Budget airline easyJet will add an extra plane to its operation at Scottish airport and put on a new service to Athens, it has been revealed.

Industry chiefs and politicians have welcomed the move which will see a new Airbus A320 added to Edinburgh Airport, boosting its capacity by 300,000 seats a year and benefiting both business and leisure travellers in the process. The move is also expected to create an extra 60 jobs.

A new flight carrying travellers from Edinburgh to Athens will also be added to the airport’s schedules along with new services to Grenoble and Tenerife.

It was also disclosed that easyJet intends to bring in a 180-seat Airbus A320 plane to replace one of its four Glasgow aircraft. The new aircraft will carry an extra 40,000 passengers a year.

Edinburgh Airport managing director Kevin Brown said on Wednesday: “Today’s announcement is not only an investment in Edinburgh Airport, but in Edinburgh itself.

“It has consistently proven that it is a city in which people want to live, work and visit. We will continue to work with our airlines and the city to ensure that as many people as possible can do just that.”

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The provision of a fifth plane for Edinburgh, a bigger aircraft in Glasgow and the opening up of these new routes will not only create 60 new jobs but will also contribute towards longer-term economic growth.”

Copyright Press Association 2011

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