Edinburgh Airport Trials A New Departure Route

Scotland's busiest airport is to trial a new departure route for planes in an attempt to increase capacity.

The six-month trial at Edinburgh Airport will begin on June 25 and will see aircraft take off in a south-westerly direction before turning right towards the River Forth and climbing above water before flying back over land at approximately 13,000ft.

The airport said it will allow planes of a certain size to depart at one-minute intervals and that the route passes over "very few'' populated areas.

Edinburgh is Scotland's busiest airport with more than 10 million passengers passing through the terminal last year.

If the trial is successful, a further public consultation would be held before the move is made permanent, the airport said. Chief operating officer David Wilson said: "As we continue to see more passengers travel through our airport, it's more important than ever to increase airspace capacity above central Scotland to cater for this growth.

"At the moment, Scotland's aircraft currently fly on a network that was designed in the 1970s.

"What we're aiming to do is begin upgrading the airspace above Edinburgh Airport and bring it into the 21st century.

"We've taken great care to design this new departure route with the utmost consideration for our neighbours.

"The route passes over very few populated areas and flies over the river for the bulk of its flight path.

"We've actively contacted various local community councils, groups and politicians, and will continue to do this regularly to ensure people understand why we're doing this.

"This will also help us find out how the new SID (standard instrument departure) route is impacting on them.

"We'll be placing noise monitors along the flight path so we can collect data on the flights and analyse any spikes in noise.''

An interactive map detailing the flight path, altitudes and noise levels has been posted on Edinburgh Airport's website. Local MSP Colin Keir, convener of the Cross Party Group on Aviation at the Scottish Parliament, said: "I welcome this trial and hope it proves successful in upgrading and improving the flight departure routes.

"The need for this trial surely indicates the success of Edinburgh Airport as a business that is working hard to improve its services while keeping safety and sustainability to the forefront.''