Prestwick Airport Through Time

Prestwick Airport is a major international freight hub and is the only airport in Scotland to be connected by rail. It also has the second-longest runway in Scotland, accommodating all types of aircraft with no requirement for future extension. Its aviation history began in around 1913 when it was developed as a pilot training airfield, and during the Second World War it was involved in fitting and maintaining military aircraft delivered from the USA. Post-war, it retained a military role building STOL (short takeoff and landing) utility aircraft while a civilian airport grew alongside to accommodate commercial air travel. Prestwick quickly achieved the status of the trans-Atlantic gateway to Scotland, prompting major expansion work in the 1960s to keep pace with the rising number of passengers. Prestwick sits in third place after Glasgow International and Edinburgh Airports in passenger traffic terms, and in 2016 was selected to become one of Europe's first spaceports.