can A330 and some 767-200 n 300s not use edi fully loaded? but will be great to see 787 at edi (if they ever get built) but they do need to drasticly increase the number of stands availible to larger aircrafts. maybe after they finnish the building work on the departure lounge BAA might consider doing some work to the western peir and turning it in to international departurs with some heavy stands after all the western piers is only a tin can it wouldn be that hard to rebuild it and move domestic arrivals to where international arrivals is just now.

There is no Air Transat to Toronto next summer, it has been dropped. So depends if GSM want to continue the Hamilton flight, if not no Canada for 2010.

I cant seem to grasp whether there is a consensus that EDI should remain with BAA or go "independent". Previous posters appear contradictory.:confused:

there's possible pro's and cons to both edi becomming independent or remaining with BAA

but one thing for sure is it will be great having compation in the central belt area

Why on Earth can't EDI sustain a single Toronto flight? That's wierd.....
Good city, lots of inbound tourism and many links with Canada. I mean Worldways were keen enough to fly to Edinburgh, they used to operate via Prestwick.

it can its just they want direct not these stupid stops in exter and dublin and they want pearson with onward connections so lets get air canada in to edi :ok:

Air Canada left Glasgow because of the competition from the lower cost charters and the fact they code share with BMI as a STAR ALLIANCE partner over Heathrow. Same reason they left Manchester. Not gonna happen.

Once EDI is freed from the BAA monopoly yoke that protects Glasgow anything can happen.:D

Joe that's the argument from the 1990s as EDI is the number one airport in Scotland now. You can't blame the BAA for not investing in EDI, with a new pier and apron already delivered.
Continental have shown that EDI has a good transatlantic market but Delta failed to add to it. Can't blame the BAA for that and let's be honest, they've let Glasgow slide big time in recent years.

Air Transat have operated the EDI flight for at least 14 years, so im guessing its the financial climate thats stopped the flight for 2010. NCL and EXT have also been dropped for 2010. TCX even had a flight for two or three years for Canadian Affair to YYZ.

The TS flight used to be on a B757 and operated non stop, so must have been enough demand, i seem to recall at one point TS had ABZ, EDI, GLA and PIK in the 90s to YYZ.

You can't blame the BAA for not investing in EDI, with a new pier and apron already delivered.
True but why are the facilities for attracting aircraft in excess of 763 - on a regular basis - missing?
Let's hope a future independent owner will address the anomaly.?

As a comparison, Birmingham has managed (under an arms length multiple council ownership) to expand it's ability to receive larger/longer distance services in the last few years. Current schedules include multiple carriers bringing in B777's and a B747. Indeed, in a few weeks the airport will be receiving the first commercial visit of an A380 of any uk airport other than LHR. Note that EDI/BHX have very similar passenger numbers.

I did not know that EDI and BHX have roughly the same amount of pax p.a - but I would guess simply by the goegraphical location of the Scottish capital the majority of the services and therefore pax carried are actually to and from the London airports. BHX has a fairly wide choice of European destinations served and of course to further afield and the catchment area must be significantly higher than EDI....I still say Scotland would eb far better served with one major airport that could serve the needs of both EDI and GLA catchment areas -making best use combined services and possibly encouraging additional services.

Build an airport at Harthill Service Station........:eek:

Nivsy

EDI currently about 500.000 fewer annual pax - and closing - than BHX.
BHX's runway is some 200ft longer than EDI's (EDI's can be extended some
further 600ft either physically or with starter strips.)
BHX also has a larger catchment area. Apart from that, what is EDI lacking
compared to BHX?

Build an airport at Harthill Service Station
Scotland actually already has the making of one major International airport
in Edinburgh. It is conveniently accessible from ALL parts of Scotland and
Northern England. More so, if the SNP government had not cancelled the
original futuristic Edinburgh Airport Rail link.
The problem with commonsense in Scotland is it isn't common! Too much political gerrymandering and geographical parochialism. IMHO

And you think gerrymandering and geographical parochialism is unique to Scotland??

Edinburgh is not and never has been handy for the west of the country. It's not even conveniently accesible from Edinburgh unless you drive.

The central scotland airport would be accessed by new modern infrastructure from both the west and the east. Edinburgh is acessed by the nightmare that is the M8 from the west and has no railway connection at all. The cost benefit analysis wasn't a good one.
A sensible move would be the closure of both EDI and GLA and their replacement with a built for purpose facility for the nation, plugged into the railway network, north to Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen, east to Edinburgh and west to Glasgow and Ayrshire. However too many parochial wee men would make sure that could never happen.

plugged into the railway network, north to Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen, east to Edinburgh and west to Glasgow and Ayrshire. However too many parochial wee men would make sure that could never happen.

Sounds very much like the original Edinburgh Airport Rail Link that cost the SNP £90M in cancellation fees. Also just imagine how accessible EDI would have been to the west - 30 minutes by train from Glasgow...

And you think gerrymandering and geographical parochialism is unique to Scotland??
Having lived both sides of the border I would say that tribalism in Scotland
is far from unique.

The Edinburgh Airport Rail link was a great idea and should have been given more consideration. Many airports on the continent have direct rail links to other parts of their country and not just the city served, Zurich for example. A rail link at Edinburgh airport would serve the central belt, Falkirk, Stirling and on to Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen would be linked via the Forth Bridge, Glasgow (Queen St) via the new spur to the existing Forth Bridge/ Falkirk line and of course in the opposite direction Edinburgh and the south, plus the new Borders rail line when completed.
Edinburgh airport can expand and a second runway can be built when needed. Whilst Glasgow and Prestwick can also grow, Edinburgh can become a truly international airport for Scotland.