Edinburgh Airport said on Friday it has welcomed a record 15 million passengers in 2024, a milestone achieved for the first time ever at a Scottish airport.
In April, New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) agreed to sell a 50.01% stake in Edinburgh Airport to France’s Vinci Airports for £1.27 billion.
The remaining 49.99% interest in Edinburgh Airport continues to be managed by GIP, which agreed in January to be bought by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, in a deal worth $12.5 billion.
The record-breaking year comes as the airport introduced new routes in 2024 and facilitated travel for major events. Key highlights included:
- Emirates returning to Edinburgh with a daily service to Dubai.
- JetBlue entering the Scottish market with daily flights to New York during the summer.
- WestJet expanding its presence by adding Toronto and Halifax to its Calgary service.
- Increasing frequency into and connections to Germany as the Tartan Army went to cheer on Scotland at Euro 2024.
- Taylor Swift fans flying in from all over the world to attend her concerts at Murrayfield.
The airport has already announced new routes and airlines for 2025, such as the return of American Airlines and its Philadelphia route, JetBlue adding Boston to its options, and Austrian Airlines entering the Scottish market with its seasonal route to Vienna.
Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar said: “It’s great to hit this major passenger milestone that shows the clear interest that people have in tourism and travel, both to and from Scotland.
“Whether it was supporting Scotland at the Euros, being a Swiftie and singing your heart out at Murrayfield or travelling to a bucket list destination for that special holiday, we’ve been able to facilitate more than 15 million journeys this year at Scotland’s busiest airport.
“That’s an achievement that reflects the incredible spirit of our team, the excitement of our passengers to see the world, and the growing connections we’re proud to foster across Scotland and beyond.
“We’re already planning for 2025 and what it will bring, and we look forward to seeing even more people next year.”