Edinburgh Turnhouse Airport (EDI) Flights & Flight Status

Edinburgh Airport is an international hub serving Scotland’s capital city. The airport served 14.4m passengers in 2023, with 35 airlines flying to 152 destinations. I have flown to and from Edinburgh Airport for many different trips – its one-terminal structure makes for easy navigation and the modern facilities are an added bonus, too.

Traveling between Edinburgh Airport and the city

The airport is well served by public transport links, making it easy for arriving passengers to reach the main city on a budget. For my visits to Edinburgh, I used the Airlink 100 bus service – this links Edinburgh Airport to Waverley Bridge in the center of the city. It departs every 10 minutes in the day and every 15-20 minutes between 00:35 – 03:25, and takes around half an hour.

You can also hop on the tram, which takes a similar length of time to reach the city center and has a final destination of Newhaven. There are many stops along the way and some that will likely be of interest to tourists, like Murrayfield Stadium and Haymarket. For those looking for a quicker and more direct route, there is a taxi rank at the front of the airport.

Traveling from Edinburgh Airport to UK destinations

Many people flying to Edinburgh Airport are making journeys further afield to enjoy the vast beauty that Scotland offers. For those opting to use public transport throughout their holiday, trams run between the airport and the main Edinburgh train stations every 7 minutes between 7am and 7pm for easy connections. If you arrive outside of these times, you can reach these stations on some bus routes or via a quick taxi journey.

Edinburgh Gateway train station offers connections to Fife, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and northern Scotland. Edinburgh Park station connects to Glasgow, Falkirk, Stirling, Dunblane & central Scotland. Haymarket station links to Glasgow, Fife, Inverness, Aberdeen, North Berwick, London and southern England. Finally, head to Edinburgh Waverley for trains to The Borders, North East England, London and all of Scotland – this is the city’s main train station.

Bus routes to other Scottish cities

Being Scotland’s biggest airport means many travelers heading to the country will arrive at Edinburgh Airport to connect to other major Scottish cities. Arriving travelers can catch a bus or coach from Edinburgh Airport heading to Glasgow, with a journey time of around an hour. The Citylink AIR Glasgow 900 bus departs from the airport every 30 minutes 24/7.

To head further north to Dundee, use the Xplore Dundee X90 bus service that departs every 1.5 hours from Edinburgh Airport. I’ve used this service and it’s really simple – it takes around 1 hour 20 minutes. Nab a window seat to take in the sweeping views from the bridge connecting Queensferry to North Queensferry.

Using a car at Edinburgh Airport

Arrivals to Edinburgh Airport can pick up hire cars for their onward journey from one the airport’s eight car rental partners, including Sixt, Hertz and Enterprise. For those being met or dropped at the airport by a loved one, be mindful of the tariffs – there is free pick up and drop off in the long stay car park for up to 30 minutes. This is about an eight minute walk to the terminal.

If you want to get closer, drop off fees for just outside the terminal building are set for up to ten minutes and then charged extra for every minute over this. This can get expensive if you end up waiting around a little longer so if this may be the case, it’s best to park up in the long stay car park.

Security

To beat any potential queues, Edinburgh Airport offers its fastTRACK security lane that’s open from 4am to 7pm daily. Those who have booked multi-storey parking for their holiday duration receive fastTRACK passes as part of the fee. I’ve used this service once and it really saved me on a busy Sunday evening where I hadn’t quite left myself enough time to get through the airport without rushing.

Lounges at Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport has three lounges that are available to all travelers regardless of what class they’re flying. The Plaza Premium Lounge is open from 4am-10pm daily and is situated near gate 13. As the name suggests, this is the airport’s most premium offering in my view and is available to book for two- or three-hour slots.

I enjoyed the impressive range of food and as a vegetarian, this isn’t something I can say often when eating out. As well as different cuisines, there’s also access to complimentary hot and soft drinks and house beer and wine. There’s also a Signature Edinburgh Gin Bar, children’s play area, Wi-Fi and so on.

The Aspire Lounge is at gate 4 and offers complimentary sandwiches, snacks, hot drinks and beers, wines and spirits. There is another Aspire Lounge at gate 16, which is the newest offering and has a similar complimentary food and drink to its counterpart, as well as family and work booths.

Eating and shopping

When there’s time, I always prefer to eat at the airport before boarding my flight. Before security, there are cafes like Pret a Manger and Costa Coffee for a quick bite to eat – but remember you can’t take any liquids above 100ml through security, so now isn’t the time to stock up on drinks for your flight.

After security, there are many more options for a meal. All Bar One, Burger King, Krispy Kreme, Wetherspoon and Hudson St Grill are just some of the options, but you’ll always find me at Mexican eatery Barburrito. Order the loaded burrito and cheesy Mexi fries and thank me later.

Once you’re fuelled, it’s time to do some shopping. Head to Heritage of Scotland or Scottish Fine Gifts for last-minute gifts and keepsakes. If you’re looking for clothes and accessories, brands like FatFace, BOSS, Kurt Geiger and Sunglass Hut all have stores here – and don’t forget World Duty Free, too.

Destinations and layovers

Edinburgh Airport is a well-connected international airport flying directly to Europe, Africa and North America. Destinations of interest include Rovaniemi in Finland, home to Santa Claus, as well as Marrakesh in Morocco, Turkey’s capital Istanbul and Toronto in Canada. If you can’t fly directly from Edinburgh to your destination, its well-connected route map means you’ll likely be able to find a connecting route starting in the Scottish capital.

For layovers or connecting flights at Edinburgh Airport, passengers need to collect and check in hold luggage again for their second flight unless checked through by the airline. Make sure you understand whether this is applicable to you before setting off on your journey. For those with a layover, there aren’t places to sleep within the airport but there are hotels close nearby.

Airport hotels

There are two Hilton hotels just minutes from Edinburgh’s airport terminal – Hampton by Hilton and Doubletree by Hilton, and both are similar in cost. I’ve stayed at the latter ahead on an early morning flight from Edinburgh Airport. I enjoyed making use of the fitness center and indoor pool the evening before my flight, and on-site restaurant The Space made it easy to get a quick dinner without leaving the hotel.

Check in is available from 3pm and check out is at midday. Self-parking is available and there’s a direct shuttle to the airport that takes just a couple of minutes and arrives frequently – this was very easy and convenient for my tired self as I made my way to my 7am flight.

My experience of Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport is a modern airport that’s fairly small with just one terminal, making it easy to navigate. Its smaller size doesn’t mean it’s short on amenities, and the shopping, food and lounge offerings tick all the boxes. The roads surrounding the airport get congested – especially at rush hour – so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time when flying out of Edinburgh.

I’ve mainly used Edinburgh Airport to fly to London Gatwick. The flight is a short 1 hour 15 minutes, and it feels like you’re preparing to descend before you’ve even had the chance to settle in. Comparable journeys by train from Edinburgh Waverley station to London King’s Cross take around 4.5 hours, so flying is a no-brainer if you’re tight on time.