Scottish airports have celebrated a raft of new route wins and more flights in recent few months as a growth in bookings drives holiday reservations back to pre-pandemic levels.
To meet the demand from Scottish holidaymakers, a number of airlines and holiday companies have expanded their flight and holiday programmes for 2024 and 2025 and added capacity to their existing programmes.
It comes as many travel companies experience their busiest period of the year in the run up to Christmas as holidaymakers plan their next break.
The Herald has compiled a list of some of the new routes and expanded flight and holiday programmes to destinations on offer from Scottish airports - airline by airline.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays
Earlier this month, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays launched last-minute winter sunshine deals into January from Scotland to The Algarve, Antalya, Costa Blanca and Lanzarote.
The UK’s largest tour operator and third largest airline has added the Greek island of Symi to its programme for summer 2024 from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
Glasgow Airport’s Jet2 summer 24 programme was recently expanded to five destinations, including to Izmir, Ibiza, Reus, Bodrum and Rhodes, while its Edinburgh Airport summer 24 expansion will see it operate to seven destinations including Dubrovnik, Ibiza, Reus, Palma, Rhodes, Naples and Gran Canaria.
Jet2 has introduced flights from Glasgow to Verona from next summer, as well as flights and holidays from Edinburgh to Verona in October 2024, April 2025 and October 2025 and from Edinburgh to Sicily in April 2025.
Flights and holidays to Majorca from Glasgow and Edinburgh have been added for April 2024 in time for "one of the biggest cycling sportives in the European calendar", the Majorca 312. The leading leisure airline and tour operator has put over 4,000 extra seats on sale to the Spanish island from April 23-29.
Other new routes for summer 2024 include Rome and Malta.
As well as summer demand, Jet2 has also experienced strong demand for ski flights from local snow sports fans and has added new flights to Chambery from Edinburgh Airport for winter 23/24 and winter 24/25 in response.
Scheduled winter services and city breaks have also gone on sale to Prague from Edinburgh Airport for winter 24/25.
READ MORE: Airline launches '10 hours of sunshine a day' winter holidays from Scottish airport
Meanwhile, Jet2 has listed new twice-weekly flights from Glasgow Airport to Marrakesh and Agadir, with both starting in November 2024.
Jet2’s Summer 24 expansion programme will see it operate to 10 destinations from Edinburhg Airport, with extra services to Corfu, Dubrovnik, Dalaman, Kos, Palma (Majorca) and Rhodes in October, Malaga and Faro (Algarve) in October and November, and Alicante and Bodrum in November.
Glasgow Airport will also see additional services to Menorca, Palma (Majorca), Reus, Tenerife, Izmir, Alicante, Bodrum, Dalaman, Crete (Heraklion), Ibiza, Rhodes and Zante in October, Malaga in October and November, and Faro (Algarve) in November.
The airline and holiday company is also introducing a new route from the Scottish capital to Burgas in Bulgaria from the start of May 2025, flying on Thursday and Monday.
Its summer 2025 city breaks programme from Scotland will see it operate to Prague and Rome from Edinburgh Airport and to Rome, Krakow and Prague from Glasgow Airport in summer 2025.
Ryanair
Budget airline Ryanair will operate new flights from Edinburgh to Albania as part of its winter 2023 schedule. Ryanair said the frequency of the Edinburgh to Tirana service would be four times per week.
British Airways
British Airways has launched two new routes to Italy and Spain from Edinburgh Airport in time for summer 2024.
British Airways Cityflyer will operate flights to Sardinia and the Basque Country, starting in May.
READ MORE: 'Sad day' as Scottish airline prepares to retire beloved fleet
Flights will depart to San Sebastian every Tuesday and Saturday between May and July, giving holidaymakers the chance to explore La Concha beach, and sample the region's famous food and drink.
Every Saturday between May and August will also see flights to the Italian island of Sardinia, which is home to high mountains, dense woods and sandy beaches.
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines will operate direct flights between Edinburgh and Beijing from May 17 to October 26, 2024 – an increase of nine weeks on 2023.
There will be four flights per week in the peak summer months (June 1 to September 30) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Services will operate on Mondays and Fridays outwith these dates.
EasyJet
In November, EasyJet launched two a new year-round route from Glasgow to Southampton. The new route operates twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The budget carrier has added new flights to Cyprus and Tunisia from Glasgow Airport to its Scottish network for summer 2024. A collection of new routes now on sale features "popular beach and city break destinations including Larnaca and Enfidha for the first time".
Flights to Enfidha are scheduled from May 2 with twice weekly departures on Thursdays and Sundays throughout the year. The company is also launching flights to Cyprus’ port city Larnaca which are scheduled from May 4 with twice weekly departures throughout the summer on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
JetBlue
US low-cost carrier JetBlue is coming to Edinburgh in 2024 with the launch of its first-ever Scottish route to New York. The airline will run a summer service from Edinburgh Airport to New York JFK from May to September, marking the first time it has ever operated in Scotland. Flights will depart daily on an Airbus A321neo.
WestJet
WestJet is launching routes between Edinburgh Airport and the Canadian cities of Toronto and Halifax, in addition to its service between the Scottish capital and Calgary.
The flights between Edinburgh Airport and Halifax will operate between June 20 and September 4, and will run three times each week in both directions. The flights between the Scottish capital and Toronto will operate between May 14 and October 13, and will be daily.
WestJet will operate the flights between Edinburgh Airport and Calgary between May 12 and October 26, four times a week in both directions.
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines has committed to maintaining three flights a week complement between Edinburgh Airport and Athens in its newly published summer 2024 schedule.
With three flights a week Edinburgh is the best catered-for route after London and Manchester, and is ahead of Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle.
Tui
Tui said Glasgow, the company’s largest base in Scotland, will deliver its largest summer programme to date next year.
The holiday giant is increasing seats to a number of destinations, including Mallorca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Ibiza, Zakynthos and Rhodes, and it is adding another new route, to the Greek island of Kefalonia, next year, while also extending the existing winter service to Sharm El Sheikh from Glasgow into next summer.
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