Jet2 Plans Major Routes Expansion
An airline and package holiday specialist is creating 150 jobs with the addition of 12 new routes at Scotland's busiest airport.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said the expansion will bring an extra 150,000 passengers to Edinburgh Airport, with 26 routes on offer from next year.
The 12 new routes starting in 2016 are Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Crete, Kefalonia, Rhodes and Zante in Greece, Larnaca and Paphos in Cyprus, Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey and Vienna in Austria.
An additional fifth aircraft will also be based at the airport, meaning that more than half a million seats will be available for next year.
The airline said 150 new jobs will be created directly with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays and within supporting industries as a result of the expansion.
Steve Heapy, chief executive officer of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: "We're giving people the opportunity to jet away with us to the Canary Islands, Greek islands and the eastern Mediterranean for the very first time and our exclusive routes mean people in Scotland have some fantastic new places to visit.
"This huge expansion not only shows our commitment to and investment in the area but it also gives our loyal local customers even more choice and flexibility when it comes to their holiday planning for next year.''
Airport bosses also welcomed news of the expansion. Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "This is great news for Scottish passengers and marks the biggest growth for an airline and holiday company at Edinburgh Airport since we became an independent company.
"Not only will we see Jet2.com and Jet2holidays nearly double their route network from Edinburgh, they'll also increase aircraft seat capacity by 55% by basing a fifth aircraft here, meaning thousands more passengers each year travelling through Edinburgh Airport.
"Excitingly we'll see the introduction of the first service between Edinburgh and Vienna which is a particularly important destination for us to serve. Not only will it offer leisure travellers great choice for city breaks, it opens up further trade and business links between Scotland and this major European hub.
"Such extensive growth is great news for both the Scottish economy and Scottish customers and highlights our attractiveness as the airport of choice for both passengers and airlines.''