Prestwick Airport sale would not have been 'value for taxpayer,' says finance secretary Kate Forbes

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Bosses at Prestwick Airport advised the Scottish Government to knock back a bid which would have seen the flight hub sold to the private sector.Kate Forbes, the Scottish finance secretary, told MSPs how ministers had received approaches from “credible” investors for the site.But she said that after considering “a recommendation from the Prestwick board” and separate independent advice, the decision was taken not to move forward with a sale.The airport has been in public ownership since 2013, when the Government paid just £1 to buy the site from New Zealand firm Infratil.But loans worth close to £50 million have since been plunged in from the public purse to help keep the airport running.Ms Forbes cited commercial confidentialty when refusing to expand on details around why any potential interest had not been taken further.South Scotland Labour MSP, Colin Smyth, was among those to lead criticism and said: "A decade after buying Prestwick the Scottish government still has no plan for the future of the airport."The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.But Ms Forbes said: "We were pleased that the recent sales process attracted bids from credible investors and very detailed and extensive work was done by all parties involved. "However, following careful consideration of a recommendation by the Prestwick board we took the decision not to proceed with the sale at this time.“