Edinburgh Airport handling just 3% of usual flights

The collapse in aviation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has been laid bare in new figures for Edinburgh and Glasgow airports.
Loganair is now operating most flights from Glasgow Airport.Loganair is now operating most flights from Glasgow Airport.
Loganair is now operating most flights from Glasgow Airport.

Flights at Edinburgh – normally Scotland’s busiest airport – were down by 97 per cent last week compared to before the lockdown started a month ago, data from tracking service Flightradar24.com showed.

The total number of take-offs and landings at the airport shrank from 581 to 16 a week – an average of little more than two a day.

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The airport said it had furloughed about 80 per cent of its 750 staff and closed part of its terminal along with most shops.

A spokesperson said the only remaining passenger flights were British Airways to Heathrow six times a week, Ryanair four times a week to Dublin, Air France twice a week to Paris.

There are also Loganair cargo and mail flights, while DHL and Royal Mail flights also continue to operate.

Flights at Glasgow Airport fell by 94 per cent, from 416 to 25 flights a week.

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The greater number of services there is believed to reflect the focus of Loganair’s daily operations to the Western and Northern on Glasgow when few other airlines are still flying in Scotland.

Glasgow’s only other flights are British Airways’ five services a week to Heathrow, KLM to Amsterdam about every other day and Ryanair three times a week to Dublin.

A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which also includes Aberdeen and Southampton, said it had furloughed about half its 436 staff and closed all Glasgow Airport’s terminal shops and bars.

One of Glasgow’s three departure piers have been shut.

The spokesperson said: “AGS Airports remain open and operational to support a reduced number of routes and lifeline services.”

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South of the Border, Cardiff and Leeds Bradford have ended all flights.

Gatwick – previously the UK’s second busiest airport after Heathrow has seen a 99 per cent reduction , from 1,335 to 13 a week.

Heathrow’s flights have come down by 81 per cent, from 2,432 to 464.

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