Cargo Boom Drives Glasgow Prestwick to Seventh Straight Year in Profit

Rapid expansion in international freight services and investment in specialist handling facilities underpin another profitable year for Scotland's leading cargo airport.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport has credited exceptional growth in its air freight business with delivering a seventh consecutive year of profitability, as international cargo volumes continue to rise and investment in specialist logistics facilities gathers pace.

Over the past 12 months, the airport handled more than 46,000 tonnes of freight—around four times the volume recorded a year earlier—reflecting a significant expansion in long-haul cargo services and growing demand for dedicated freight capacity between the UK and Asia.

A major contributor to that growth has been the launch and expansion of scheduled freighter operations linking Prestwick with mainland China and Hong Kong. The airport now supports 15 weekly cargo flights from mainland China alongside three additional weekly services from Hong Kong, strengthening its position as an important gateway for both imported goods and UK exports.

The airport's dedicated e-commerce operation has also continued to expand. Since opening, Terminal E has processed more than 33 million parcels, with logistics companies including Royal Mail and Evri using the facility to transfer consignments directly from arriving aircraft into domestic distribution networks, reducing processing times for online retail deliveries.

Alongside its e-commerce capability, Prestwick has invested heavily in temperature-controlled cargo handling to support sectors requiring tightly managed logistics. New infrastructure includes expanded chilled storage, enhanced monitoring systems, specialist screening procedures and dedicated operational staff, enabling the airport to increase its handling of pharmaceutical products, perishables and other sensitive freight.

One of the biggest beneficiaries has been Scotland's seafood industry. During the first half of 2026 alone, approximately 1.78 million kilograms of Scottish salmon were exported through Prestwick, highlighting the airport's growing importance to international food supply chains.

The continued expansion of freight activity has also delivered wider economic benefits, with more than 250 jobs created across cargo handling, fuelling operations, air traffic control and logistics support. Prestwick attributes much of its operational resilience to its integrated in-house operating model, which allows key airport services to be managed under one organisation.

Industry recognition followed during the year when Glasgow Prestwick Airport was named Air Freight Business of the Year at the Logistics UK Awards, acknowledging its contribution to strengthening UK supply chains and supporting Scottish exporters.

Looking ahead, the airport plans to build further on its freight success by expanding scheduled cargo services, increasing e-commerce throughput and continuing investment in specialist facilities for pharmaceuticals, aerospace components, energy products and other high-value cargo markets.

As demand for dedicated air freight continues to grow, Prestwick is positioning itself as one of the UK's fastest-growing cargo airports, with investment in infrastructure and specialist logistics services expected to remain central to its long-term strategy.