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Edinburgh Airport (EDI) | News & Developments

455K views 2K replies 142 participants last post by  Kenspeckle 
#1 ·
I looked for a thread related Edinburgh Airport developments but could not see one.

It appears that Incheon International Airport Corp. is mulling a bid for Edinburgh Airport and is one among other potential bids.

I have to say the prospect of direct routes into Asia would be excellent.

Edinburgh airport, offered for sale by BAA Ltd., has attracted interest from Korea’s biggest hub, while half a dozen financial firms including JPMorgan Chase & Co. may bid, according to people with knowledge of the auction.

Incheon International Airport Corp. is mulling an offer for the Edinburgh terminal, which BAA is selling to meet antitrust requirements, and may form a bid group with Korean institutions, Chief Executive Officer Lee Chae-Wook said in an interview.

JPMorgan’s infrastructure fund is also considering a bid for Scotland’s busiest airport, which analysts reckon may fetch 600 million pounds ($930 million), said a person familiar with the plan who declined to be named because the sale is private. Rival bids may be led by Carlyle Group, Global Infrastructure Partners Ltd. and 3i Infrastructure Plc, other people said.

“Edinburgh has a relatively wealthy catchment area and that makes it an attractive asset,” said Douglas McNeill, a transport analyst at Charles Stanley in London. “It’s a big tourist centre and the financial industry there has held up pretty well.”

Opened in 1977, Edinburgh has two runways, one terminal and serves more than 100 destinations. The airport, which boosted passenger numbers 8.2 percent to 8.8 million in the first 11 months of 2011, is being sold after BAA, also the owner of London’s Heathrow hub, lost an appeal against a breakup ordered by the U.K. Competition Commission.

“We don’t just want to invest, that’s what financial companies do,” Incheon’s Lee said today in an interview at Asia’s third-busiest airport for international flights. “We are more interested in operating the airport.”


http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...-lures-koreans-jpmorgan-said-to-mull-bid.html

:banana:
 
#3 ·
Edinburgh (and Glasgow) are already key airports for Scotland. However, independence or not, there are only 5.1 million people in Scotland and IMO we can only grow air routes finitely. I'd suggest that any new routes which are announced, for example to China or the Middle East will be at the expense of feeder routes to the likes of Heathrow, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris CDG etc. It depends on how you look at things, direct routes are great to have but the feeder routes into the main hubs are equally important for the wide range of destinations on offer.
 
#4 ·
Sorry, I don't want to sound like a bitch here, you may very well be quite correct. But cities/countries like Copenhagen/Denmark are small like us, how come they can develop hubs and we can't? It always seemed to me that the best way to serve your own economy would be to try really hard to develop a lot of transit traffic so that your own population could piggy back on all those extra routes it could help to support. Isn't that what Dubai/Doha etc. have been doing.

Sometimes I just feel like we've developed a really unambitious culture that says that we should only provide the infrastructure for what is already required - other countries seem to be able to use infrastructure invesment to create rather than just to serve.
 
#5 ·
Sorry, I don't want to sound like a bitch here, you may very well be quite correct. But cities/countries like Copenhagen/Denmark are small like us, how come they can develop hubs and we can't? It always seemed to me that the best way to serve your own economy would be to try really hard to develop a lot of transit traffic so that your own population could piggy back on all those extra routes it could help to support. Isn't that what Dubai/Doha etc. have been doing.

Sometimes I just feel like we've developed a really unambitious culture that says that we should only provide the infrastructure for what is already required - other countries seem to be able to use infrastructure invesment to create rather than just to serve.
Nowt wrong with being ambitious! The only issue with what you suggest is that both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports are too small to be a hub and they are very constrained in how they can expand. What Scotland should be doing is ditching both airports and creating one mega airport probably just to the north east of Glasgow which would have excellent road and rail links into it. :)
 
#9 ·
I think there should be one mega airport in Scotland. This would bring in all sorts of development opportunities which we just don't have at the moment . The main problem at the moment is its not seen as a priority , plus the finance isn't there, unless it comes from some mega-investor like Incheon International Airport Corp
 
#12 ·
Edinburgh Airport changes hands to Global Infrastructure Partners

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18287180

The owner of Gatwick and London City airport has formally taken ownership of Edinburgh Airport in a £807m deal.

