Photo (From left to right): Mansoor Almansoori Head of Economic Affairs, UAE Embassy; Jabr Al-Azeeby, Emirates Divisional Vice President in the UK; Thierry Aucoc, Emirates Senior Vice President Commercial Operations in Europe and the Americas; Emirates Captain Alastair Inshaw; Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport; and His Excellency Mr Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE Ambassador to the UK.

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has touched down in the Scottish capital for the first time since 2020.  The Emirates Boeing 777 was welcomed by the celebrated Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, captivating passengers with an extraordinary display of musical prowess on the ground.

Edinburgh is Emirates’ eighth destination in the UK. The daily service will complement the airline’s current A380 daily flight to Glasgow – offering customers 14 weekly flights to/from the country. 

Boosting tourism

Emirates will play a crucial role in boosting tourism to Scotland. According to Visit Scotland, the country welcomed 4 million international visitors in 2023 - a 23% increase compared to 2022, contributing £3.59 billion to the economy. Emirates’ flight operations to Scotland will help attract more visitors from top inbound markets such as Australia and India, and across the airline’s global network of over 140 destinations, helping raise awareness and visibility around the country’s unique experiences and landscapes.

Boosting trade

Emirates’ daily flight to Edinburgh will also boost cargo capacity and enable Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s cargo arm, to uplift 16 tonnes of cargo per flight - supporting local businesses, improving trade links with global markets, and increasing popular high-value and time-sensitive goods such as salmon, shellfish, and whisky.

Connecting UK to the world

Emirates serves the UK with 133 weekly flights across eight gateways including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Glasgow – utilising a fleet mix of Emirates A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Customers onboard can look forward to the airline’s regionally inspired gourmet meals, premium beverage selection, and inflight entertainment on ice with up to 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment.

Emirates’ daily service to Edinburgh departs Dubai at 14:50hrs local time and arrives in Edinburgh at 19:05hrs local time. The return flight departs Edinburgh at 20:40hrs and arrives in Dubai at 08:05hrs, the following day.

Award-winning streak

Emirates is on an impressive winning streak this year, recognised by more than 20 prestigious awards from across the globe including AirlineRatings.com, Airline Excellence Awards, Pax International Magazine Awards, Business Traveller Middle East Awards, World Travel Awards, International Loyalty Awards, and Skytrax World Airline Awards.

More recently, the airline was crowned as ‘World’s Best Airline’ by Telegraph Travel. Ranked first amongst 90 global carriers – Emirates excelled in a range of criteria including punctuality, baggage allowance, route network, value of rewards programme, and onboard meals.

Emirates also won “Best International Airline’ by Forbes Travel Guide’s Air Travel Awards last month, along with four other accolades including ‘Best Culinary Program,’ ‘Best First Class,’ ‘Best In-Flight Cocktail Lounge’ and ‘Best International Airline Lounge.’ According to YouGov’s US airlines report 2024, Emirates has the “most satisfied customers amongst US flyers,” affirming its ‘fly better’ brand promise.

For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App.