WORLD AIRPORTS


F


AIR CARG O WEEK


24/7 STRATEGY DELIVERS FOR GLOBAL FREIGHT


BY Edward HARDY T At


hanks to its round-the-clock operations, fast turnaround times, and tailored support for specialist cargo sectors including


e-commerce the heart of and seafood exports,


Prestwick Airport is continuing to attract operators looking to tap into the European market. the airport’s appeal


access—something few UK airports can


freight operators to optimise schedules and recover lost time caused by delays elsewhere. “By its nature, freight is often run off schedule,” said Nico Le Roux,


Business Development Director at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. “What these new operators like is the fact that there’s no curfews. They can come in anytime during the day or night. It helps them get their schedules back on track, and they get their network more secure.” Speed is crucial for the freight industry, and Prestwick’s ability to


turn aircraft around in just two hours is a decisive advantage. “The aircraft only makes money while it’s in the air,” Le Roux


explained. “It doesn’t make any money while it’s sitting on someone’s ramp waiting to be offloaded or loaded.” The airport’s expansive, uncongested ramp space plays a key role.


“There’s no waiting for ramp space or anything like that. It’s in and out in two hours for a wide-body,” he added.


e-commerce: A custom-built advantage Recognising the high demands of e-commerce, Prestwick has re- engineered its ground operations to streamline the logistics chain, reducing cargo processing times by up to 18 hours—offering a compelling advantage for international platforms. “We looked at how it’s done at other facilities around the UK and the


world, and said, ‘Yeah, but we can do this better,’” Le Roux said. “We basically took two steps out of the whole process, saving between 12 and 18 hours on the processing of a complete flight.” This time saving is vital in the e-commerce sector, where companies


promise rapid delivery to customers. “They sell to the end customer a delivery time of five working days


from placement of order. If you think about it, 18 hours is a full day we save.” Prestwick took its concept directly to potential partners in China. “We went out to China, demonstrated this to all the platforms in the


market, and got all the other players excited,” said Le Roux. “The first flights came in, and we’ve proven this is the best solution in the market.”


Unlocking new potential for Scottish exports Prestwick is also targeting Scotland’s most valuable export— salmon—with a strategy to shorten the journey to international


markets and extend product shelf life. “We didn’t really get involved in the biggest food export of the UK


Glasgow


is its 24/7 unrestricted offer—which enables


in the past, which is salmon,” Le Roux admitted. “But we came up with a strategy around the export product. We went to see the trade bodies, the producers, the forwarders. We got them all excited about what we can do.” Currently, most salmon is trucked to southern England, taking 12


to 18 hours before flying abroad. Prestwick aims to eliminate that leg of the journey. “We take all that time back and give it back to the producer, so they


can add it onto the shelf life of the product.” Industry support has been enthusiastic. “From the very first flight, they were ready to throw fish at us,” Le


Roux joked. “We’re slowly ramping up, investing in new equipment to do this in a timely manner. But we expect to put at least 50 percent load factor on the aircraft going back—which is very important to make it sustainable.”


Direct links from Asia The airport’s global ambitions took a major step forward this summer, with the arrival of two direct cargo routes from China. “On 16th May, we had our first Chinese carrier start direct flights


into Prestwick, and on Monday 2nd June, the second one started,” Le Roux announced. “It’s basically the beginning of a transformational phase for the airport.” Each flight brings approximately 100 tonnes of freight daily, with


volumes set to more than double over the next year. “So what it means, as far as operating frequencies are concerned,


is we basically have a flight every single day now,” he said. “It’s great news for us.”


Handling specialist freight Prestwick is also equipped to manage large freighter variants such as Boeing 747s and Antonovs, with specialised infrastructure and personnel. “The Prestwick team is known in the market to be able to handle


the ugly freight, as they call it—big out-of-gauge pieces, oil well equipment, dangerous goods,” Le Roux said. “Anything that requires special skills.” With over


three decades of experience and recent equipment


upgrades, the team is certified and ready for the next generation of cargo aircraft. “We’ve got some of the best ground handling equipment in the UK.


And we’re ready for the Airbus A350 freighter, with its extra-wide door. We’ve got extra-wide loaders to utilise that new functionality.”


www.aircargoweek.com 22 DECEMBER 2025 ACW


“We take all that time back and give it back to the producer.”


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