An evaluation of economic impact, carried out by Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, has shown that £26 million is generated for the Ayrshire economy from passengers travelling on Ryanair flights via Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The study also indicated that passengers on the new Ryanair routes are spending around 30 per cent more in total on an average trip.

More than 1.1 million passengers travelled through Prestwick on Ryanair's 17 routes into Prestwick in the last year, compared to three years earlier, illustrating the growing significance of the Ayrshire route.

The output from Ryanair flights supports between 385 and 542 jobs in the Ayrshire area. The study revealed that Ryanair flights also generated a £140 million boost to Scotland as a whole, more than double the figure for the period 2002-2003. Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire says the study perfectly illustrates the importance of tourism to the continued economic success of Ayrshire and the west of Scotland.

Ryanair's development of new routes via Prestwick has had a significant impact on the revenue generated in Ayrshire, particularly in terms of local spend by visitors and jobs created. The regular arrival of high volumes of visitors through Prestwick is now supported by a growing infrastructure and improvement of the local tourist facilities.

Ryanair's head of communications Peter Sherrard said: "This report confirms the enormous contribution made by Ryanair's passengers to the economy of Ayrshire. Year-round international flights are vital for tourism and business in Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole. Ryanair is proud to provide this service and allow Scottish passengers and visitors to enjoy the lowest fares in Europe in the process."