Strong performance in December sees Edinburgh Airport break 10m barrier for 2014

Edinburgh Airport has topped off another record-breaking year with over 10 million passengers travelling through its terminal in 2014.

Last year Edinburgh saw more passengers than any other Scottish airport, marking a 4% increase on 2013’s passenger figures.

A total of 10,174,684 people flew in and out of Scotland’s busiest airport over the last 12 months making last year the second consecutive record-breaking year for the capital’s transport hub. The airport passed the historic 10m mark on the 23rd December.

Last year’s growth stemmed from significant increases in long-haul traffic, up 89.6% on 2013 thanks to the introduction of Qatar Airways new service to Doha, new US routes to Chicago with United Airlines and Philadelphia with US Airways and an increase in frequency from Air Canada Rouge. Total domestic traffic was also up 3% on 2013 with a number of new and increased services to London airports, with new flights to Stansted with Ryanair and London City with FlyBE which starting in October.

December’s passenger numbers rose by 7.2% with a total of 691,922 people travelling. Just over 380,000 domestic passengers travelled through Edinburgh Airport in December, an increase of 9.3% on the previous year. International passenger numbers also rose by 4.7% to 308,729 people travelling to popular European destinations like Amsterdam, Paris and Lisbon.

The increase in last month’s passenger numbers is thanks to a 13% rise in London traffic, bringing the total increase in domestic traffic to 9.3%.

Speaking about the milestone, Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “To exceed our 10 million passenger mark is a fantastic achievement. We couldn’t have done this without the hard work and dedication of all our teams and partners in the airport and across the city. It’s truly been a team effort and is a collective celebration for Team Edinburgh and the wider Team Scotland.

“Last year we achieved what we set out to do – to offer our passengers choice, a great experience and to cement Edinburgh Airport as the place where Scotland meets the world.

“We welcomed new airlines and retail partners and opened our brand new terminal extension and security hall, all with the passenger firmly at the centre of our operations.

“2014 has been an unprecedented year for Scotland as a whole and we’re proud to have played our part in its success.

“2015 will present its own exciting challenges and projects. It’s a time to focus on what new opportunities we can grasp. We want to harness the successes of the last year and use this to drive our performance over the next 12 months. For us, that means more routes, more investment in our services and welcoming more passengers.”

The moving average total recorded on 31 December was 10,174,684.