GE Aerospace plans £57 million Prestwick expansion and 150 jobs

GE Aerospace has announced a £57 million expansion and modernisation programme for its engine maintenance site at Prestwick in Scotland. The October 12 announcement combines £30 million from the company with £27 million from the Ayrshire Growth Deal, supporting a project expected to create around 150 jobs over five years.

A new 55,000-square-foot building is central to the development. GE says the investment will improve the layout of the site, access, logistics and the movement of work through the facility, creating capacity for future customer demand. Full operations are targeted for the first quarter of 2028. The company says the project follows more than two years of analysis and planning with regional partners. GE says the project is being delivered on an accelerated schedule to prepare the facility for long-term customer requirements.

The £27 million public contribution comprises £18 million from the UK government, £8 million from the Scottish government and £1 million from South Ayrshire Council. It will support site development, preparatory works and fit-out. GE also identifies a separate planned £6 million investment from Scottish Enterprise alongside the announced £57 million programme. GE Aerospace announcement.

Prestwick has a role in supporting two Boeing widebody programmes. Aviation Week reports that the facility services GEnx-1B engines, one of the engine options for the 787, and GEnx-2B engines used by the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8. GE has operated at the Scottish airport since 1980. The operation, also known as GE Caledonian, sits in the Prestwick aerospace cluster about 30 miles southwest of Glasgow, according to Aviation Week.

The investment expands a UK maintenance presence that also includes Nantgarw in Wales. GE’s UK workforce totals about 4,100 people, according to the company figures reported by Aviation Week. The business says its other UK investment during 2026 has included more than £7 million in manufacturing and £19 million in maintenance, repair and overhaul.

Skills development is another part of the Prestwick announcement. A £75,000 donation to Ayrshire College will fund training equipment for students and apprentices, together with a course intended to prepare learners for aerospace careers. The support is expected to reach approximately 150 apprentices and full-time students. Aviation Week report.

Reporting from the site on October 12, PA Media said the proposed recruitment would include machine operators, aerospace mechanics and engineers. The hiring is planned across the coming five years as the expansion proceeds. The five-year hiring programme is intended to support the site’s changing operational needs as the new capacity comes into use.

Site leader Andy Prow told reporters that the investment would accelerate transformation plans shaped by customer requirements. He linked those plans to the need to get engines through maintenance and back onto aircraft. The remarks put engine turnaround at the centre of the development’s purpose.

UK and Scottish government representatives attended the announcement. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth highlighted the progression from education into skilled employment, including apprenticeships, further training and degree study. UK government minister Melanie Ward pointed to the combination of public support and private investment at Prestwick, while describing the site’s aerospace expertise as an important part of Scotland’s industrial base. PA Media reporting via STV News.

Image: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of the announced event.