Glasgow Prestwick Airport runway repair: FOI release

Information requested

1. Internal management documents from period 2018-2021 relating to remedial maintenance work identified on Glasgow Prestwick Airport’s runway.

2. The Complete internal management report related to damages cause to Glasgow Prestwick airport’s runway by CargoLux B747 at 2pm on Wednesday July 7th 2021.

3. Initial damage assessments of the runway following the incident involving CargoLux B747 at Glasgow Prestwick Airport 2pm on Wednesday July 7th 2021.

Response

For part one of your request I have provided below a copy of some of the information you requested which includes redactions.

Extract from Board Pack: PAHL OpsCo Board Meeting (49), Wednesday 26th February 2020
4.9 [redacted] advised that [redacted] will be on-site today, to carry out runway repairs at Foxtrot, and added that these repairs will cost approximately [redacted].

Exemptions under sections 38(1)(b) - Third party personal data and 33(1)(b) - Substantial prejudice to commercial interests of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested. The information is redacted as it relates to commercial matters concerning Glasgow Prestwick in relation to cost and who undertook repairs. Personal information has also been redacted.

Exemption 38(1)(b) is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

Exemption 33(1)(b) is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise there may be some public interest in information about runway repairs at Prestwick Airport, however this is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining Prestwick Airport’s commercial space to operate the airport.

For parts two and three of your request, while our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is because Glasgow Prestwick Airport is operated on a commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government, in compliance with our obligations under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU. This incident is an operational matter for the airport’s management team. Ministers have no role in the day to day operation of the airport and do not intervene in commercial or operational matters. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about repairs to the runway at Prestwick Airport, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

However, you may wish to contact Glasgow Prestwick Airport who may be able to help you. The contact details for Prestwick Airport are available at: https://www.glasgowprestwick.com/contact-us/.

About FOI
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