RECORD MARCH PASSENGER NUMBERS AT EDINBURGH AIRPORT

This represents the busiest March for a Scottish airport ever, a 4.1 per cent hike from the same month last year with international passenger numbers performing particularly strongly.

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said:

“March’s passenger figures underline Edinburgh Airport’s growing international ambitions and ongoing demand to fly to and from this great city.

“We have seen another solid increase in the number of international passengers which highlights the ever-increasing draw of Edinburgh as a global destination. An increase in visitors to the city stimulates the economy, creates new jobs and offers direct international links for all of Scotland.

“As we move into the final few weeks of our public consultation on airspace change I would urge everyone in our neighbouring communities with a view on our preferred flightpath options to respond before our consultation closes on May 7.”

ENDS

Notes:

965,219 passengers used Edinburgh Airport in March 2017, +4.1% on March 2016. This is the busiest ever March at Edinburgh Airport

                                March 2017         Vs Last Year

Domestic             444,958                 +2.5%

International      520,333                 +5.5%

Total                      965,291                 +4.1%

The increase in passengers is due to the increase in international passengers from the new services launched from Edinburgh Airport over the last year with 27 new international services being launched in 2016.

Two new routes were launched in March 2017:

• Flybe’s new London Heathrow service launched on the 26th March. The service will operate 4 times daily year round.
• Eurowing’s new Munich service launched on 31st March. The service will operate 6 times per week.

More people travelled with:

• Jet2.com launched 13 new routes from Edinburgh over 2016. New services to Fuerteventura and Turin launched in December 2016, further boosting passenger numbers. Alicante, Lanzarote, Malaga, Palma, Tenerife Fuerteventura and Geneva were particularly popular.
• Ryanair launched  five new routes in March – Girona, Vigo, Ibiza, Porto and Milan Bergamo. It also increased the number of destinations served year round including Bologna, Bratislava, Palma and Poznan. Warsaw Modlin launched in November 2016 and more flights operated to Rome Barcelona and Copenhagen.
• easyJet carried more people across its network than March 2016. More flights operated to its London bases, Luton, Stansted and Gatwick and to Paris CDG.
• Vueling’s Alicante and Rome Fiumicino services did not operate in March 2016.