The airport was sold in April to Global Infrastructure Partners, after the Competition Commission ruled BAA had to sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Former managing director of Edinburgh Airport, Gordon Dewar, has been appointed chief executive officer.

Mr Dewar is currently CEO of Bahrain International Airport and will rejoin the team at Edinburgh in the summer.

The airport's current managing director, Jim O'Sullivan, has agreed to continue in his role until then.

Edinburgh Airport refused to say what post Mr O'Sullivan was moving to.

Michael McGhee, Global Infrastructure Partners partner, said: "Gordon is an outstanding airport executive, with relevant experience of Edinburgh Airport.

"We are pleased to have secured his return and look forward to supporting him and his team as they begin the important job of establishing Edinburgh Airport as a more dynamic, competitive player in the global aviation industry.

He added: "It is important to acknowledge the important role played by current airport managing director, Jim O'Sullivan, who has steered his team through the sale process with the highest levels of professionalism and focus.

"He will leave Edinburgh Airport in good shape, and with our best wishes."

Gordon Dewar, who was managing director of Edinburgh Airport between 2008 and 2010, said: "Edinburgh is my home city, and I am excited to be returning to one of the most important jobs in the capital.

"The challenge of leading the airport and the team into a new era of competition and growth is an irresistible one, and very different to the role I once played in BAA.

"Edinburgh Airport's future, its plans and its identity, will all be shaped in Edinburgh, and our decisions will only be influenced by what is good for Edinburgh Airport, and the city and country we serve."

Mr Dewar's daughter, Olivia Dewar, 17, was killed when she was hit by a car in the village of Saar in Bahrain in December 2010.

She had moved to Bahrain in August 2010 when her father became Bahrain Airport's chief executive.

Sir John Elvidge, chairman of Edinburgh Airport, said: "Today represents the opening of a new, exciting chapter in the history of Scotland's capital city airport.

"We don't expect to change overnight, but we have an excellent, supportive owner and a world-class management team, each of us is determined to raise Scotland's profile around the world, connect Edinburgh with more destinations, and provide passengers with a great experience and more choice."
 
#17 ·
Easyjet's Edinburgh Airport expansion promises jobs boost

BBC News, 30th August 2012

One hundred jobs could be brought to Edinburgh after Easyjet announced plans to base two more aircraft at the capital's airport.

The airline already has five planes based in Edinburgh, flying to 24 destinations, and carrying 2.5 million passengers in the past 12 months.

It has not yet decided where the additional aircraft will fly to.

The choice of destinations will be announced in October after discussions with other agencies.

Hugh Aitken, Easyjet's commercial manager for Scotland, told BBC Radio Scotland: "We are doing something quite unique, we're starting to talk to a lot of our partners, Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland and others about where they see the opportunities, where they see the markets that are underserved or have potential to grow in and out of Scotland and how they can support us with that."

He hinted that the destinations would be European. "Absolutely, that's our foot print", he said.

Mr Aitken agreed that Edinburgh had great "inbound potential".

He added: "On some of our routes well over 50% of the people are coming in to Scotland - so that's about tourists coming in to Scotland and visiting the country. You can imagine there will be other places with the potential to bring people to Scotland".

However he explained that the airline would also be looking at outbound destinations "that need new capacity brand new or other areas with potential to grow".

"It's about connecting Scottish businesses and leisure travellers with where they want to go to and flying directly rather than having to go through the hub airports," he said.

At the moment, Easyjet does not fly to or from Heathrow and Mr Aitken claimed there was "a real preoccupation with Heathrow".

Mr Aitken said: "Everybody talks about any loss of capacity at Heathrow being bad for Scotland.

"In our view we fly to London Luton, Stansted, Gatwick which very often if you're doing business in London it's quicker to fly to those airports than it is to fly to Heathrow plus given that Heathrow is over 90% full, when things go wrong they go wrong very badly."

The airline said although it was investing in Edinburgh it was not ignoring Glasgow and had increased capacity there and introduced new routes over the past year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-19420055
 
#18 ·
Edinburgh Airport becomes first Scottish pet passport hub

BBC News, 4th September, 2012

Scots who take their pets abroad can now fly them directly back into the country rather than shipping them via England.

It follows the launch of the new border inspection post at Edinburgh Airport.

