BAA Edinburgh Airport welcomed yesterday (18th December 2007) Ryanair’s announcement of a major expansion of its route network out of the Scottish capital. The low cost airline unveiled five new services to the European destinations of Marseille, Pisa, Bremen, Frankfurt and Alicante, which will start in 2008.

The routes are Ryanair’s first to continental Europe from Edinburgh, and build on the airline's existing services to the Irish destinations of Dublin and Shannon.

BAA Edinburgh Airport Managing Director, David Johnston, said: “This is fantastic news for Edinburgh Airport, our passengers and for the city.

“Ryanair’s expansion from Edinburgh opens up brand new destinations such as Bremen and Marseille, and adds further choice and frequency for passengers flying to Spain, Italy and Germany. It is also a boost for Scotland’s tourism industry, strengthening our country’s connectivity with key inbound visitor markets.

“BAA Scotland has focused on increasing the country’s direct connectivity over recent years, with a dedicated route development team and a £95 million BAA Scotland route development fund. We are also investing in our facilities, such as new aircraft stands, to ensure we can meet demand as our route network grows. This latest announcement from Ryanair is further evidence of that hard work paying off.

“Ryanair's existing services to Dublin and Shannon are hugely successful and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the airline to ensure the strong performance of these exciting new routes.”