introduction of direct freight flights between Prestwick and China I have always stressed the export potential of these unprecedented scheduled flights.

As exporters came forward with enquiries it became apparent that seafood was an almost perfect cargo to take out of Prestwick.

Again the Prestwick airport Board acted swiftly investing in expensive high-volume metal detectors to scan temperature controlled boxes of fish, temperature exposure and tracking systems, and 87 tonnes of chiller capacity. This allows processing of the premium product, like salmon, to swiftly go through the export process.

Today Prestwick announced that one million kilos of Scottish Salmon has gone through Prestwick in the first 4 months of 2026.

That performance is as remarkable as the arriving flights also being nearly 100% full from day one.

Prestwick’s Scotland to China seafood export service started last September

and included dedicated cool chain personnel operating in temperature-controlled facilities for time-sensitive exports.

The exports took a few months to get into their stride with many regulations and hygiene standards requiring satisfactory evidence to be demonstrated.

Talking about the million kilo exports  Ian Forgie, Chief Executive Officer, Glasgow Prestwick Airport said “This is an important marker for the airport and for the Scottish seafood sector. “

“It shows that exporters are using the new service at scale, and that the investments we have made in cool chain facilities, people, and specialist handling are giving producers a faster and more resilient route to market.”

“Every hour saved between the catch and final market helps protect quality, shelf life, and value for exporters, and that is exactly where Prestwick can make a difference.”

Prestwick’s direct scheduled cargo flights to and from mainland China now number 15. Currently 11 flights are operated by Air China Cargo and 4 by China Southern Logistics per week.

Ethiopian Airlines also added three new weekly Hong Kong cargo flights earlier this month bringing the total between Prestwick and China to 18 per week.

Ethiopian operate their return flights to South Korea and  Vietnam. 2 more completely new destinations from Scotland.

I contacted Scottish Salmon specifically about these new export possibilities for Scottish Salmon

A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland said: “This is a welcome boost for Scottish exporters and comes at an important time as demand for Scottish salmon continues to grow across Asia.”

“Improved access and extra cargo capacity into key markets will give exporters more options and help build on that momentum.

“For fresh premium produce, speed and reliability are crucial. “