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Good scoop by @NatashaBertrand, raises further Qs about the relationship b/w Turnberry, USAF & the Scottish Govt owned Prestwick Airport. Quick thread follows .politico.com/amp/story/2019…
I wrote in June about the £9m Defense Logistics Agrncy deal with the airport. Its custom with US military dates back decades, but it has escalated significantly in the past couple of years. A new, even more lucrative contract, will kick in later this year. scotsman.com/news/politics/…
Turnberry & the airport (currently up for sale) denied they had a "official partnership," despite explicitly saying so previously. They discussed joint business goals, and integration of their businesses. I wrote this in Feb '16: scotsman.com/business-2-150…
How closely did they work together? Well, the state owned airport asked Trump Turnberry to help it "pitch" for new airlines. This is from Nov 17: scotsman.com/news/politics/…
The Scottish Government agency, Transport Scotland, has also lobbied to meet with the Trump Organisation, the USAF, and the Federal Aviation Agency. It's one thing attracting wealthy US golfers, but the vast majority of the airport's revenue now comes from military refuelling.
The relationship between Trump Turnberry, the USAF, and Prestwick airport goes even further. Prestwick offered free rounds of golf at Turnberry to visiting US military and civilian air crews. This is an insightful piece: theguardian.com/politics/2018/…
Here is a document I obtained, prepared by the Trump Organisation, detailing its "official partnership" with the airport. 
And here's correspondence I obtained detailing special rates struck by Trump Turnberry with the airport.
If there's one Q Congress should be asking IMO, it's whether the USAF and the Defense Logistics Agency has any formal agreement with Prestwick Airport to facilitate transfers and accommodation at Trump Turnberry for US military flights refuelling in Scotland.
Another Q: i've been reporting US federal procurement records detailing extensive payments by the US State Dept to Trump Turnberry, yet there's no equivalent for the Dept of Defence/Homeland Sec? If US military stay at Turnberry, where does the money go? scotsman.com/news/politics/…
Stand by for some news on US military spending at Prestwick Airport ...
EXCL US Defence Dept expenditure at the Scottish Govt owned Prestwick Airport has spiked dramatically in recent months. It's spent £4.8m on USAF refuelling since March 2019. My @TheScotsman latest, inc the US Congress investigation revealed by @politico: scotsman.com/news/politics/…
There's been a further 264 orders placed by the US Defence Dept at Prestwick since June. In some cases the airport's receiving six-figure sums in a single day for multiple refuelling of USAF aircraft. If you know more on this, and USAF custom at Trump Turnberry, my DMs are open.
And finally, it's worth noting that before entering the White House, Trump was in direct talks with airlines to bolster business and passenger traffic at the ailing Prestwick Airport. Don't take my word for it - take Trump's ...
Oh, and a few folk have been arguing, quite reasonably, that the US military have used Prestwick for decades. Which is true. But misses a crucial point - US military spending has skyrocketed under the Trump administration. I spent time back in June analysing revenue trends 1/2
Prestwick generated £1.2m in fuel sales in 2016, then £2.9m in 2017. But that includes ALL military & non military custom. The US Defence Dept payments alone under Trump stand at nearly £14m. Do US military logistics explain that increased patronage, or something else? Many Qs.
Quick update. A contact has confirmed the USAF stay at Trump Turnberry was not booked directly with the resort, but via the US Defence Dept's Defence Management System. Q for DoD / Defence Logistics Agency is whether Turnberry is one of its "preferred" accommodation providers.
This also explains why this stay, and any others, are not detailed in official US federal gov procurement databases. It lists numerous State Dept payments to Trump's resort, but crucially they were made directly to its UK registered parent firm, SLC Turnberry Limited.
Update: I've been looking through notebooks on Trump & Prestwick Airport. In Feb '16, as the Trump campaign was in full swing, I interviewed George Sorial, exec VP of the Trump Org. I asked if Trump was interested in investing in the airport. This is a transcript of his reply.
A further transcript from my telephone interview with the Trump Organisation's George Sorial about Prestwick Airport on 19 Feb 2016. (Sorial was the Trump Org's chief compliance counsel until a few months ago)
Keep your notebooks. You never know when something seemingly prosaic suddenly becomes interesting ...
