Edinburgh Airport hasn’t always looked the way it does today. We’ve been through some major milestones on the road to becoming the busiest commercial airport in Scotland. Here’s a quick tour of our history.
Our story starts back in 1916 when the Turnhouse Aerodrome opened as a World War One military base. In 1918 the airfield became the RAF Turnhouse after the formation of the Royal Air Force. It wasn’t until the start of the Second World War that the first runway was built, after which the first commercial services launched in 1947.
Fast forward to the 1970s and BAA takes control of Edinburgh Airport, with the first new terminal officially opened to the public by the Queen in 1977. In the decades to follow the airport continued to grow and develop, and in 2009 a Scottish Enterprise study revealed that the airport could boost Scotland’s economy by £867 million per year.
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) took over ownership from the BAA in 2012 and this lead to new routes, improved passenger facilities, and a multi-million-pound terminal expansion.
In April, 2024 we welcomed a new strategic partnership between VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) with VINCI Airports acquiring 50.01% of the airport.
Today, we’re the busiest airport in Scotland, flying to more than 150 destinations across the world.
