Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK)
History, Facts and Overview

(Glasgow, Scotland)

It is known that planes have been using the current site of Glasgow Prestwick Airport since as early as 1913, around 100 years ago. Sited within the meadows and to one side of the village of Monkton, Prestwick Airport served as a training ground for pilots before the Second World War. The war years saw the site quickly develop into an important and extremely busy regional airport for this part of Scotland.

Post-war, Glasgow Prestwick Airport soon began to offer commercial transatlantic flights and the 17th-century Orangefield House became the terminal, complete with its own control tower perched on the roof. However, sadly this history building was demolished in 1966 to make was for new taxiways, being replaced by a more modern and suitable terminal building.


In the 1970s, services were scaled down and the site was used mainly for training purposes once more, with most passenger planes flying to the more northerly Glasgow International Airport (PIK). However, after the introduction of an adjacent railway line in the mid-1990s, the future of the airport was once again rosy and many budget airlines soon began operating here, including Ryanair, along with an increasing number of cargo flights.

Essential facilities at Glasgow Prestwick Airport include a Travelex outlet located adjacent to the entrance for departures and there is also an ATM nearby, as well as a further cashpoint in the Departures Lounge. Other facilities include left luggage, baby care rooms, an amusement arcade and room for prayers, along with eateries. These include the Food Village, Alloway Bar, Starbucks and the Bar Des Voyageurs, a friendly traditional pub serving hot food.

Shoppers will find plenty of stores where they can purchase gifts, snacks, newspapers, magazines, soft drinks and more. Situated in the Departures Lounge, the Nuance Tax and Duty Free outlets is a good place to find last-minute presents and offers a shop and collect service free of charge. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is also home to branches of Alpha Retail, Peckhams, Sacho and WHSmith.

For business travellers, Glasgow Prestwick Airport offers the Aviator Suite and the Syndicate seminar room for conferences and standard business facilities. There are also a series of Internet kiosks on the first floor of the terminal and in the Departures Lounge, while wireless access is available throughout the airport.