Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is being prepared for a temporary mortuary amid the coronavirus crisis.
A joint statement agreed by South, East and North Ayrshire councils confirmed the move this afternoon.
A hangar at the airport has already been identified as a 'body storage facility', which will be used - if required - to ease pressure on local funeral directors in the area.
The statement read: "As part of our contingency measures in relation to COVID-19, we have taken an all Ayrshire approach to facilitate a temporary body storage facility at Prestwick Airport.
"The three Ayrshire Councils are in regular contact with the NHS and Funeral Directors across the region to assess their capacity to manage any additional deaths throughout this period.
"The Prestwick facility will only be used in the event that Funeral Directors can no longer manage any additional deaths."
The announcement comes in the same week Glasgow Live reported on the establishment of a similar facility at Hillington Industrial Estate.
Meanwhile, a car park at Glasgow Airport is currently being used as a coronavirus testing facility for NHS workers and key staff.
Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier on Thursday a further 80 people have died in Scotland as a result of coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases rose to 7,102.
