Summer fun at Edinburgh Airport - All around the watchtower

Work to fix the slide to the 57 metre tall structure began in late March with a view to opening the attraction to the public for the start of the summer holidays.

Called ‘The Altichute’, it’ll be free of charge for people parking in airport car parks with a £20 fee for other thrill seekers. The money raised will go towards the newly created ‘Touchdown’ retirement fund for former airport employees.

Firms will be able to sponsor the slide as well as the sacks used on the ride and the ball pit at the bottom.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:

“Our focus has been on connecting Edinburgh and Scotland to the rest of the world and that’s been a great success, but we want to enhance the offering we have as an airport.

“The control tower is iconic to passengers from across the world and what better way to utilise it than to install a helter skelter for thrill seekers to enjoy. We know in aviation that what goes up must come down so this is a perfect fit with the airport experience.”

Stuart Lyde from Dizzy Heights who are installing the helter skelter said:

“We’re incredibly excited to be working on this project which we believe is a world first for any airport. The airport is all about sense of fun, as is our company, so it’s a great partnership and we hope people will really get on board with it!”

Sandy Legget, of Edinburgh Airport’s air traffic control partner, Air Navigation Solutions, said:

“We have some of the best views of Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife from up here, so we’re delighted to be able to share them with the public in a safe and secure manner.

“It’s also welcome news for our staff who have been looking for a quicker route to their cars at the end of each shift so it’s really a win win situation for everyone involved.”