Freight forwarding company Extrordinair has started operating Scotland's first approved "PETS" Animal Reception Centre at Edinburgh Airport.

Owners with dogs, cats or ferrets under the EU Pet Travel Scheme can now touch down in Edinburgh.

The move allows owners and breeders to fly their pets directly to and from Scotland, previously they had to arrive at the UK's only approved animal centres in London or Manchester.

Sylvia Fleming, managing director of Extrordinair, said: "Our new facility at Edinburgh Airport means that animals flying into Scotland can be reunited with their owners within hours of touchdown, provided that they have a valid Pet Passport or EU third country Health Certificate and comply with DEFRA regulations.

"The service makes things much easier for owners and for pets, as a prolonged period of travel/separation in a strange environment can cause them stress."

Edinburgh Airport chief executive, Gordon Dewar said: "More than nine million passengers travel through Edinburgh Airport every year, and we're constantly looking at how we can offer them more choice.

"We know it's been an inconvenience for passengers to have to travel to England first when they're bringing their pets back to the country so we've worked with Extrordinair to set up Scotland's first small animal border inspection post to give them the option of transporting small animals directly to the capital."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19466122
 
#19 ·
International flights on cards if Virgin wins short-haul routes

Edinburgh Evening News, 7th September 2012

Virgin Atlantic will look to roll out international flights from Edinburgh if it is successful in bidding for short-haul routes between the Capital and Heathrow.

The company has suggested it would consider following a similar model to Glasgow, where it now runs hugely successful routes between Scotland and Orlando, Florida.

And chief executive Steve Ridgway said Virgin wanted to connect Edinburgh to Heathrow in order to open up routes to locations such as South Africa and India.

Mr Ridgeway also warned that fares between Edinburgh and Heathrow would rise and flights be further reduced unless a second airline was allowed to compete with British Airways over the route.

Virgin Atlantic yesterday confirmed it had bid for new short-haul services between Heathrow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and met with first minister Alex Salmond for talks over the move to Scotland.

“Virgin Atlantic is offering to bring a very strong brand and a very strong reputation to Edinburgh and Aberdeen and create a second choice, to connect these key cities to our network in Heathrow,” said Mr Ridgway.

“This is about connecting people in Scotland and Edinburgh with the rest of the world. We’re not really selling Edinburgh-Heathrow, we’re selling Edinburgh-Shanghai, or Edinburgh-Delhi or Edinburgh-Cape Town.”

Although the firm plans to focus on short-haul flights it eventually intends to roll out more international flights. In Glasgow, where it operates long-haul only, it began with six flights per year to Florida and extended to its current 66.

EU officials will make a decision on the London routes in November with a second 
airline option operating from next spring. Aer Lingus is also bidding for the route.

International Airlines Group – which owns British Airways – took over regional carrier British Midland International in April but was forced to surrender bmi’s routes in Edinburgh and Aberdeen due to competition laws.

Mr Ridgway said: “Along with Edinburgh, British Airways is the sole operator in Glasgow and as a result the number of services has already dropped and fares have risen.

“We know from speaking to the First Minister and the transport minister that they are very worried about the 
current situation.

Mr Ridgway added that the trams – due in summer 2014 – are important to Edinburgh Airport’s growth.

He added: “It’s going to make Edinburgh airport better and stronger. It’s all about connecting to the centre and having an efficient transport 
network.”

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/transport/international-flights-on-cards-if-virgin-wins-short-haul-routes-1-2513066
 
#20 ·
Easyjet to launch six new flights from Edinburgh

BBC News, 11th October, 2012

Easyjet has announced six new routes from Edinburgh Airport.

The new services are to Berlin and Hamburg in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, Copenhagen in Denmark and Dubrovnik in Croatia.

The company announced another new route, to Reykjavik in Iceland, last week.

The budget airline sought advice from VisitScotland, Marketing Edinburgh and the business community to see where the flights should go.

The company claims the move will bring 160 new jobs along with an estimated 500 indirect jobs in Scotland.

The number of planes at it base in the capital will increase from five to seven.

The firm said the new routes would bring 140,000 more passengers to the city, which would benefit the economy by almost £90m.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The new direct links with some of the world's most exciting destinations will open up fresh inward investment opportunities and strengthen existing ties with the likes of Germany and Scandinavia.

