But Brig. Gen. Edward W. Thomas Jr., the Air Force spokesman, said in a statement that the choice of the Trump resort came after the crew “made reservations through the Defense Travel System and used the closest available and least expensive accommodations to the airfield within the crews’ allowable hotel rates.” He added that “the Trump property ($136) was less expensive than the Marriott property ($161) and both were under,” the maximum allowable spending amount, which is $166.

The decision to use the Prestwick airport was “nothing that falls outside the guidelines,” he said.

“The stopover of a U.S. Air Force C-17 in Glasgow, Scotland, is not unusual,” he said in the statement. “Every two and half minutes an Air Force transport aircraft takes off or lands somewhere around the globe. As our aircrews serve on these international airlift missions, they follow strict guidelines on contracting for hotel accommodations and all expenditures of taxpayer dollars.”

The Trump family bought the Turnberry golf course in 2014. It generated $23.4 million in revenue last year, up by $3 million compared to 2017.

A representative for the Trump Organization also confirmed Saturday that United States military personnel have occasionally stayed at the Trump Turnberry. But the representative said that it happened only a few times a year and that the company was charging the government a discounted rate of about $100 a night.

Any profits from the stay, beyond covering basic services like housekeeping, are being paid back to the federal government, the Trump representative said, adding that it is illegal for a private company to give a service to the federal government at no cost.

The Guardian last year reported that the Scottish government sought out the contract with the Defense Department to try to help increase revenue at the airport. That effort also included discussions with Trump Turnberry about offering special rates for travelers that used the hotel or other ways to lift business there.

The Prestwick airport, which does not have direct flights from the United States, has struggled financially in recent years. The Scottish government bought the airport in 2013 in an attempt to keep it operational, and it is now trying to sell it.