BUDGET airline easyJet has initiated a further expansion of their operations at Edinburgh Airport with two new routes being added for the summer.

The airport and easyJet yesterday announced that twice weekly flights to Seville and Jersey will operate throughout the summer season. They will come into operation from March 26 and March 31 respectively, ending on October 25 and 31.

The latest expansion increases the number of destinations from Scotland’s busiest airport to 146 – only last month easyJet began operating flights to Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.

For almost the whole of last year, Edinburgh Airport announced record month after record month of passenger figures and with a further record set to be announced for December, it looks as though 2017 may well beat the previous record of 12.3 million passengers set in 2016.

The increase in routes and passenger numbers reflects the success of the £150m investment programme of owners Global Infrastructure Partners.

Talking about the new routes, the chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, Gordon Dewar, said: “The New Year always brings fresh opportunities and adventures, and we’re delighted to be able to offer two new summer destinations to passengers in Seville and Jersey. We know choice is important and these new routes only add to the huge selection we already have – and it’s never too early to be planning that next trip.

“We have a strong relationship with easyJet and the fact they are continuing to grow at Edinburgh is a sign of their commitment to Scotland’s busiest airport and of the success we have had already and will continue to enjoy in 2018 and beyond.”

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager added: “We’re really pleased to be adding even more routes to our Edinburgh network and to be putting flights on sale today, allowing our customers to book early and take advantage of our lowest fares for both leisure and business travel.

“EasyJet is the largest airline in Scotland and we have been committed to Edinburgh for over 22 years. We are proud to have carried more than over 41m passengers in that time. We’re committed to expansion at Edinburgh and the addition of new routes will help us to deliver long-term, sustainable growth, providing passengers with a greater range of destinations, all with low fares and great service.”