"This is a major endorsement and vote of confidence in Edinburgh and Scotland, and we are working behind the scenes to deliver even more direct routes."

Hugh Aitken, Easyjet's head of Scotland, said: "I'm confident our new 2013 schedule will really appeal to people travelling to and from Scotland both on business and for leisure and will further bolster Edinburgh's world-famous appeal for tourists."

Mike Cantlay, VisitScotland Chairman, said: "We are delighted to be working with Easyjet to help bring valuable new capacity to Edinburgh's route network.

"Scotland's connectivity is key to its success in attracting the lucrative leisure and business travellers which fuel a Scottish tourism industry worth over £11bn."

Gordon Dewar, chief executive, Edinburgh Airport, said: "Edinburgh Airport is committed to extending Scotland's reach across Europe and the world and we will do this by working in partnership with leading airlines like Easyjet.

"Today's announcement is hugely exciting for Scottish aviation by relinking Edinburgh with Berlin and Reykjavik and adding fantastic new destinations such as Hamburg and Prague.

"I'm sure these new routes will boost business and leisure travel to and from Scotland underlining aviation's key role in our economy."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19908611
 
#21 ·
BBC News, 11th October, 2012

Easyjet has announced six new routes from Edinburgh Airport.

The new services are to Berlin and Hamburg in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, Copenhagen in Denmark and Dubrovnik in Croatia.

The company announced another new route, to Reykjavik in Iceland, last week.

The budget airline sought advice from VisitScotland, Marketing Edinburgh and the business community to see where the flights should go.

The company claims the move will bring 160 new jobs along with an estimated 500 indirect jobs in Scotland.

The number of planes at it base in the capital will increase from five to seven.

The firm said the new routes would bring 140,000 more passengers to the city, which would benefit the economy by almost £90m.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The new direct links with some of the world's most exciting destinations will open up fresh inward investment opportunities and strengthen existing ties with the likes of Germany and Scandinavia.

"This is a major endorsement and vote of confidence in Edinburgh and Scotland, and we are working behind the scenes to deliver even more direct routes."

Hugh Aitken, Easyjet's head of Scotland, said: "I'm confident our new 2013 schedule will really appeal to people travelling to and from Scotland both on business and for leisure and will further bolster Edinburgh's world-famous appeal for tourists."

Mike Cantlay, VisitScotland Chairman, said: "We are delighted to be working with Easyjet to help bring valuable new capacity to Edinburgh's route network.

"Scotland's connectivity is key to its success in attracting the lucrative leisure and business travellers which fuel a Scottish tourism industry worth over £11bn."

Gordon Dewar, chief executive, Edinburgh Airport, said: "Edinburgh Airport is committed to extending Scotland's reach across Europe and the world and we will do this by working in partnership with leading airlines like Easyjet.

"Today's announcement is hugely exciting for Scottish aviation by relinking Edinburgh with Berlin and Reykjavik and adding fantastic new destinations such as Hamburg and Prague.

"I'm sure these new routes will boost business and leisure travel to and from Scotland underlining aviation's key role in our economy."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-19908611
Looks like most of these routes are replacing the routes recently axed by Ryanair and Iceland Express at Edinburgh. Good for Edinburgh Airport to get them replaced and certainly sticks two fingers up at Ryanair!
 
#22 ·
Virgin Atlantic offered Heathrow links to Edinburgh and Aberdeen

BBC News, 19th November, 2012

Virgin Atlantic has been offered the rights to operate Heathrow links to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Sir Richard Branson's airline bid successfully for the London landing slots formerly operated by BMI.

The slots were released to others by regulators as a condition of allowing the takeover earlier this year of BMI by British Airways' owner IAG.

Virgin Atlantic intends to start operating the new services from the end of next March.

BA already flew between Heathrow and Scotland in competition with BMI, and the European Commission ruled that the London airport's scarce and valuable slots had to be released to other airlines for links to Edinburgh and Aberdeen, as well as Cairo and Moscow, where BMI and BA had formerly competed.

Virgin Atlantic is to lease Airbus A320s from another operator on its new routes.

Its first move into short-haul flights began last August, when it announced a new route between Manchester and Heathrow, building on an often bitter, 28-year rivalry between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

The only other airline known to have put in a bid for the slots was Aer Lingus.

