Easyjet to create more than 100 Scottish jobs

BUDGETAIRLINE easyJet yesterday said it was creating more than 100 new jobs in Scotland as it expanded its operations at Edinburgh Airport.

The company said it was adding a further two Airbus A319 planes to its Edinburghbased fleet — taking the total to seven aircraft — with the first arriving in the capital in early December.

The move will allow the airline to offer an extra 180,000 seats a year from Scotland, although the destinations for the extra flights has yet to be confirmed.

EasyJet’s decision to increase capacity at Edinburgh comes as rival Ryanair continues to pull back on its flight schedules from the hub.

HughAitken, easyJet’s chief in Scotland, said the new aircraft would not only create direct jobs at the airport but would also have a wider impact due to an anticipated increase in leisure and business travel.

He said: “The decision to base a further two aircraft in Edinburgh is testament to the importance of Scotland to easyJet’s operation.

“The new management team at Edinburgh Airport fully understands the importance of growth and connectivity for the airport and Scotland as a whole.

“The arrival of the two new aircraft from December will deliver over 180,000 new seats. We are asking key partners to work with us to determine which new destinations to launch and look forward to working with EdinburghAirport and others over the coming month to finalise our plans.”

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said the new arrangement was “hugely significant” in the future development of the airport.

He said: “It demonstrates that we are willing to do business with airlines that are ambitious for growth and delivering great service for their passengers.

“Our partnership with easyJet is based on these central values and we’re looking forward to working with them in bringing planes and new routes to Scotland.”

EasyJet operates out of four Scottish airports — Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness as well as Edinburgh — and carries more than four million passengers a year, 2.5 million of which fly from the capital.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said he was pleased to see a major airline increasing its investment north of the border.

He said: “The announcement that easyJet is set to base two further aircraft at Edinburgh airport is fantastic news for Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.”