{"id":14505,"date":"2025-05-23T22:30:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T21:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/?p=14505"},"modified":"2025-06-13T13:22:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T12:22:30","slug":"the-history-of-edinburgh-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport","title":{"rendered":"The History of Edinburgh Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Scotland is renowned for its impressive and functional infrastructure, a fact that strikes anyone who has visited. However, many of these facilities have a long and storied past; they certainly weren&#8217;t built just a few years ago. More at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\">iedinburgh<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to the scale of infrastructure, airports are clear leaders. These are intricate facilities, comprising a vast array of buildings and structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edinburgh Airport is a fascinating example, not just from an architectural and engineering perspective. <strong>Its rich history is worthy of a book in its own right<\/strong>, or at least a dedicated article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a049b43a9b5b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a049b43a9b5b\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#Scotlands_Busiest_Airport\" >Scotland&#8217;s Busiest Airport<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#The_Early_Years\" >The Early Years<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#Post-War_Changes_and_Upgrades\" >Post-War Changes and Upgrades<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#A_Complete_Redesign\" >A Complete Redesign<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#The_Dawn_of_International_Flights\" >The Dawn of International Flights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#Further_Developments\" >Further Developments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#Acquisition_and_a_Multi-Million_Pound_Project\" >Acquisition and a Multi-Million Pound Project<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/eternal-14505-the-history-of-edinburgh-airport\/#The_Share_Deal\" >The Share Deal<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scotlands_Busiest_Airport\"><\/span>Scotland&#8217;s Busiest Airport<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Edinburgh Airport is an international airport located in the Ingliston area of the city. It holds the title of <strong>Scotland&#8217;s busiest airport by passenger numbers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2023, the airport handled nearly fourteen and a half million passengers, a figure representing a 28% increase on 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as mentioned earlier, the airport has a unique history, which we will now explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Early_Years\"><\/span>The Early Years<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"649\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200229\/image-20.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200229\/image-20.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200229\/image-20-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200229\/image-20-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200229\/image-20-696x471.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The origins of Edinburgh Airport trace back to Turnhouse Aerodrome. During the First World War, it served as the primary northern British base for the Royal Flying Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The small base opened in 1916, and from 1925, it became home to the 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron. At the time, all aircraft operated from a simple grass airstrip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1918, the aerodrome was renamed RAF Turnhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the outbreak of the Second World War, Fighter Command took control of the airfield. The runway was paved with asphalt to accommodate the Supermarine Spitfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Post-War_Changes_and_Upgrades\"><\/span>Post-War Changes and Upgrades<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After the Second World War ended, the airfield remained under military control. It wasn&#8217;t opened for commercial services until May 1947.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1952, the runway was extended to handle the de Havilland Vampire jets used by the 603 Squadron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new passenger terminal was built in 1956 to provide improved commercial services, and it was expanded five years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 603 Squadron was disbanded in the spring of 1957, and three years later, ownership of the site was transferred to the Ministry of Aviation. This move was intended to improve commercial services further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At that time, a decision was made to temporarily move flights to RAF East Fortune, where the runway was being extended to handle larger airliners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Complete_Redesign\"><\/span>A Complete Redesign<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On 1 April 1971, control of the airport passed to the British Airports Authority (BAA). By then, <strong>the terminal was operating at eight times its design capacity<\/strong> and was at full stretch. While some improvements were made, they were largely cosmetic, such as installing extra seating and television monitors for flight information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It soon became clear that a completely new terminal and a full runway redesign were necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200228\/image-21.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200228\/image-21.png 640w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200228\/image-21-300x172.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The reconstruction began in 1973, and the new terminal was officially opened in May 1977.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Dawn_of_International_Flights\"><\/span>The Dawn of International Flights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"651\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200227\/image-22.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200227\/image-22.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200227\/image-22-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200227\/image-22-768x521.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200227\/image-22-696x472.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>International services from Edinburgh began as early as 1962. For many years, however, these were mainly private and charter flights. This began to change towards the end of the 1970s, with the introduction of direct routes to continental Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the time the BAA was privatised, Edinburgh Airport was handling nearly two million passengers annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Further_Developments\"><\/span>Further Developments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to note that RAF Turnhouse continued to operate throughout the post-war period, finally closing in 1997.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the initial terminal modernisation in 1977, further major reconstructions took place. These included expanding the passenger terminal&#8217;s aprons and the car parking facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Acquisition_and_a_Multi-Million_Pound_Project\"><\/span>Acquisition and a Multi-Million Pound Project<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On 23 April 2012, Edinburgh Airport was sold to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new owner announced plans in 2013 for a further expansion of the passenger terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2014, the number of flights was reduced as airlines began using larger-capacity aircraft. In 2015, the airport set a new record, surpassing <strong>11 million passengers<\/strong> for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The terminal expansion was successfully completed thanks to multi-million-pound investments. A project to construct a new building housing retail outlets was also brought to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Share_Deal\"><\/span>The Share Deal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In April 2024, Global Infrastructure Partners and the French company VINCI signed an agreement for the sale of a majority stake in the airport. The deal was finalised in June 2024, resulting in GIP retaining a 49.99% stake, while VINCI acquired <strong>50.01% of the airport&#8217;s shares<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23.png 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.iedinburgh.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/17200225\/image-23-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, Edinburgh Airport is more than just a critical piece of infrastructure. Its past can rightly be considered an integral part of the city&#8217;s rich history. The airport&#8217;s impressive throughput and performance figures are a testament to its high level of service and the use of cutting-edge engineering solutions. After all, how else could it serve millions of passengers year after year?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scotland is renowned for its impressive and functional infrastructure, a fact that strikes anyone who has visited. However, many of these facilities have a long and storied past; they certainly weren&#8217;t built just a few years ago. More at\u00a0iedinburgh. When it comes to the scale of infrastructure, airports are clear leaders. These are intricate facilities, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":515,"featured_media":14202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4819],"tags":[5922,5914,5913,5918,5909,5911,5921,5912,5916,5910,5923,5917,5915,5920,5919],"motype":[4825],"moformat":[5040],"moimportance":[32,35],"class_list":{"0":"post-14505","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-innovator","8":"tag-603-squadron","9":"tag-airport-expansion-edinburgh","10":"tag-british-airports-authority","11":"tag-edi-airport-history","12":"tag-edinburgh-airport-history","13":"tag-global-infrastructure-partners","14":"tag-ingliston-history","15":"tag-raf-turnhouse","16":"tag-scotlands-busiest-airport","17":"tag-scottish-aviation","18":"tag-scottish-infrastructure","19":"tag-spitfire-airfield-scotland","20":"tag-turnhouse-aerodrome","21":"tag-uk-airport-development","22":"tag-vinci-airports","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-c-l","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/515"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14505"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14518,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14505\/revisions\/14518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14505"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=14505"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=14505"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iedinburgh.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=14505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}