Steve Ridgeway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: "We have fought hard for the right to fly short-haul and take a strong challenge to British Airways within these shores.

"This is the beginning of an exciting new era in Virgin Atlantic history and we now feel a responsibility to everyone that has supported us in this challenge."

The airline is to finalise its timetable plans over the next two weeks.

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said the new regular service would provide choice for travelling to Heathrow and open up a new set of onward destinations for passengers.

Scotland's Transport Minister Keith Brown said it was a welcome announcement for both passengers and the air industry.

Mr Brown added: "The detail will be worked out over the next couple of weeks but we are pleased that the European Commission has taken note of the need for both Edinburgh and Aberdeen to be served and that Virgin Atlantic will now be able to operate from two of Scotland's most important cities."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20384801
 
#23 ·
while schipol is slightly ridiculous, a comparison with manchester is not. the most heavily populated area in the developed world (outside of japan) is bound at four corners by heathrow, schipol, cdg, and frankfurt, with gatwick, orly etc too. outside of this area that is not sustainable and a vastly optimistic hope.

however a look at manchester destinations shows various destinations that you might expect to find at one large main international airport serving a small place (i imagine dublin & stockholm also show this)...

-abu dhabi
-aruba
-barbados
-doha
-goa
-hong kong
-islamabad
-istanbul
-jamaica
-las vegas
-maldives
-mombassa
-tel aviv
-washington dc

edit - dublin shows others such as...
-montreal
-atlanta
-moscow
-philadelphia
-charlotte

copenhagen includes
-cairo
-bahrain
-tehran
-beirut
-singapore
-bangkok
-phuket

for as long as you have two little airports fighting it out over who gets an extra couple of ryanair routes or who has the 'prestige' of a daily flight to dubai, you can't really expect much more.

berlin has recently combined three airports into one - closing down the utterly iconic & historic tempelhof and the rather fabulous tegel in the process, in order to do exactly this, pool resources, and compete with munich & copenhagen (while being realistic enough to know they won't compete with frankfurt).

if they can shut down tegel, you can shut down glasgow, and still keep (or even boost) prestwick for the domestic alicante/prague brigade.
reposted my own quote about edinburgh and its potential from the high speed rail thread. i'd add also in addition to the above, that helsinki offers flights taipei, shanghai, beijing, tokyo, and osaka.

something is going wrong here and it has nothing to do with london (manchester more than holds its own as a major regional european airport by offering a huge number of destinations). i'd suggest it is the refusal to even consider closing glasgow.
 
#25 ·
Ryanair announces eight new flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick

BBC News, 4th December, 2012

Ryanair has announced eight new flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick to destinations across Europe.

The new Edinburgh routes will be to Bologna, Beziers, Cagliari, Corfu, Katowice and Santander. The new Glasgow routes are to Rzeszow and Warsaw.

Ryanair had cut its schedule at Edinburgh Airport following a row with former operators BAA.

However, it has reached a new agreement with the airport's new owner, Global Infrastructure Partners.

It means there will now be 38 routes operating by Ryanair from Edinburgh Airport and 27 routes from Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

The new routes are to airports at Bologna and Cagliari in Italy, Beziers in France, Santander in northern Spain, Corfu in Greece and Katowice, Rzeszow and Warsaw in Poland.

The airline is also increasing the frequency of flights on five other routes from Edinburgh and four from Glasgow Prestwick.

Ryanair said all its routes at the two bases would mean it would deliver a combined total of more than 3 million passengers.

'More choice'
Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "Ryanair is delighted to announce its Scottish summer 2013 schedule, which will deliver over 3 million passengers per annum and sustain over 3,000 jobs at Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick Airports.

"Following successful negotiations with Edinburgh Airport's new owners, Global Infrastructure Partners, Ryanair will grow its summer 2013 operations at Edinburgh by 11%."

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport CEO, welcomed the investment at Edinburgh Airport.

He said: "When I came to Edinburgh Airport in the summer, it was clear that we had to repair the relationship with Ryanair and work with them to provide more choice for Scottish passengers."

Iain Cochrane, Glasgow Prestwick CEO, said: "We're delighted with Ryanair's latest commitment to grow its business from Glasgow Prestwick which is another sign of its continuing confidence in our airport.

