Ryanair to create hundreds of jobs in £40m Prestwick Airport expansion plans

A £40m investment project is being prepared at Prestwick Airport which will create hundreds of new jobs and significantly expand Ryanair’s maintenance operations in South Ayrshire.

The development will create 60 apprenticeships, as well as 450 highly skilled engineer and mechanic positions, through the construction of a new 11,938 sq m four-bay heavy maintenance hangar.

This will increase Ryanair’s total bays in the hub from six to ten.

Ryanair said the expansion will make Prestwick its largest heavy maintenance hangar and a major aircraft maintenance and training centre.

The Scottish Corporation and the Scottish Government will contribute £15 million, while the UK Government will contribute around £5 million.

This latest funding follows Ryanair’s £5 million investment in the Prestwick training academy, which opens in October 2024 and employs 500 people.

Ryanair Chief Executive Eddie Wilson said: “As Europe’s No.1 airline, we are delighted to announce an additional £40 million investment at Prestwick Airport, expanding our existing maintenance facility from six to 10 bays and creating 450 new highly skilled engineering and mechanical 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 will be a key part of how we maintain and support our fleet as we continue to grow to 800 aircraft and 300 million passengers by 2034.

“Today’s announcement builds on £5m investment and 500 jobs delivered by the Prestwick training academy opening in October 2024.

“Together these investments underline Ryanair’s long-term commitment to Scotland, high-quality engineering and mechanical work and developing the next generation of aviation talent 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 in this expansion.

“Their focused approach to supporting this project has been pivotal in enabling us to develop Prestwick into a major critical care and training center that will deliver skilled careers and economic benefits for many years to come.”

First Minister John Swinney said: “I am delighted that Scottish Government investment will support the creation of 450 skilled jobs in Prestwick, which will have a huge economic impact across Ayrshire and beyond.

“Ryanair chose to expand in Prestwick because of the talent and expertise on the ground and this is testament to the skills of the existing workforce.

“My government will continue to do everything in our power to support good job creation and economic growth in Scotland.”

The UK Government is providing £4.9 million to provide infrastructure for Ryanair’s critical maintenance hangar, as part of a wider £32 million for the Prestwick aerospace cluster to position Ayrshire as the UK’s leading aviation hub.

Kirsty McNeill, UK Government Secretary for Scotland, said: “This is a great example of significant public sector funding, including UK Government Ayrshire growth deal money for the Prestwick aviation cluster, which is unlocking significant private sector investment in Scotland, boosting employment and stimulating economic regeneration.

“Helping to secure the long-term future of Prestwick Airport is a priority for the UK Government and Ryanair’s decision to build the largest critical maintenance hangar here, creating and supporting 1,200 jobs, is a huge win for Ayrshire and a strong vote of confidence in our highly skilled local workforce.

“Our joint efforts mean Ryanair will deliver 450 new high-skilled jobs, including 60 apprenticeships, ensuring the next generation of Scottish engineers have a world-class career path on their doorstep.

“As a global leader in the aerospace sector, the sky is the limit for Ayrshire.”