Prestwick scores a golden hat trick as 3rd Chinese airline starts new freight service today

Analysis of market trends and smart investment at Prestwick pays off in spectacular fashion.

Aviation Editor Doug Maclean

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A couple of years ago Prestwick airport management did a deep dive into market trends. Prestwick has always faced stiff competition in its business and it has survived by adapting to airline trends and providing the best service it can to all of its wide customer base.

Business Development Director Nico Le Roux and the Board identified that e commerce (buying online and getting quick delivery) was a trend that has a long term future

The airport invested millions of pounds in new equipment, but crucially it also invested in people and airport property.

They set up a whole new freight handling and processing centre utilising a very large building previously used by a major freight trucking company

200 jobs have been created with the likelihood that more will follow. The idea is that Prestwick will utilise their 24 hour a day availability and their capability of handling the world’s biggest aircraft.

Prestwick aimed to offload a full 100 tonne aircraft and reload it with outboard freight in less than 2 hours. The reliability of the Prestwick operation, aided by its new freight handling equipment, has been remarkable. Most flights are meeting the airline target turn round time no matter whether it is day or night.

Whereas Heathrow has no jet movements overnight Prestwick has no flight restrictions. This is a key component of the Prestwick service as the flights from China often take between 11 and 12 hours flying time. Multiple weather or operational scenarios can delay a flight by a few hours. At Prestwick that’s not a problem whereas at Heathrow it would mean a flight diversion or cancellation.

The idea that Prestwick could compete and beat the likes of Heathrow on certain freight operations seemed fanciful. However the foresight shown by the Prestwick management team has proved a master stroke with the news today that a third Chinese airline, Jiangxi Airlines, will arrive at Prestwick on a scheduled service from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.

Operated by Capital Airlines on behalf of Jiangxi they are starting into Prestwick 4 times a week. Capital will fly the route for them using their Airbus A330F freighters.

That gives us the slightly surreal fact that we could see 3 different Chinese airlines operating into Prestwick on any single day from now on.

Freight exporters require reasonably frequent flights that operate reliably. From almost nowhere Prestwick has built an e commerce handling operation which is exactly what the freight companies want. It is fully available for UK exports to China. Now we wait to see how many UK companies switch operations to Prestwick’s unmatched opportunities.

But what of the future ? The great news is that having scored this remarkable hat trick of successes team Prestwick are going all out for more.

Hong Kong Air Cargo started the Prestwick Chinese revolution with a proving flight in February. An unexpected shortage of aircraft availability has meant that they did not convert their interest into scheduled flights. Ayrshire Daily News believes that a scheduled freight service to Hong Kong is still on the cards.

Other airlines are seriously investigating Prestwick as a UK freight hub. New links and services to Europe and USA may yet follow.

India is also a market where Prestwick are very active. They are looking to replicate their success with Chinese Airlines in the world’s most populated democracy. Who would now bet against the next new arrival coming from India ?

On the passenger side there has been little change for several years. Ryanair operate the only scheduled passenger flights. That position will be hard to change but hard work seems to be a positive challenge to Team Prestwick.

The Irish Aviation Authority has published a list of new runway slots for arrivals and departure at Dublin. An unnamed regional airline has been awarded slots for a new daily service between Prestwick and Dublin.

The allocation of runway slots does not automatically mean that an airline is about to start operating but it does prove that Prestwick is being considered by a host of airlines for different services.

Today’s arrival is another real boost for Prestwick airport and further assurance for its long term viability. Long may the good news announcements continue.