"It gives travellers an even greater choice of value-for-money destinations next year and a further boost for the local economy, with more visitors to Scotland coming through the airport gateway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-20594958
 
#26 ·
Edinburgh Airport tower glows purple for upcoming re-brand

STV News, 4th December, 2012



A sudden flurry of snow might be the only unusual thing travellers at Edinburgh airport expected to see this week.

But there’s more happening at the airport than just a light dusting of snow and dropping temperatures, as the airport tower has transformed over night into a bright purple beacon welcoming passengers into the capital.

Although the glowing violet tower may seem just an attractive touch to the airport landscape, the colour change signals exciting new developments for the business as a whole.

Edinburgh Airport’s branding re-launch will take place at Edinburgh Castle on Wednesday December 5, and the purple tower is just a little glimpse of what might be involved in the changes.

“We changed the colour on the tower as a little teaser for the public, and also because it’s coming up to Christmas,” said Gordon Robertson, Head of Communications at the airport.

“We wanted to build up anticipation and excitement about the changes that are being made.

“The re-brand is needed, we’ve been working very hard in the six months since it was purchased by new owners and we’re all very excited.”

The airport was purchased by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) from BAA in June 2012 for £807.2m, and since then the group – which also own Gatwick and 75% of London City airport, have been making improvements and attracting airline deals to the capital’s thriving airport.

In August 2012, budget airline Easyjet, who already have five aircraft stationed at Edinburgh, announced that it would be adding two more Airbus A319 planes to its Auld Reekie fleet.

The arrival of these two planes will offer an extra 180,000 passenger seats a year for Scotland, although the flight routes of these have yet to be confirmed.

Some 2.5 million of easyJet’s four million Scottish airport passengers per year currently fly from the capital, which is only set to increase once new planes have been added.

“Business has been good, the changes the new owners are bringing in are making a difference,” said Gordon.

“The tempo has been increased, people are seeing changes not only in the processes within the airport but in the airlines we’ve been attracting.”

Easyjet are not the only airline expanding existing services or creating new deals with the airport, as in November Virgin Atlantic announced they had been successful in their bid for all Heathrow short-haul domestic flights from Edinburgh.

Turkish Airlines have also moved in to the airport since the GIP takeover, introducing Scotland’s first direct flight to Istanbul in July.

As Scotland's busiest airport, Edinburgh currently serves approximately 9m passengers from over 40 airlines every year and handles around 311 flights on a daily basis. It was named Best European Airport: 5m - 10m Passengers in 2012 for the second year in a row at the ACI Europe Best Airport Awards.

“It’s been a very busy six months, but very successful,” said Gordon.

“In 2013, people are going to see more of what we always try to do at Edinburgh Airport – offering Scotland the best possible airport experience and a diverse choice of routes.

“Easyjet’s going to have a further seven routes from Edinburgh and two new planes, which roughly equates to 9 million more passengers over eight years.

“We’re extending Scotland’s reach, and we’re supporting that by getting people through security quickly and making sure our flights are punctual, that’s what’s important to the public.”

The colour-changing airport tower may give little away about the exciting new brand changes at the airport, but it certainly has the public asking plenty of questions and strikes an attractive pose on the Edinburgh skyline.

http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/magazine/203884-glowing-purple-tower-signals-edinburgh-airport-re-brand/
 
#27 ·
Edinburgh Airport marks change of ownership

6 December 2012



Edinburgh Airport has unveiled its new logo to mark its change of ownership.

The new company brand has the slogan "where Scotland meets the world" and was created by Edinburgh-based Taste Design - a husband and wife team.

The design was chosen by the airport's owner, Global Infrastructure Partners, in a competition run between Edinburgh design agencies.

Airport Chairman Sir John Elvidge said it "opens an exciting new chapter in the airport's history."

He added: "Our new owner, GIP, has a simple investment philosophy which is being applied energetically at Edinburgh.

"It is simply to improve the passenger experience and build growth through existing and new routes, particularly to long-haul destinations.

"It is an exciting time to be part of such important and significant change."

'Refreshing change'
Since GIP acquired Edinburgh Airport in June, the airport has secured six new routes from Easyjet and six new routes from Ryanair.

