Glasgow Prestwick Airport has appointed Paul McGrattan as its new Trade and Export Development Manager, in a move that will boost outbound cargo volumes and enhance the airport’s standing within Scotland’s international export market.

Paul McGrattan

McGrattan will leverage his almost 30 years of experience in the freight and logistics industry to build relationships with exporters, freight forwarders and airline partners to increase cargo load factors on eastbound flights. Seafood, pharmaceuticals, whiskey and other high-end Scottish products for export markets will be among his priorities.

The appointment is part of the airport’s plans to capitalize on its established inbound cargo operations through greater use of available capacity on outbound services.

Jules Matteoni, Chief Executive Officer of Glasgow Prestwick Airport said, “We have built up good inbound cargo volumes at Prestwick and the next step is to better utilize the capacity available on outbound flights.”

He said his role will be working directly with Scottish business to identify further export opportunities, particularly of seafood and other time sensitive goods, and highlighted McGrattan’s knowledge of the forwarding and shipper market.

Prestwick has already made big strides to build up its export infrastructure. In September 2025 the airport launched a dedicated seafood export service between Scotland and China. Investment in specialist cargo-handling equipment, cold-chain staff and temperature-controlled facilities has been made to support the initiative.

Since then the service has contributed to considerable export activity. By May 2026, more than a million kilos of Scottish salmon had passed through the airport.

McGrattan will leverage his extensive network of freight forwarders and shippers, and build new partnerships with producers seeking faster and more efficient access to international markets, building on this progress.

He reckons there’s huge potential for Scotland’s premium products in overseas markets if exporters can secure the reliable cargo capacity and logistics links they need.

“Scotland has high-quality products that are in demand overseas, but exporters need reliable capacity and the right connections to get them there fast,” McGrattan said.

His role, he added, will be to connect exporters, freight forwarders and airline partners to ensure international demand is met by the cargo capacity available at Prestwick to help more Scottish products reach global destinations.