SANTA CAN “WORK AROUND” EXISTING FLIGHT PATH THIS YEAR – BUT CALLS FOR EXPANSION IN 2016

Edinburgh Airport is ready for Christmas with more flights, more passengers, more staff as well as visits from Santa, his reindeer and magically appearing fairies*.

This Christmas Day 100 people are scheduled to work across the airport including Airside Services Unit, Airside Ops, Security, Baggage, Airport Control Centre and Terminal. Additionally there will – as ever – also be officers from Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire Rescue Service in the airport grounds as well as greater numbers of staff at the retail outlets than on previous years who will all be on hand to ensure more passengers safely pass through the airport than on Christmas Day in previous years.

Adele Graham, a Customer Service Leader who has worked at Edinburgh Airport for 18 years, said:

“There is a totally different buzz in the airport at Christmas time… It’s lovely to see the families heading off together on holiday or waiting to greet their loved ones home, it brings a lump to your throat.”

“No one is grumpy about working on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day – everybody just pulls together and we have our own Christmas here.”

Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive, said:

“Christmas just got even more exciting now we’ve got Santa coming to visit the airport on Christmas Eve – he’ll be here with his reindeer – getting selfies taken with the passengers; I do hope he isn’t too disappointed that he can’t use the trial flight path as it’s great for getting back to the North Pole.

“I’ve been advised by an advance delegation of his visiting elves that Santa can work around the restricted airspace. But he is – very much like Edinburgh Airport – looking to expand his airspace use in 2016 in order to keep up with demand and to keep on delivering for Scotland.

“Edinburgh Airport first opened for Christmas Day flights 12 years ago and the business has grown substantially in that time; our commitment to growth and delivering connectivity between Scotland and the rest of the world means we continue to offer a greater choice of routes, airlines and destinations – and more passengers – each year.”