Virgin Atlantic has also indicated that it will launch Heathrow services from March 2013.

The airport's new chief executive, Gordon Dewar, said: "We take decisions in Edinburgh, and Edinburgh is our only concern.

"That is a refreshing change, and one that excites me, and my team.

"Our vision is to be the place where Scotland connects with the world.

"We want to make passengers' journeys easier and faster, and I am confident we are already making progress and are more hungry for improvement than ever before."

from BBC News
 
#28 ·
Virgin to compete with BA's Scotland to Heathrow links

BBC News, 10th December, 2012

Virgin Atlantic has set out details of its plans to compete with British Airways on Heathrow links with Scotland.

It is to fly six round trips between the London airport and Edinburgh, with three round trips linking it with Aberdeen.

The airline says 150 people will be employed as a result of the move.

Virgin Atlantic will take over landing slots from BMI, after it was bought by British Airways owner, IAG.

From 31 March 2013, the planes are to be operated by Aer Lingus, but will be in Virgin Atlantic livery.

Scheduling is intended to appeal to business travellers wishing to spend a day working in either capital city, with departures from 06.40, as well as linking to international flights in to and out of Heathrow.

Having already committed to fly Heathrow to Manchester, this is the start of short-haul flights for Virgin Atlantic.

It has seen the opportunity to compete with its long-time British Airways rival, after regulators required it to give up slots to ensure competition is retained on Heathrow's links to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

As BMI had given up its Glasgow-Heathrow route, regulators did not insist on competition on that route. However, an assessment by the European Commission found there has been a significant increase in British Airways fares on the Glasgow route since BMI withdrew early in 2011.

Steve Ridgeway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said British Airways' monopoly on the Heathrow links is causing "serious consumer harm" which his company intends to challenge.

"Virgin Atlantic will offer millions of passengers in Scotland and Manchester connections around the world through our and our partners' long-haul network, with the additional benefit of providing direct services to and from London Heathrow," he said.

"This is a robust business model that will protect competition to and from Heathrow for the long-term."

Scotland's Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, welcomed the Virgin Atlantic plans, adding: "We are still concerned about the absence of competition on the Glasgow-Heathrow route, and will continue to promote its re-introduction, as well as our desire for better direct international connectivity.

"We also reiterate once again our calls for Air Passenger Duty to be devolved as quickly as possible to provide the means to incentivise new direct international services from Scotland."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20657670
 
#30 ·
Edinburgh Airport establishes £15m new route fund

BBC News - 25th January, 2013

Edinburgh Airport has announced a fund intended to attract operators willing to serve new destinations.

Finance worth £15m annually has been pledged for airlines considering flights from Edinburgh.

The funding will only be handed over once a commitment has been made to a new service.

The airport is hoping to expand its route network to include key destinations in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

The airport currently has flights to 130 destinations.

VisitScotland has welcomed the announcement.

Chairman Mike Cantlay said: "Good connectivity is imperative to Scotland's success not just as a tourism destination in 2013, but as we prepare to host globally significant events in 2014 such as the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and second Year of Homecoming.

"As with our recent support of Air Canada, aiding in the promotion of new routes between Toronto and Edinburgh, VisitScotland will continue to work closely with Edinburgh Airport to ensure we are marketing new routes at home and abroad, encouraging people across the world to make the journey to our breathtaking country, realising all Scotland has to offer."
 
#31 ·
Virgin Atlantic unveils UK airline services

BBC News - 1st March, 2013


Virgin Atlantic has unveiled details of its UK domestic service, including that the operation is called Little Red.

It will launch on 31 March in Manchester, 5 April in Edinburgh and 9 April in Aberdeen, providing a total of 26 daily services to Heathrow airport.

Virgin won key take-off and landing slots at Heathrow after the struggling carrier Bmi was taken over by British Airways' parent company IAG.

Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson said Little Red will go head-on with BA.

BA operates around 52 daily flights between Heathrow and Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. BA also runs services to Scotland from Gatwick and London City airports.

Virgin Atlantic hopes that Little Red, which will use Heathrow Terminal 1, will help feed traffic onto its international service operating from Terminal 3.

Sir Richard said on Friday that Little Red will "go head-to-head with BA to provide domestic flights that deliver Virgin Atlantic's rock and roll spirit as well as real value for money."
 
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