Glasgow Prestwick passenger numbers increasing

GLASGOW Prestwick Airport welcomed 20,265 passengers in December '“ an 8 per cent increase on the same period in 2014.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport has seen significant passenger increase numbers over December 2015 Picture: John Devlin

Additional flights to six European routes over the festive period helped to boost the figures, with Tenerife, Alicante and Malaga proving to be the most popular destinations in December. As a direct result of the growth in passenger numbers, sales across retail and restaurant concessions increased by 15 per cent during the month.

Looking ahead, the upward trend looks set to continue with the return of flights to Reus and additional flights to Pisa and Malaga confirmed for the summer season. Early indications are that the Malaga flight will add an additional 4,400 passengers during the summer season from May to October.

Commenting on the figures, Mike Stewart, Business Development Director at Glasgow Prestwick Airport said: “This is great news and illustrates that Glasgow Prestwick is moving in the right direction. December was a very positive month and I am delighted that the signs are looking good for continued passenger growth this year through additional flights to Malaga and Pisa, and the return of flights to Reus.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to get the airport on to a sound commercial footing but these latest figures show that the team is working hard to bring new business to Prestwick. It is important that we push on from here and continue to work with all our partners over the coming months as we look to identify new commercial opportunities for Glasgow Prestwick Airport.