Scotland Gains New Daily Air Link to US
By ALASTAIR JAMIESON AND NICK BEVENS
EDINBURGH has secured a second daily transatlantic air link, giving Scottish business and tourism a massive boost, The Scotsman can reveal.
Delta Airlines is to launch services from the capital to Atlanta, Georgia – the world’s busiest hub airport – from next May.
It follows the decision by Continental Airlines to boost capacity on its successful route from Edinburgh to Newark.
Civic and business leaders last night expressed delight at the move, due to be confirmed by the airline – the world’s second- largest carrier – next week.
It is understood the relatively high proportion of lucrative “high-yield” business passengers using Edinburgh, compared to cheaper leisure traffic, counted in the capital’s favour.
Donald Anderson, leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am delighted that our work with airport operator BAA to secure more direct routes has paid off. Atlanta is a very important international hub, and we are hopeful that Edinburgh also will enjoy more direct links in future, in particular to the Middle East.”
Graham Birse, deputy chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is an important shot in the arm for business and tourism in Edinburgh.”
The new flights, which will take about eight hours and cover 4,000 miles, are part of an ambitious recovery plan by Delta, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month, having lost GBP 5 billion in just three years. A spokeswoman for the airline declined to comment ahead of Tuesday’s official announcement.
The new route will provide countless onward connections across the Americas. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest, carrying 84 million passengers a year, compared to 67 million at London Heathrow. From Atlanta, Delta flies more than 1,000 times a day to 200 cities in 35 countries.
The Deep South has many cultural and historic links with Scotland, including some of the world’s best golf courses. Atlanta itself is home to the corporate headquarters of Coca-Cola and CNN, and has undergone considerable redevelopment, boosted by the 1996 Olympic games.
The new route will also boost the SkyTeam airline alliance, whose other members flying from Edinburgh include KLM, Air France, Continental and Czech Airlines.