The Scottish Government has been urged to stop accepting 'blood money' from the United States to use Prestwick Airport for refuelling missions, as it emerged it has received more than £100m in the past 10 years.
The transport hub was taken into public ownership in 2013 and is run by an arms length company, Prestwick Airport Ltd, on behalf of Holyrood.
The airport continues to operate commercial flights, with routes to Spain, Portugal and Italy but has increasingly relied on cargo flights and refuelling as it returned to profit.
However, with a large proportion of the money earned by refuelling jets tied to the military that pivot has proven controversial, with aircraft stopping at the airport before heading to the Middle East following the launch of the Iran War.
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In the year to date, according to U.S federal government procurement records, the Department of Defence has spent $404,642 with Glasgow Prestwick Airport Ltd so far this calendar year and $5.11m in the fiscal year to date, with the accounting period running from October 1 to September 30.
In 2025 it spent $20.49m, up from $17.22m in the previous fiscal year, with the highest total coming in fiscal year 2023 when the department spent $26.92m.
In total the Department of Defence has spent $141.21m (£104m) since an indefinite delivery contract was signed between the department and Prestwick Airport in 2016.
That contract expired in March of 2020 and was renewed in May of that year, before being renewed again in October of 2025.
The current contract runs until March 31 of 2030.
In its latest set of accounts for 2024-25 passenger services accounted for just 10% of revenue at Prestwick Airport, while fuel represented almost half (£24,340,000 of £49,495,000).
The Scottish Government has argued that it cannot prevent military aircraft from a NATO ally using the airport as defence is reserved.
However, campaigners have pointed to the example of Israel, when Prestwick Airport Ltd was instructed not to accept contracts from the IDF - essentially a de facto ban.
First Minister John Swinney said last month: "If I was to prevent flights from entering Scotland by the appropriate steps that would be necessary, I would need to exercise national security, aviation, air transport, defence and foreign affairs powers. These are all reserved to the United Kingdom Government.
“I would like to be able to exercise powers in this respect, but I would be exceeding my constitutional authority if I did. That is a matter of regret to me, but it’s an issue I’m continuing to explore in my pursuit of dialogue with the United Kingdom government.”
Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Green Party, who is standing on the party list in Glasgow said: "We cannot allow Scotland’s publicly owned airport to be used as an outpost for the US military, when we have a Trump White House that has armed Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, inflicted a coup against Venezuela and has waged an immoral and illegal war against Iran.
“It is vital that we stop these flights. When the US is engaged in fascism at home and imperialism on the world stage, we all have a responsibility to act.
“The Scottish Government has tried to wash its hands of the matter, saying it is out of their control.
“But when Russia invaded Ukraine they took a clear stance, instructing all businesses to cut ties with Putin’s regime.
“If they can do that in Russia’s case, they can put an end to a commercial relationship between an airport business that the Scottish Government itself owns, and the rogue regimes in the US and Israel.”
David Henry of the Worker's Party, who is standing in the constituency of Edinburgh North Western and is the party's lead list candidate in Edinburgh and Lothians East said: "The bottom line is John Swinney is a man in charge of nothing.
"He said he's not in a position to do anything about it, he must be the first land owner not to be in control of their own land.
"It's seeing increased traffic, they've invested a lot of money to improve its fuel capacity which is ironic since they sat on their hands and did nothing about Grangemouth.
"Of course it would come at a cost, we could lose $15m a year which would put Prestwick into a loss, but it's that or accept blood money, because that's what it is.
"If we get our 10 people elected we will be arguing for this to be closed to the military and if that means running at a loss, so be it.
"I think the Scottish people would prefer we didn't send bombs to the Middle East and kill people, which is what it's being used for.
"Why not invest in the commercial side of it?"
Yvonne Ridley of the Worker's Party, who is standing in Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok and is the lead candidate on the Glasgow list said: "We’ve had nothing but weasel words from John Swinney about Prestwick, he has now put blood on all of our hands by taking this money. He’s sold Scotland cheaply. We do not want this man brokering any deals for Scotland."
Prestwick Airport and the SNP have been approached for comment.
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