Airport staff in second jobs blow

Jul 6 2008

FORTY airport workers are facing the axe just a month after a previous jobs blow.

US freight firm Atlas Air last month announced they and subsidiary Polar Air were closing their maintenance plant at Prestwick Airport, with the loss of 48 jobs.

Now the airport have to lay off 40 staff because of the knock-on effect.

Jim Winter, of the union Unite, said: "We are hoping for a 30-day consultation period during which we will try and negate some of the redundancies - if not all."

Prestwick chief exec Mark Rodwell said: "Our business development team are working with other operators in an attempt to fill the void and to attract new business to the airport.

"Every effort will be made to minimise any potential job cuts."

Ayr MSP John Scott said: "This would appear to be a further blow following the withdrawal of the Atlas Polar contract.

"But I know the airport management will be making every effort to keep redundancies to an absolute minimum."