Edinburgh airport hails busiest year with 11 million passengers

EDINBURGH Airport has experienced the busiest ever year at a Scottish airport after more than 11 million passengers travelled through it in 2015.
Edinburgh Airport. Picture: Michael GillenEdinburgh Airport. Picture: Michael Gillen
Edinburgh Airport. Picture: Michael Gillen

Edinburgh Airport has experienced the busiest ever year at a Scottish airport after more than 11 million passengers travelled through it in 2015.

A total of 950,000 more passengers used the airport than in the previous year, taking the total to 11,130,584.

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Glasgow Airport also reported record numbers for 2015, recording its largest annual rise in passengers after welcoming more than 8.7 million people last year – an increase of 13 per cent.

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s chief executive, said: “This unprecedented success of 11.13 million passengers through our doors highlights the draw of Edinburgh as a destination and the growing appeal that Scotland holds across the globe.”

Glasgow Airport, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, saw its busiest December on record by welcoming 569,000 passengers.

It also secured an extra one million passengers in 2015 compared with the previous year.

Amanda McMillan, its managing director, said: “Welcoming an additional one million passengers through our doors last year was a huge accomplishment, but by far the most pleasing aspect was the extent to which we bolstered our connections to European cities such as Budapest, Prague, Milan and Bucharest.

“Over the coming months we will welcome two major flag carriers in the form of Air Canada Rouge and Air France, and a new service to Montreal will commence with Air Transat.”

Transport minister Derek Mackay said Edinburgh Airport’s milestone was a “fantastic achievement”.

He added: “The airport’s success brings benefits to both the local and national economies.

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“By improving our international connectivity, we give Scottish businesses improved access to global markets and make the country even more attractive as a destination for tourists.

“Edinburgh Airport already offers a wide range of destinations, but the Scottish Government’s plan to cut Air Passenger Duty will help encourage airlines to develop new routes as well as help sustain existing ones.”

Figures released by Aberdeen Airport show the 3.5 million passenger total for last year was a decrease of 7 per cent compared to 2014, which was a record high year.

However, 2015 was still the airport’s second busiest year ever.

Passenger totals for December saw numbers decrease by 14.1 per cent to 243,259.

Carol Benzie, the airport’s managing director, said: “Clearly 2015 was not without its challenges as there is a direct correlation between our passenger traffic and the performance of the wider economy and the oil price.”