Park and Go: Edinburgh Airport Parking - Airport History

Please find below a brief history of Edinburgh Airport which we hope that you will find useful. If you wish to make a booking then please click on the appropriate link on your left. Alternatively you can call our office, where one of our helpful staff will only be happy to help.

Edinburgh Airport is Scotland's fastest growing airport. Edinburgh airport was originally known as Turnhouse aerodrome and was established for the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, it was operational during the First World War and later to became RAF Turnhouse. The original facility was sited close to the main East Coast railway line. Aircraft arrived in crates on trains, were assembled and sent into action from the grass strip. The first shuttle service linking Edinburgh with London took off in 1947.

RAF Turnhouse fulfilled a military role for over 40 years before being handed over to the Ministry of Aviation in 1960.The Airport was then taken over by BAA plc (previously the British Airports Authority) in 1971, and was officially opened as Edinburgh Airport in 1977 by her majesty the Queen.

  • Number of terminals: 1
  • Number of passengers a year: 6.3 million
  • Number of airlines: 30
  • Number of destinations: 55
  • Number of runways: 2

By 1999 more than five million passengers had passed through Edinburgh Airport and a further eight million are expected by 2009. The advent of the Scottish Parliament is expected to boost passenger figures by 350,000 every year.

The airport recently underwent a £100 million-investment programme to extend and upgrade terminal facilities. The airport has a modern terminal building, two main runways and a large cargo operation