Edinburgh Airport started as an Aerodrome during the first world war, ith just a grass strip for a runway and aeroplanes that arrived in packages that had to be assembled. The Turnhouse Aerodrome was converted into the RAF Turnhouse for the Royal Flying Corps in 1915.
In 1947, an Edinburgh to London shuttle service ran for the first time. After 45 years of RAF ownership, the Turnhouse was demilitarised and handed over to the Ministry of Aviation, who continued to run the Edinburgh-London shuttle flight until 1971 when the BAA bought the airport.
6 years after its purchase, it was officially opened as Edinburgh Airport. The terminal building underwent considerable renovations in 2001, and further expansions of the departure lounge and construction of the Car Rental Centre took place in 2008/2009.
By 2013, Edinburgh had been named Best European Airport (5-10 million passengers) for the third year running, as well as Airport of the Year (over six million passengers).
In 2016, Biggar Economics which is a consultancy firm revealed that Edinburgh Airport contributes nearly £1 billion to the Scottish economy every year!
In 2019, the airport saw passenger numbers rise to 14.7 million; the best they had seen! Unfortunately, 2020 didn't quite manage to hit these dizzy heights; thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, passenger numbers fell by a whopping 91% between April-September 2020 to just 785,000.
In 2025, Edinburgh Airport is thriving once again, with passenger numbers hitting record highs and new long-haul routes launching to cities like Montréal, Boston, and Orlando. A major £75 million terminal expansion has added new gates, upgraded facilities, and improved passenger flow, while cutting-edge 3D security scanners have made the airport experience faster and more convenient—allowing liquids and electronics to stay in hand luggage.
