Prestwick Airport ships one million kg of Scottish salmon in 2026
Milestone follows Scotland-China seafood service launch, cool chain investments and rising cargo links, including more flights to Asian markets.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport has exported one million kilograms of Scottish salmon since 1 January 2026, marking a milestone in its seafood export operations and growing role in handling premium perishable exports.
The year-to-date volume follows the launch of Prestwick’s Scotland-to-China seafood export service in September last year. The service was supported by investment in new equipment, dedicated cool chain staff and temperature-controlled facilities for time-sensitive exports.
Prestwick’s seafood export operation includes high-volume metal detectors, temperature exposure and tracking systems, and 87 tonnes of chiller capacity.
Sean Scott, Cargo Services Business Manager, and Scott Mains, Warehouse Supervisor, hold salmon box
“This is an important marker for the airport and for the Scottish seafood sector,” said Ian Forgie, Chief Executive Officer, Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
“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 milestone comes during a period of cargo growth at the airport, supported by new scheduled freighter capacity.
Air China Cargo increased its Prestwick-Chengdu service from four flights a week to a daily service in March, taking Prestwick’s direct scheduled cargo flights to and from mainland China to 15. At present, 11 flights are operated by Air China Cargo and four by China Southern Logistics every week.
Ethiopian Airlines also added three weekly cargo flights to Hong Kong earlier this month, expanding Prestwick’s links with Asian trade and creating additional export options to markets including South Korea and Vietnam.
