A RECORD number of passengers used Edinburgh Airport during October – the seventh consecutive month the figure has topped one million.

It is also the first time the airport has had more than a million passengers in seven months of a single year.

The headline figure of 1,129,720 passengers represents a 12.5 per cent increase on October 2015. The greatest growth was among passengers on international flights, where there was a 23.6 per cent hike compared to last year.

Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said: “These latest figures are a direct result of the growth in the number of passenger services offering choice of routes to and from Edinburgh. This growth benefits the economy of Edinburgh, the Lothians and all of Scotland. Unlike the majority of UK airports, we have a strong balance of inbound and outbound passengers – this gives us greater confidence as we look at the opportunities and challenges ahead.

“There is, however, absolutely no room for complacency – and we continue to urge the Scottish Government to deliver detail on their proposed cut to Air Passenger Duty.

“A 50 per cent cut to APD in one move will incentivise international airlines to deliver more new global routes to Scotland, which will be a direct catalyst for a boom in inbound tourism – creating new jobs and stimulating the economy to the tune of £300 million gross value added per year.”


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