A SENIOR finance executive has been appointed to help advise the Scottish Government on its options for Prestwick Airport.

Romain Py is the managing director of infrastructure investor Baobab Capital and a board member at Turkish port operator Global Ports Holding. Prior to that he was a founding member of the JP Morgan Infrastructure Group in Europe, which made an unsuccessful bid for Edinburgh Airport.

Mr Py, who holds qualifications from Lyon Business School and Paris-Dauphine University, has also held posts at HSBC and Société Générale with his experience in the infrastructure sector going back to 1999.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said "We can confirm Romain Py has been appointed as a senior adviser at Glasgow Prestwick Airport for a period of three months. His role will be to inform the TS Prestwick HoldCo board and ministers on the longer term options for future business development and management of the airport."

Mr Py's contract is understood to run until May 10 and no other advisers have been appointed to help in the process. No details on how much he is being paid are being released.

The future of Prestwick, which the Scottish Government bought from Infratil for £1 in November last year, has been the subject of much debate with business leaders from Glasgow keen to ensure a level playing field between the city airport and its Ayrshire neighbour.

That comes at a time when the ownership of both Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen could change with Ferrovial and a consortium backed by the Strathclyde Pension Fund among those thought to be interested in the assets.