International traffic at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland grew by nearly 20% in April 2016, up from 495,371 to 586,293 passengers. Total passenger figures for the month rose by 8.7%, to more than a million (1,009,529).
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said, “Edinburgh Airport’s international air services are the lifeblood of Scotland’s tourism industry and are offering better global connections for Scots businesses than ever before. Scotland is no longer dependent on London for its place in the world.
“The airport is an increasingly important social and economic asset, providing 23,000 jobs and economic output of around £1bn (US$1.4bn).
“We look forward to working with others, in the city and in the Scottish government and elsewhere, to build a sustainable, long-term plan for the future of this airport, potentially doubling the number of jobs here in the next few years.
“We will continue to advocate a halving of air passenger duty. It is a punitive tax on travel that restricts Scotland’s progress and punishes those who can least afford it.”
The ‘moving annual total’ of people using Edinburgh Airport grew by 10.9% in April, to more than 11.5m passengers. Domestic travel was down 2.2% in the month, reflecting the strong and growing demand in international traffic.
