University shuttle to take off

A DAILY air link is being launched between Edinburgh and Oxford by a new regional airline.

Varsity Express will operate between Edinburgh and London Oxford Airport, north of Oxford, from 1 March.

Flights will depart Oxford daily at 8am, arriving at 9:30am. Flights will leave Edinburgh at 5pm, arriving in Oxford at 6:30pm.

Varsity is backed by a private consortium of investors in the UK and Spain whose interests centre around property development and entertainment.

Commercial director Will Gilligan said: "We have been looking to start a regular shuttle service on this sought-after route for some time.

"Oxford is the third most visited English city by international visitors and Edinburgh is the second most popular destination after London in the UK."

The airline expects 6,500 passengers in the first year and hopes to appeal to students and those in academia.

Gordon Dewar, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, added: "Edinburgh is the UK's fastest growing airport – last year we added 29 international services to destinations across 11 different European countries and completed the first phase of a 40 million redevelopment of the terminal building.

"Varsity Express's decision to make its commercial debut from Edinburgh is a welcome one."