Backing jobs and apprenticeships at Prestwick Airport

Multimillion pound investment creates hundreds of new jobs.

Around 450 skilled engineering jobs and apprenticeships are to be created at Prestwick Airport, following a major expansion of Ryanair's maintenance facility.

The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise are jointly investing more than £15 million to support the extension of Ryanair's maintenance facility which will open significant new training and development routes for engineering staff.

Aircraft mechanics, avionics specialists, structures technicians and supervisory engineering positions are among the skilled new jobs created at Prestwick.

The investment includes funding made available through the Ayrshire Growth Deal to support infrastructure improvements within the wider Prestwick campus, including car parking, a pedestrian footbridge and flood mitigation measures, improving accessibility and supporting operational growth within the Prestwick cluster.

Additionally, the funding will provide targeted support for the recruitment of people facing barriers to work – including those with limited or no prior engineering experience and older workers – and provide structured training that leads to long term, high-value skilled employment

First Minister 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.

“This week alone, investment into Scotland has supported the creation of more than 2,300 jobs. The economic conditions and policies set by the Scottish Government have enabled these investments and we will continue to build on our strong track record of delivery to keep growing the economy.”

Ryanair Chief Executive Eddie Wilson said:

“As Europe's No.1 airline, we are pleased to announce a further £40 million investment at Prestwick Airport, expanding our existing maintenance facility from 6 to 10 bays and creating 450 new highly skilled engineering and mechanic jobs, including 60 apprenticeships.

“This new state-of-the-art, 4-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.

“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.

“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 focussed 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.”

Background

Scottish Government, Ryanair, Scottish Enterprise, UK Government and South Ayrshire Council have all contributed to the project. 

Public sector funding is provided as follows:

The Ayrshire Growth Deal is supported by £103 million each from the Scottish and UK governments, with a further £45.5 million provided by the three Ayrshire councils.

As part of the deal, £80 million will go towards supporting the Prestwick Aerospace Cluster including:

• £30 million from Scottish Government

• £32 million from UK Government
• £18 million from South Ayrshire Council