Edinburgh Airport rolls out the red carpet for the Prime Minister

Work begins this week on an extensive redevelopment of the airport’s immigration and baggage reclaim facilities, a move that will triple capacity for bigger long-haul aircraft.

The Prime Minister was met by Chairman, Sir John Elvidge, and CEO Gordon Dewar, who took him on a tour of the airport’s new airside construction site which will be phased over the next four years.

With long-haul traffic up almost 90% in 2014, thanks to new routes with Qatar Airways, United Airlines and US Airways, and increased services from Turkish Airlines, Edinburgh Airport is embarking on this ambitious development plan which will see a second immigration hall and baggage reclaim area created and extensive construction of new aircraft stands and air bridges.

In 2013, the Board of Edinburgh Airport committed to investing £150m in Scotland’s busiest airport over five years to allow it to compete more energetically on the international stage and to ensure that its facilities reflected the predicted growth in passenger numbers. This new £50m airside expansion is the second major project in an ambitious plan and follows the completion of the terminal extension late last year.

The first phase of the airside programme is due for delivery this summer, ahead of the arrival of Etihad Airways on 8 June when it launches the first link between Scotland and Abu Dhabi.

The first stage of the development will see the creation of a 2000m2 rapid-build structure to house a new state-of-the-art immigration hall, around which a bigger structure will be built over the next five years.

Over 50 jobs will be created and preparation work is already underway on the site.

Gordon Dewar said: “As we announce the next part of our five-year investment programme, it was a pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister to Edinburgh Airport today so he can see the extensive changes we’ve already made and those we are about to start.

“We’re committed to providing our passengers with choice and giving them the best experience. The work we’ll be carrying out over the next four years will transform our airside facilities, tripling our capacity to handle bigger aircraft and paving the way for the next 10 years of increased international connectivity.

“We’ll effectively be creating a new international facility for our airlines, and underpinning our future aspirations to increase passenger numbers and enhance their experience and be one of the leading European airports for our size.

“We’ve grown significantly over the last several years and have worked hard to redefine our airport strategy with the passenger at the core of everything we do. It’s wonderful that we can showcase the ongoing investment in Edinburgh Airport and our plans for continued growth to the Prime Minister and to the millions of passengers which travel through here each year.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Having first class infrastructure is a crucial part of our long term economic plan to support business, create jobs and secure a brighter future for hardworking families across the country.

“The expansion of Edinburgh Airport is great news for Scotland and for the whole of the UK. It will open the door to more long-haul flights and new routes, meaning more tourism, more trade and more jobs for people here in Edinburgh and beyond.

“It will also help Scotland to compete on an international scale and of course the UK’s large network of embassies across the globe will continue to keep banging the drum for Scotland and help maximise any opportunities, whether it is bringing in overseas investment or supporting businesses in Scotland to export worldwide”.