Disgracefully, Prestwick has been used during so-called “extraordinary rendition” exercises – otherwise known as government-sponsored kidnap without any recourse to due process. An investigation into this is still ongoing.

Since 2013, the airport has been owned by the Scottish Government, saving it from financial implosion. But as acknowledged by Transport Secretary Michael Matheson, the current biggest source of income for the ailing airport is the US military. When pressed on this fairly obvious moral issue, Nicola Sturgeon has been dismissive, saying “that the fact that Prestwick Airport provides fixed-base operations and refuelling facilities for military flights is neither new nor is it a revelation”. The Scottish Government has also refused to suspend US use of the airport.

We may, however, note that the Scottish Government seem to have set in place a process whereby Prestwick Airport is financially dependent upon the activities of the US military. It would also be reasonable to expect a publicly owned body not to sell itself out to the war machine. We do not yet know how this will change under the Biden Administration.