Edinburgh Airport is experiencing growth in long-haul routes, despite primarily handling short and medium-haul flights. With over 15 million passengers last year, the airport ranks as the sixth-busiest in the UK. It connects Edinburgh to more than 150 destinations worldwide through nearly 40 carriers.
The largest airlines at Edinburgh are low-cost carriers easyJet, Jet2, and Ryanair. However, major international airlines like Air France, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, and United Airlines also operate from the airport.
Among the longest routes available from Edinburgh is a flight to China. Other lengthy connections include those to the Middle East and North America.
Delta Air Lines will connect Edinburgh with Atlanta, Boston, and New York JFK using its widebody 767-300 aircraft. “Delta will offer a daily flight from Boston,” adding three weekly services from Atlanta in June for peak summer months.
JetBlue is launching a new route from Boston on May 22nd with daily roundtrips using its Airbus A321 fleet. The airline will also fly daily between New York and Edinburgh starting early May.
United Airlines has been serving Edinburgh for decades with flights to Newark Liberty International, Washington Dulles, and Chicago O’Hare using Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Its Newark route celebrated 20 years of operation last year.
Air Canada operates a summer route connecting Toronto Pearson with Edinburgh using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners starting late March.
WestJet links Edinburgh with Calgary, Halifax, and Toronto. The Calgary route uses WestJet’s 787-9 fleet while Toronto employs Boeing 737 MAX 8s.
American Airlines resumes its Philadelphia to Edinburgh connection this summer after six years using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners starting May 24th until October 5th.
Qatar Airways maintains a double-daily frequency between Doha Hamad International and Edinburgh using both Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and Airbus A350-900s.
Emirates connects Dubai International directly to Edinburgh with its new Airbus A350-900 fleet. Adnan Kazim stated that this inaugural flight “underscores the strategic importance of the UK within our global network.”
Virgin Atlantic operates flights between Orlando (MCO) and Edinburgh twice weekly beginning early April using its flagship A350-1000 fleet configured for up to 397 passengers.
Hainan Airlines offers direct service between Beijing Capital and Edinburgh as the longest route at nearly 4,300 NM. This seasonal service extends from March through October using Airbus A330-300s.
Edinburgh Airport aims for further growth after handling over 15 million passengers in a record year of 2024. CEO Gordon Dewar mentioned potential direct connections with India due to the large South Asian population in the UK. The airport plans facility expansions including check-in hall upgrades along with new food and shopping amenities.
