Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s fish volumes have taken off following the launch of a seafood export service towards the end of last year.
Since the start of the year, the Scottish airport has reached the “milestone” of handling 1m kgs of salmon.
In a press release, the airport said the milestone had been achieved following the investment in new equipment, dedicated cool-chain personnel and temperature-controlled facilities for time-sensitive exports.
The investments also include high-volume metal detectors, temperature exposure and tracking systems, and 87 tonnes of chiller capacity.
“This is an important marker for the airport and for the Scottish seafood sector,” said the airport’s chief executive Ian Forgie.
“It shows that exporters are using the new service at scale, and that the investments we have made in cool chain facilities, people, and specialist handling are giving producers a faster and more resilient route to market.
“Every hour saved between the catch and final market helps protect quality, shelf life, and value for exporters, and that is exactly where Prestwick can make a difference.”
The airport’s seafood volumes have also benefited from expanded freighter capacity.
Air China Cargo increased its Prestwick-Chengdu service from four flights a week to a daily service in March, bringing Prestwick’s direct scheduled cargo flights to and from mainland China to 15.
Currently, 11 flights are operated by Air China Cargo and 4 by China Southern Logistics per week.
Ethiopian Airlines also added three new weekly Hong Kong cargo flights earlier this month, “strengthening Prestwick’s role as a gateway for Asian trade and opening options to high-growth export markets including South Korea and Vietnam”.
