Minister opens £10m Prestwick maintenance hanger

Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling has opened Ryanair's new £10m aircraft maintenance hangar at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Joining Mr Darling at today's opening ceremony was Ryanair chairman, Michael O'Leary.

Over the next five years, around 180 new jobs will be created, providing work for engineers, technicians, mechanics, and apprentices. The hangar will be used by the company for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul and will be large enough to accommodate three Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Welcoming the major investment at Prestwick airport, Mr Darling said: "The Government wants to promote the setting up of a number of centres of excellence in civil aircraft engineering at airports around the country. The aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul sector will be vital in supporting growth in air travel over the next thirty years.

"This maintenance facility is a vote of confidence by both the public and private sectors in the West of Scotland's aerospace sector and in the prospects for future growth in Scotland's airports and air services. It is a notable step forward in developing Glasgow Prestwick as a centre of excellence for aircraft operations.

"The Scottish Executive and its agencies have already published an Aerospace Strategy for Scotland. The new facility here at Prestwick will encourage other airlines and aerospace companies to consider the West of Scotland as a potential location for future aircraft maintenance and aerospace investment".

Glasgow Prestwick is Scotland's fastest growing airport, with 1.85 million passengers using the airport in 2003 and 2.5m forecast for 2004.

Published in December 2003, the Future of Air Transport White Paper, which set out a 30-year framework for the development of air transport in the UK, recognised Glasgow Prestwick's important role as a freight airport and as part of a broader West of Scotland Centre of Excellence.

Recognising the importance of the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul sector, in sustaining the anticipated growth in air travel, the report highlighted the urgent need to address the shortage of licensed engineers and other qualified technical personnel and the need to reduce pressure at the busy London airports, so freeing up space for additional passenger and freight facilities.

Ryanair, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire and Scottish Development International have funded the project at Prestwick jointly.

The new facility has cost £10m to develop, £2m of which was provided through the Scottish Executive's Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) scheme.

Applied retrospectively the grant will depend on the number of jobs the maintenance facility will create.

(SP)