Edinburgh and airports gear up for busy Easter holidays

Published on 31/03/2012 00:58

EDINBURGH is set for an Easter holiday boom as the UK’s airports prepare for the holiday getaway.

Scotland’s capital has been named the second most popular staycation location in the UK, after London, by travel site Expedia, which has reported a 50 per cent surge in Easter bookings compared to last year.

However, Glasgow Airport said it was preparing to handle around 180,000 passengers over the course of this weekend and next, with the Canary Islands, Turkey, the Balearic Islands and even Florida among the most popular destinations.

Heathrow, in London, was expecting to handle more than 1.6 million people between yesterday and 15 April. Gatwick was expecting to see around 1.5 million pass through the airport over the same period.

Amanda McMillan, managing director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The Easter school holiday break is always a busy time for the airport and this year will be no different, which is very encouraging. We have enjoyed a great deal of success in recent months in expanding our route network and the greater choice of destinations is one of the main reasons why more and more people are choosing to start their holiday from Glasgow Airport.”

However, motoring organisations warned that concerns over fuel supplies were likely to deter many people from travelling long distances over the holiday period.

AA spokesman Keith Killer said: “Until fuel strike action is completely ruled out, some people will remain concerned about supplies.

“However, people heading off should just refuel as normal, keeping at least a quarter of a tank in your car in case of traffic delays or if you’re travelling in an unfamiliar area.”

Easter holidaymakers are being warned that the current balmy weather is only likely to last until the end of the weekend. A cold front is expected to sweep across the country on Monday, bringing possible sleet or snow on higher ground in Scotland.

Clare Allen, a forecaster with the MeteoGroup, said: “At the moment, it looks like there will be a cold front clearing southwards across the country after the weekend.”