The new owner of Prestwick airport will be allowed to develop part of the site for housing or industrial use in a bid to sweeten a sale of the loss-making business.
The move follows the decision by the Scottish government to formally hoist the For Sale sign over the loss-making Ayrshire airport, which has run up almost £50m of debt to taxpayers since it was bought by the SNP for £1 six years ago.
Announcing the sale last week ministers had ruled out selling land at the site for housing or development.
However, the notice submitted to the Official Journal of the European Union inviting expressions of interest states that while potential bidders “should” have the “prime objective” of maintaining Prestwick as an operational airport,