03-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Airline launches five new routes from Scottish airport
Luton-based easyJet delivered its tenth aircraft to Edinburgh, an Airbus 320, and celebrated with the launch of five new services to Olbia in Italy, Marrakech in Morocco, Zurich in Switzerland, Düsseldorf in Germany, and Enfidha in Tunisia, with the new flights taking off this week for the first time.
Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK country manager, said that "not only does our fleet growth in Scotland support many skilled jobs and connectivity which play a crucial role in economic growth, it is a clear demonstration of our continued commitment to serving customers in Scotland as well as supporting inbound travel for tourism in the Scottish capital".
Market in Morocco. (Image: Getty Images) She added: "Through our unrivalled short-haul network and unique easyJet holidays offering in Scotland, we continue to provide more choice and value for money, always aiming to make travel easy for the millions of customers we fly to and from Scotland every year."
Jonny Macneal, Edinburgh Airport's head of aviation, said that "it's brilliant to see easyJet's tenth based aircraft making itself at home at Scotland's busiest airport and the airline continuing to grow its presence in the capital", adding: "This will provide even more choice for passengers, and it's exciting to see even more destinations added to easyJet's already impressive schedule."
Jody Harrison reported: "The arrival of the new aircraft marks a continued trajectory of growth for easyJet in Scotland, where the airline will operate its biggest ever summer fuelled by UK demand for its flights and package holidays."
However, the latest win for Edinburgh is a reminder that Glasgow Airport is also vying in the market.
Last year around this time, the AGS Airports site hailed the arrival of its sixth easyJet Airbus.
Of course it is competing for the blockbuster flights and its new owner recently unveiled plans for a "comprehensive transformation" of the main terminal building under a £350 million investment.
AviAlliance, which acquired Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports owner AGS for an enterprise value of £1.53 billion, said its plans constituted the "single largest capital investment programme in AGS since it was formed in 2014".
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Other wins have been highlighted by business editor Ian McConnell in his column.
"The momentum of Edinburgh Airport remains truly eye-catching, with a couple of very significant announcements in recent days," Ian writes.
"These two announcements highlight the extent to which the ambitions of chief executive Gordon Dewar, which he set out when I interviewed him in February, are continuing to come to fruition. Edinburgh Airport announced on Sunday that Chinese airline Hainan's direct service to Beijing is increasing from seasonal to year-round.
"And United Airlines is extending its service between Edinburgh and Washington DC to what the airport characterised as 'almost year-round'. Glasgow Airport is meanwhile continuing its efforts to win direct flights to the US, with its current lack of such services contrasting starkly with the situation in years gone by."
He points out that Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, has been among those to highlight direct flights to the US from Glasgow Airport as a key priority.
