Prestwick, Scotland (PIK)

Advantages: User-friendly, uncrowded
Disadvantages: Limited destination choice, location

Situated on the South Ayrshire coast, a few miles NE of the town of Ayr and some 28 miles to the south west of Glasgow, is Prestwick Airport (PIK). It has two runways, one of which is 2987m (almost 10,000ft), making it the longest in Scotland. The airport handled more than 1.5 million passengers last year (2002), a figure which is expected to rise considerably, and also around 60,000 tonnes of cargo annually. Prestwick is also the home of the Scottish ...
...There's evidence that the site was being used for landing aircraft as early as 1913 but it didn't really 'take off' as an airport until the 1940's. During WW2, it was developed to accommodate the transport of aircraft from the USA under the lend-lease programme when as many as 300 planes a day could be delivered. At this time a manufacturing industry was also developed here which lasted until 1998 when the last BAe Jetstream left the factory. Originally ... Read review

Advantages: Has a Train Station
Disadvantages: Small, dark, dingy, Not in Glasgow

After a year full of weddings of friends and acquaintances, the end of November saw me head up towards Glasgow as my boss was tying the knot. The wedding itself was to be held in Ayr (around 30 miles from Glasgow City Centre) but for ease we all flew up on the Friday lunchtime from Luton to Glasgow International airport. However, whilst many of my colleagues were planning to fly home on the Saturday evening, I needed to get back sooner and started ...
...the early return flight from Glasgow International but in full expectation of a hangover, I decided that an extra hour in bed would do and went against all my better judgement and booked a flight with Ryanair from Glasgow Prestwick which happened to be just 10mins from my hotel. Airport Background Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) is actually 29 miles from Glasgow and is often known solely as Prestwick. Originally opened in 1934, the airfield ... Read review

Advantages: Very decent transport links.
Disadvantages: The slogan

:: Background information and History :: Prestwick Airport or Glasgow-Prestwick as it is commonly known is an airport in the town of Prestwick and near the town of Ayr, Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. It is nowhere near Glasgow as it is some 30 miles away - not really sure why its official name includes Glasgow. It was opened in 1934 and has been in active use throughout up until the 1980's when the airport was largely unused and was used ...
...the 1990's it started up again as an airport when Ryanair started flights. :: Getting there :: Not including plane you can get there by bus, rail and taxi. The airport features a train station on the Glasgow to Ayr line and there are trains to and from Glasgow about every half hour and the journey takes about 3/4s of an hour to Glasgow. Buses include the X77 express service to Glasgow and Ayr which runs every half hour. There is a black taxi rank ... Read review

Advantages: uncrowded, cheap airlines
Disadvantages: not in glasgow, limited destinations

This Opinion written Sept 2003 Prestwick (PIK) also known as Glasgow (Prestwick) is situated roughly an hours' drive to Glasgow City Centre. Best case you might be able to do it in 40 mins. The road, A77, is mostly 4-lane but not much is dual carriageway and it is an accident blackspot. The road is busy with communters, day trippers in the summer and people rushing to the ports at Stranraer and elswhere The Airport had its heyday many years ago ...
...training base for the military, a freight airport and important aircraft manufacturing site. Latterly these non-passenger activities kept it going. A new terminal was built by BAA in 1964 but they pulled out and passenger traffic effectively ceased The climb back has been gradual but is now taking on momentum and things are set to dramtically improve. In fact in the current timetable, Ryanair are keen to point out that PIK serves more international ... Read review

Advantages: Good transport links
Disadvantages: Dirty, old-fashioned

Stepping into Prestwick Airport is like stepping back in time. To the grim 1970's or whenever it was when people had it rough and burned things and listened to horrible rebel music. After being exposed to nice pleasant airports- full consumer experiences with name branded shops, pubs, restaurants, pleasant smiley people and business suits- like London Heathrow, Stansted and even Gatwick, you start to wonder how there could even be airports that are ...
...Prestwick is right on the western coast of Scotland and you have beautiful views of the water if you manage to get out of the grimey airport. A covered walkway leads travellers out of the airport into the train pickup area where you can go directly to Glasgow within about 45 minutes. This is the best part about the airport- you can get out and trains run fairly regularly (every 20 minutes or so). It is only when you are in the grimey airport that ... Read review