Edinburgh Airport uses EasyJet jobs news to put pressure on Ryanair over fees

SCOTLAND’S busiest airport has thrown down the gauntlet to Ryanair over its landing fees wrangle by pointedly praising rival EasyJet’s announcement yesterday of 100 jobs and two extra aircraft at Edinburgh.

The Airbus A319s, arriving in December and March to bring the total to seven, will provide at least five new routes from the capital, which have yet to be announced. It currently operates 24 routes from the airport.

EasyJet, the airport’s biggest airline with 2.5 million passengers a year – more than a quarter of the total – is seeking suggestions from tourism agencies such as VisitScotland – in an attempt to win marketing cash. .

In a thinly-veiled reference to Ryanair, airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said: “Today’s announcement from EasyJet is hugely significant for Edinburgh airport. It demonstrates we are willing to do business with airlines that are ambitious for growth and delivering great service for their passengers.”

Dewar, who returned to run the airport last month following BAA’s sale to Global Infrastructure Partners, has still to resolve a wrangle with Ryanair which threatened in February to axe half its 35 routes from October unless its fees were cut. It refused to comment yesterday.

EasyJet hinted it would extend its free allocated seating trial at several airports, including Glasgow, to all flights from next month.

Loganair will launch the first Sunday flights between Glasgow and Leeds Bradford this weekend on behalf of Flybe, extending its twice-daily weekday services since taking over the route from BMI in May.