Glasgow Prestwick Airport Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Glasgow Prestwick Airport

IATA: PIK
ICAO: EGPK

Summary

Airport type

Public

Owner

Scottish Government

Operator

Prestwick Aviation Holdings Ltd

Serves

Glasgow, Prestwick, Strathclyde

Location

Prestwick, Scotland, UK

Elevation AMSL

65 ft / 20 m

Coordinates

55°30′34″N 004°35′40″W / 55.50944°N 4.59444°W

Website

glasgowprestwick.com

Map

EGPK

Location in South Ayrshire

Runway

Runway	Length		Surface
Runway	m	ft	Surface
12/30	2,986	9,797	Concrete/Asphalt
03/21	1,905	6,250	Asphalt

Statistics (2018)

Passengers	681,715
Passenger change 17-18	2.1%
Aircraft movements	24,904
Movements change 17-18	0.0%

Sources: UK AIP at NATS
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK/EGPK) is an airport in Scotland. It is the second airport that serves the city of Glasgow. You can find it about 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Glasgow city centre. It is also very close to the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire.

Even though Prestwick is Scotland's largest airport by size, other airports like Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow International handle more passengers. The busiest year for Prestwick was 2007. Since then, fewer people have flown through the airport. For example, in 2011, about 1.3 million passengers used the airport.

History of Prestwick Airport
Royal Navy at Prestwick
- Search and Rescue Missions
Images for kids
See also

History of Prestwick Airport

Early Days and Owners

The airport was first owned by Douglas Fowler McIntyre and the Duke of Hamilton. These two people were famous for being the first to fly a plane over Mount Everest in 1933.

World War II and Military Use

During and after World War II, Prestwick Airport was used as a base for the Royal Air Force. Later, in 1952, it became a base for the United States Air Force.

Growing Bigger

In the early 1960s, the airport was made much bigger. Its runway was made longer, and a brand new building for passengers was built. The new, larger airport officially opened in 1964. Today, most flights from Glasgow Prestwick are operated by Ryanair, a popular airline.

Airport for Sale

In 2012, the company that owned Prestwick Airport, Infratil, announced that they wanted to sell it. The head of the company said he was happy with the decision to sell.

Royal Navy at Prestwick

A part of Glasgow Prestwick Airport is used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. This is the part of the navy that uses aircraft. They have three Sea King helicopters stationed there. These helicopters are used for important search and rescue missions.

Search and Rescue Missions

The search and rescue team from Prestwick covers a very large area. This includes places like Ben Nevis, the Lake District, Northern Ireland, and even far out into the Atlantic Ocean. This group is often called 'HMS Gannet'. About 15 officers, 11 ratings (another type of naval staff), 28 government workers, and 50 civilian staff work at this base.