LOSSES at taxpayer-funded Prestwick Airport have increased to more than £7 million - amidst claims not enough has been done to diversify and bring a vital link to London.

The 2016 operating deficit at the airport, which was bought by Scottish ministers for £1 in November, 2013, is nearly £1 million up on the previous year.

It has meant the airport, responsible for running operations, has made total losses of £19 million in the three years since it became taxpayer-owned.

The losses for the year to March, 2016 came as the number of passengers using the airport fell by 25 percent in a year to 624,000.

The airport now has 462,867 fewer passengers than in the year before the Scottish Government took ownership.

The Scottish Government said it wanted the airport to grow into "the successful and vibrant business we know it can be" but acknowledged that "there is no quick fix".

Laurie Price, former airline executive and expert aviation consultant said airport needed to further diversify into other business areas, including taking night mail and increasing military use while finally nailing an air link to London Heathrow.

 "That [the Heathrow link] would say to the world, Prestwick is open for business we we are connected to the world," he said.

Mike Stewart, director of business development at the taxpayer-owned Ayrshire base said in January last year, that direct flights from Prestwick to London was among his priorities in the year ahead to feed a "ready market".

The airport has been seeking new customer airlines to boost passenger numbers, but Mr Smith said that while the early signs were "positive" any additional revenues are not likely until late 2017.

Military aircraft handling has risen by 33 percent in the past three years and directors have acknowledge that the opportunities for growth is "significant".

It also emerged that the airport's property company, which leases out its infrastructure and other facilities made a £2.2 million loss, down by nearly £1 million in the year.

A Glasgow Prestwick Airport spokeswoman said: "The repositioning of the business will take time. We believe we are starting to move in the right direction with passenger numbers increasing, new property leases being agreed and the securing of a US government fuel contract in financial year ending 31 March 2017.

""We had forecast increased losses in Financial Year ending 31 March 2016. This was primarily due to the movement of a number of Ryanair flights to other airports. 

"However, the losses reported are less than what was forecast in our budgets."