Increase in international passengers could see big terminal changes
30.01.08
The increasing numbers of international passengers at Edinburgh Airport could prompt a radical shake-up of its terminal building, officials have said. The number of passengers on international flights is expected to overtake those flying on domestic routes in 3 years' time, and this could mean big changes for the hub.
A surge of new foreign routes and a decline in domestic traffic has seen international passenger numbers soar from 3% of users a decade ago to about 40% by this summer, the airport reports (although we think the 3% figure is too low). Just one of 14 new routes already announced at the airport this year is in the UK – to Cardiff – while new foreign destinations will include Marseilles, Frankfurt and Dubrovnik.
David Johnston, the airport's managing director, said UK passenger numbers were declining at 5% a year because of more direct international routes, increases in air passenger duty and competition from rail. International passengers are forecast to account for over 40% of the expected 9 million passengers this year, and could surpass those on UK flights in 2011.
He said that this trend was likely to see the airport terminal 'flipped', with international flights arriving and departing from its east, rather than its west end and UK flights moving in the opposite direction. This would also involve switching the baggage reclaim areas for arriving international and UK passengers, including Customs.
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