Edinburgh Airport enjoys 4.9% increase in March passenger numbers

Over 730,000 passengers travelled through Edinburgh Airport last month, an increase of almost 5% compared to the same period in 2013.

Domestic passenger numbers increased by 5.3% with 390,734 people flying through the airport. The number of passengers travelling internationally also increased with 343,115 people travelling, an increase of 4.4% from 2013.

Last April’s introduction of six daily services to London Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic Little Red has had a direct impact on domestic passenger numbers as these services were not available in March 2013.

The influx of French charter flights for the Six Nations at the beginning of the month, combined with a new daily service to Istanbul from Turkish Airlines and a double daily Lufthansa service to Frankfurt all contributed to the international increase.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “We enjoyed a busy March with good performances from domestic and international carriers. We also experienced our busiest departure day ever thanks to the thousands of French rugby fans leaving Edinburgh after the Six Nations.

“This proved to be a great dry run for us ahead of the busy Easter period where we’ll no doubt see an increase in passenger numbers as people travel to see friends and family or head off on holiday.

“As we enter the summer season, we’ll continue to work hard to ensure our passengers have the best experience possible. It’s an exciting time, with several major route launches next month and a fantastic summer of events to look forward to.”