PIK

[Clive]

Utterly political to keep the terminal open . . . and Ryanair know it!

If it is costing Ryanair £0 to operate passenger flights from PIK from a very small base with locally based crew then no need to consider giving up or moving elsewhere - it also gives an opportunity to rotate aircraft through for maintenance

I suspect it is easy for PIK to recruit and retain local part-time staff for the few days a week in the winter with the carrot, if they want it, of more hours in the summer (no different from EDI or GLA but just on a micro scale)

The airport management run the airport, not the government.

I agree re day-to-day operations but closing down pax ops is almost certainly a 'red line' from the owner ie Scottish Ministers (Government) which management cannot cross

I wonder if you or anyone else with a professional sort of air could make an FOI request to ascertain this. If it is true then myself and the likes of GLA bosses would rightly pressurise the current Scottish Government to remove this stipulation. Also if it’s not true we could just stop saying it.

[atuk]

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.

When PIK was a protected BAA “asset” it prevented any trans Atlantic operations being flown from any other Scottish airport! So, you could fly from EXT or LBA; BHX or NCL to Canada with Worldways but not from GLA or EDI. PIK limped along with wide bodied services; far in excess of any justifiable frequency on 747s and TriStars! The right aircraft of the day was the 767-200.

Thankfully common sense prevailed when GLA Air 2000 took them to task regards operations to MCO which required to stop at PIK. Cecil,Parkinson was the then transport minister who overturned this stupid, anachronistic ruling much to the chagrin of Messrs Foulkes and Younger.

To keep the status quo of pax ops at PIK is in effect a back door subsidy against similar routes flown from EDI and GLA with their own based airlines.

I personally can’t think of any other airport in any other European country which would operate in this manner!

[Clive]

To keep the status quo of pax ops at PIK is in effect a back door subsidy against similar routes flown from EDI and GLA with their own based airlines.

I personally can’t think of any other airport in any other European country which would operate in this manner!

This was exactly the same when PIK was privately owned and going down the pan.

And the time you described before Open Skies, pre-1990, was before devolution and before BAA was privatised. The owners then being the British Government in the same way as the business is owned by the sitting Scottish Government of the day of whatever colour gets elected each parliamentary term.

Ignorant people think it’s owned by the SNP. It’s not. It’s owned by the people of Scotland through the transport department of the governments they elect. Same with HIAL.

[Clive]

Airport workers set to strike

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/sco ... y-dispute/

Another public sector debacle!

Strike action has been postponed after an improved pay offer was put to Unite members.

[McG]

Genuine question:

With commercial energy prices going to be a lot higher than domestic energy prices this winter, can PIK afford to open for such limited flights per week?

[GKirk]

Perhaps the airport have asked Ryanair to only operate Thursday-Monday, in order to keep costs down?

[Bearsden]

Genuine question:

With commercial energy prices going to be a lot higher than domestic energy prices this winter, can PIK afford to open for such limited flights per week?

PIK will be part of Scottish Government's energy procurement programme which takes out forward contracts for forecast energy usage - a high percentage of this winter's forecast usage will have been bought 18-24 months ago

[Humberside]

Unless some are away based, that means there’s 2 aircraft required on 4 days and 0 on 3. Very odd schedule as it stands.

Not just PIK being operated in this manner - Ryanair's Zagreb base is only operating Fri-Mon this Winter as well (though they will be served by away based aircraft Tue-Thu)
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/08/ry ... -jets.html

[Clive]

The airport management run the airport, not the government.

I agree re day-to-day operations but closing down pax ops is almost certainly a 'red line' from the owner ie Scottish Ministers (Government) which management cannot cross

I wonder if you or anyone else with a professional sort of air could make an FOI request to ascertain this. If it is true then myself and the likes of GLA bosses would rightly pressurise the current Scottish Government to remove this stipulation. Also if it’s not true we could just stop saying it.

Genuine question- does anyone have the wherewithal to make the above Freedom of Information request?

[Bearsden]

I agree re day-to-day operations but closing down pax ops is almost certainly a 'red line' from the owner ie Scottish Ministers (Government) which management cannot cross

I wonder if you or anyone else with a professional sort of air could make an FOI request to ascertain this. If it is true then myself and the likes of GLA bosses would rightly pressurise the current Scottish Government to remove this stipulation. Also if it’s not true we could just stop saying it.

Genuine question- does anyone have the wherewithal to make the above Freedom of Information request?

No 'wherewithal' required (see links below) BUT I would suggest that they will apply exemptions like 'Substantial prejudice to commercial interests' to avoid responding

Freedom of Information
For all Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations please read the link Freedom of Information and Environmental Request Policy and either populate our contact form or write to us using the details below.

Mail: FOI Request, HR Office, Executive Corridor, Aviation House. Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, KA9 2PL or email foi@glasgowprestwick.com