Ryanair announces £40m expansion at Prestwick Airport creating 450 jobs

Ryanair has announced it is investing £40 million into Prestwick Airport, creating 450 new jobs.

The funds will be used to expand its current maintenance facility by constructing a new four-bay hangar and additional component workshops.

The airline’s Ayrshire operation will increase from six to ten bays, making it Ryanair’s largest heavy maintenance hangar.

The company believes the investment will create 450 jobs, including 60 apprenticeship roles.

The latest project comes after the £5m injection of funds into Prestwick Training Academy, which opened in October 2024.

Ryanair says the heavy maintenance hangar will support a total of 1,200 engineering and mechanic jobs in the region.

CEO, Eddie Wilson, said: “This new state-of-the-art, four-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.”

The UK Government is providing £4.9m towards the construction of the new hangar as part of its broader £52m Aerospace Cluster to position Ayrshire as a leading UK aerospace hub.

Speaking following the announcement, 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.”

The UK Government is providing £4.9m towards enabling infrastructure for Ryanair’s heavy maintenance hangar – part of its broader £32m for the Prestwick Aerospace Cluster to position Ayrshire as a leading UK aerospace hub.

UK Secretary for Scotland, Ian Murray, added: “This is a fantastic example of significant public sector funding – including £32m UK Government Ayrshire Growth Deal money for the Prestwick Aerospace Cluster – unlocking substantial private sector investment, boosting employment and driving growth for Scotland.

“Ryanair’s decision to build its largest heavy maintenance hangar here – creating 1,200 jobs – is a massive vote of confidence in Scotland’s skilled workforce.”