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RYANAIR has announced a £40 million expansion of its maintenance facility at Prestwick Airport.
A new 11,938 sqm four-bay heavy maintenance hangar will be constructed at the airport, alongside additional component workshops. The development will expand Ryanair’s existing Prestwick operation from 6 to 10 bays – making it the airline’s largest heavy maintenance hangar.
The £40 million investment will also support over 1,200 highly skilled engineering and mechanic jobs in Ayrshire, tipped to provide significant long-term employment and training opportunities for local talent.
Ryanair CEO, 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 DFM 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.”
Scottish Government first minister John Swinney added, “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.”
