Hundreds of new jobs are set to be created following the announcement of a €46.3 million investment project at Prestwick Airport in Scotland.
Around 450 highly skilled engineering and mechanic roles, along with 60 apprenticeships, will be generated through a major expansion of Ryanair’s maintenance facility at the South Ayrshire site, reports Breaking News.
A new 11,938 square metre, four-bay heavy maintenance hangar will be constructed, increasing the number of Ryanair maintenance bays from six to 10.
The airline said the expansion will make the site its largest heavy maintenance facility and a key hub for aircraft maintenance and training, reports Breaking News.
The Scottish Government said it will co-invest €17.4 million (£15 million) in the project alongside Scottish Enterprise, while the UK Government will contribute nearly €5.8 million (£5 million).
The development follows Ryanair’s earlier €5.8 million (£5 million) investment in its Prestwick training academy, which opened in October 2024 and has delivered 500 jobs, reports Breaking News.
Ryanair chief executive Eddie Wilson said: “As Europe’s number one airline, we are pleased to announce a further £40 million investment at Prestwick Airport, expanding our existing maintenance facility from six to 10 bays and creating 450 new highly-skilled engineering and mechanic jobs, including 60 apprenticeships. This new state-of-the-art, four-bay hangar and component workshops will make Prestwick our largest heavy maintenance facility, and a key part of how we will maintain and support our fleet as we continue to grow to 800 aircraft and 300 million passengers by 2034,” reports Breaking News.
“Today’s announcement builds on the £5 million investment and 500 jobs delivered with our Prestwick training academy, opened in October 2024. Together, these investments underline Ryanair’s long-term commitment to Scotland, to high-quality engineering and mechanic jobs, and to developing the next generation of aviation talent here in Ayrshire,” reports Breaking News.
“We thank Deputy First Minister Forbes and the Scottish Government, the UK Government, South Ayrshire Council, Scottish Enterprise and Prestwick Airport for their support and partnership on this expansion.
“Their focused approach in backing this project has been crucial in enabling us to grow Prestwick into a major heavy maintenance and training hub that will deliver skilled careers and economic benefits for many years to come, reports Breaking News.
John Swinney said: “I am delighted that Scottish Government investment will support the creation of 450 skilled jobs at Prestwick, which will have a major economic impact in Ayrshire and beyond. Ryanair has chosen to expand at Prestwick because of the talent and expertise on the ground, and it is testament to the skills of the existing workforce. My Government will continue to do everything in our power to support the creation of good jobs and to support economic growth in Scotland, reports Breaking News.
The First Minister also praised his deputy during his speech at Prestwick, saying: “One of the pivotal contributions in making this happen has come from my deputy, Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister, who has put what can only be described as a superhuman zeal into making sure that investments are landed for Scotland.
“Over the two years that Kate has been the Deputy First Minister, thousands and thousands of jobs have come to Scotland because of her willingness and aptitude to make deals happen, to build relationships and friendships, and to make sure that we can land investments in a very specific timescale,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Swinney said he is still “coming to terms with the fact” that Ms Forbes is stepping down as his deputy and as an MSP at the May election.
He added: “On this occasion, perhaps one of the last occasions I will have to express publicly my appreciation to Kate Forbes, I want to say, on behalf of the people of Scotland, the warmest thanks for diligent efforts to make sure that lives are improved,” reports Breaking News.
The UK Government is contributing €5.67 million (£4.9 million towards enabling infrastructure for Ryanair’s heavy maintenance hangar, forming part of a wider €36.8 million (£32 million) investment in the Prestwick aerospace cluster aimed at establishing Ayrshire as a leading UK aerospace hub.
Kirsty McNeill said: “This is a fantastic example of significant public sector funding – including £32 million UK Government Ayrshire growth deal money for the Prestwick aerospace cluster – unlocking substantial private sector investment, boosting employment and driving economic renewal in Scotland, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
