A buyer has been found for Scottish Government-owned Glasgow Prestwick Airport six years after it was taken into public hands for £1.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson confirmed he had accepted the recommendation of an unnnamed preferred bidder for the site, which was put up for sale in June. The airport is operated on a commercial basis and at arm's length from the Scottish Government.
Matheson said the identity of the bidder cannot be disclosed as yet, adding: "We made clear in 2013 that the Scottish Government intended to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to the private sector when the time was right. We were pleased the opportunity to buy the business, set out in the Official Journal of the European Union, attracted considerable interest.
"Following careful consideration of the bids received, I have accepted a recommendation made by TS Prestwick HoldCo to appoint a preferred bidder. To protect the integrity of the process I am not able to disclose the identity of the bidder at this time but we remain satisfied that good progress is being made in the interests of the business."
Prestwick has struggled to compete for flights with Glasgow Airport and has run up more than £50 million of debt since falling into public hands, but it remains a hub for Ryanair. It has attracted controversy as a stopping off point for US military aircraft in Europe and has been used by President Donald Trump while visiting his golf resort at Turnberry.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Greene said taxpayers' money given to the airport should be recovered as part of any deal.
"If there is positive news about a potential buyer for Prestwick Airport then that process should be allowed to take course and progress," he said. "But the Scottish Conservatives have been clear since the airport was nationalised, a significant amount of taxpayers' money has been loaned, not gifted, to this business and we fully expect that any deal which comes to fruition will seek to recover that cash.
"The SNP has a notable track record of writing off loans and bungled contracts and sales of publicly owned assets - for everyone's sake let's all hope this isn't another example."
