Edinburgh Airport to get £50m expansion

Scotland’s busiest terminal, which handles 10 million passengers a year, will build a second baggage reclaim area and immigration hall to cater for hoped-for further growth in long-distance flights.

The work also includes new stands for aircraft to park, and “air bridges” to link them to the terminal.

Construction starts next week and will take four years, with 50 jobs being created.

Edinburgh’s long-haul traffic increased by 90 per cent last year thanks to new and expanded routes such as the capital’s first Middle East link, by Qatar Airways to Doha.

United Airlines started operating to Chicago, and US Airways to Philadelphia, which will be switched to New York this summer.

Etihad Airways launches flights to Abu Dhabi in June.

Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said: “The work we’ll be carrying out over the next four years will transform our airside facilities, tripling our capacity to handle bigger aircraft and paving the way for the next ten years of increased international connectivity.

“We’ll effectively be creating a new international facility for our airlines, and underpinning our future aspirations to increase passenger numbers, enhance their experience and be one of the leading European airports for our size.”

Mr Cameron, who was in Scotland to publish legislation for further powers for Scotland, said: “The expansion of Edinburgh Airport is great news for Scotland and for the whole of the UK.

“It will open the door to more long-haul flights and new routes, meaning more tourism, more trade and more jobs for people here in Edinburgh and beyond.”