MOD search and rescue operations to move from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow

13/02/2010

By Jeremy Price.

Search and rescue (SAR) operations currently based at Prestwick Airport will be moved to Glasgow in 2012, the ministry of defence (MOD) has revealed.

HMS Gannet, the naval base at Prestwick, will be shifted in a £6 billion deal with a private company that will see over 100 jobs transferred to Glasgow Airport.

The Soteria Consortium was named this week as the preferred bidder to support the Royal Navy SAR teams and will begin delivering the 25-year contract in 2012.

An MOD spokeswoman told the BBC: "Soteria Consortium in their bid had made it clear that they would move the SAR service, currently provided by HMS Gannet, from Prestwick airport to Glasgow airport.

"This decision was taken by Soteria for purely commercial reasons."

It was also revealed that the contract will see the number of aircraft involved in the SAR operations reduced from 38 to as low as 24.

Meanwhile, low-cost carrier Ryanair added its sixth aircraft to its Glasgow Prestwick Airport operation in December last year following the collapse of Scottish airline Flyglobespan.