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Scotland has six main airports, some with international routes and others with mostly regional options. The busiest airport in Scotland is Edinburgh Airport, which is located in the Ingliston area, about 7-9 miles from the centre of the city. It serves around 222 routes and 337 airlines to 153 destinations. The airport has a good number of amenities, including restaurants, an art gallery, book shops, and duty-free shopping. Glasgow Airport, also known as Glasgow International Airport, is the second busiest airport in Scotland, located about 8 miles from the centre of Glasgow. It connects Glasgow with the rest of the UK, Europe, and many of Scotland's smaller airports. Other airports in Scotland include Aberdeen Airport, Glasgow-Prestwick Airport, and Inverness Airport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Edinburgh Airport |
| Location | Ingliston area of Edinburgh |
| Distance from Edinburgh | 7 miles from the city centre |
| Distance from Edinburgh Castle | 9 miles, accessible by taxi in less than 30 minutes |
| Transport | Motorway: M8, M9, M90; Edinburgh Trams; bus; taxi; Uber; car rental |
| Ranking | Scotland's busiest airport; sixth busiest airport in the UK |
| Number of routes | 222 |
| Number of airlines | 337 |
| Number of destinations | 153 |
| Number of terminals | 1 |
| Amenities | Fast food; sit-down restaurants; Wetherspoons pub; shopping, including duty-free; three lounges |
| History | RAF airfield named RAF Turnhouse during World War II; officially opened for commercial traffic in 1947; new terminal and runway completed in 1977 |
| Former issues | Severe crosswinds due to runway alignment |
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Edinburgh Airport
The airport has a good range of amenities, including fast-food outlets, sit-down restaurants, and a Wetherspoons pub. There are also shops, including duty-free, and three lounges, one of which is for qualifying British Airways passengers. The airport is easy to navigate, with a single terminal building. Edinburgh Airport's website provides live security line wait times, and passengers flying out of the UK are advised to arrive early due to passport control.
The airport can be reached by the A8 road, the M8 and M9 motorways, and the M90 motorway via the Queensferry Crossing. While the airport does not have a dedicated train station, it is served by the nearby Edinburgh Gateway station, which connects to the Edinburgh Trams service to the airport. The tram line also connects the airport to Edinburgh Park railway station. A proposed Edinburgh Airport Rail Link project to provide a direct rail link was cancelled in 2007 due to increasing costs.
In 1952, the runway was extended to accommodate Vampire FB5s, and an aircraft arresting barrier net was installed to protect traffic on the adjacent A9 road. In 1971, the British Airports Authority (BAA) took over ownership, and a new runway and terminal were completed in 1977, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. The old terminal and hangars were converted into a cargo centre. International service from Edinburgh began in 1962 with direct service to Dublin, and by the late 1970s, direct services to continental Europe were introduced. By the mid-1980s, Edinburgh Airport offered direct routes to several European cities, and by 1987, it handled over 1.8 million passengers annually. Since then, the airport has undergone further extensions and improvements, including a new air traffic control tower in 2005, and passenger numbers continue to grow.
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Glasgow Airport
The history of Glasgow Airport dates back to 1932 when the site at Abbotsinch, between the Black Cart Water and the White Cart Water, was opened. In 1933, the Royal Air Force 602 Squadron (City of Glasgow) Auxiliary Air Force moved to the site, bringing their Westland Wapiti IIA aircraft. The RAF Station HQ was formed in 1936 when 6 Auxiliary Group, Bomber Command, arrived. The site has a rich history, with various squadrons based there over the years, including the Royal Navy, which left in October 1963.
In the 1960s, Glasgow Corporation decided that a new airport was needed, and the current site was chosen. The airport was designed by Basil Spence and built for £4.2 million. It was opened on 27 June 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II, with the first commercial flight arriving from Edinburgh earlier that day. Initially, Glasgow Airport only handled flights within the United Kingdom and Europe. However, over time, it expanded its offerings and began offering flights to other parts of the world.
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Aberdeen Airport
The airport first opened on 28 July 1934 as Dyce Aerodrome, established by Eric Gandar Dower for enterprises including the Aberdeen Flying School, Aberdeen Flying Club, and his airline, Aberdeen Airways. During the Second World War, the airfield became a Royal Air Force station known as Royal Air Force Dyce or RAF Dyce. It was mainly used as a photographic reconnaissance station, and virtually nothing remains from the war era due to expansion and development.
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Inverness Airport
The airfield was built by the Air Ministry in 1940 as Royal Air Force station Dalcross (RAF Dalcross) and was in use during the Second World War. It was opened for civil operations in 1947, with British European Airways—one of the predecessors of British Airways—commencing flights to London-Heathrow in the mid-1970s.
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Shetland Airport
Scotland has six main airports, with Shetland boasting a few options for travellers. Sumburgh Airport (IATA: LSI, ICAO: EGPB) is the main airport serving Shetland and is located on the southern tip of the mainland, in the parish of Dunrossness, 17 NM (31 km; 20 mi) south of Lerwick. The airport is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), which operates and manages 11 airports across Scotland, and is served by Loganair. HIAL has recently announced an enhanced security experience for passengers travelling through its airports this summer. Sumburgh Airport is unusual in that it has a 550m (1,804 ft) helicopter runway instead of the usual helipad. The airport is also used as an operational base by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Bristow Helicopters, and Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore.
Sumburgh Airport has a long history, having been opened in 1936 when Sumburgh Links was surveyed and grass strips were laid out by Captain E. E. Fresson of Highland Airways. The inaugural flight from Aberdeen (Kintore) was piloted by Fresson himself in a De Havilland Dragon Rapide G-ACPN. During the Second World War, the former RAF Sumburgh airfield had three runways, two of which remain in use today. The airport has experienced several incidents over the years, including a wheels-up landing in 1981, a Chinook helicopter crash in 1986, and a serious incident in 2006 involving a Dornier 328 crew that failed to respond correctly to terrain warnings. More recently, in 2013, a Super Puma helicopter crashed west of the airport, resulting in four fatalities.
In addition to Sumburgh Airport, Shetland is also home to Tingwall Airport, an important hub for inter-island flights to destinations like Foula and Fair Isle. A £1.3 million project has recently been initiated by the Shetland Islands Council to deliver vital improvement works at Tingwall Airport, addressing the deterioration of the runway's integrity. The project is expected to take around a month, with work being carried out by local authority staff and local contractors.
With its range of airports, Shetland offers convenient travel options for visitors and locals alike, ensuring connectivity between the islands and the rest of Scotland and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
Edinburgh Airport is Scotland's busiest airport, with flights to destinations all over the world. It is also ranked as the best airport in Scotland. Glasgow International Airport is another good option, connecting Glasgow with the rest of the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Edinburgh Airport is located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, about 7-9 miles from the city centre. You can reach the airport by car via the M8, M9, and M90 motorways, or by taking the tram, bus, taxi, or Uber.
Edinburgh Airport has several restaurants, including fast food and sit-down options, as well as a Wetherspoons pub. There are also shops, including duty-free, and three lounges.
