A SCOTTISH airport has welcomed its first direct route to a historic Canadian port city.
Edinburgh Airport said WestJet's new route between the Scottish capital and the Nova Scotia port is the latest addition to an expanding transatlantic offering.
It is the third WestJet route to arrive at Edinburgh Airport, with the new summer seasonal service to Halifax.
The service will run three days per week from now until September 4, operated on a Boeing 737.
Flights to the coastal town "will allow passengers to explore the region’s rich history and open onward connections to a range of Canadian destinations, thanks to the WestJet network", the airport said.
The route "complements other popular routes to Calgary and Toronto, increasing Scotland’s direct connectivity to Canada".
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Edinburgh Airport said it is now able to offer "more transatlantic routes than ever, broadening our reach into North America and growing opportunities to bring visitors to Scotland".
Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: "We are pleased to welcome the arrival of the inaugural flight from Halifax to Edinburgh, the latest addition to our transatlantic routes.
"Edinburgh Airport is now able to offer three Canadian destinations, increasing our fantastic North America programme to its biggest yet."
He added: "The Halifax route allows passengers to explore the beauty of Nova Scotia as well as connecting passengers to other Canadian destinations.
"WestJet’s growing presence in Scotland signifies the demand for transatlantic travel from Edinburgh, both from passengers looking to experience North America as well as those visiting Scotland. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with WestJet in making these routes a success."
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: "Congratulations to Edinburgh Airport and WestJet on the launch of the new Halifax service which joins Toronto and Calgary offering direct access to the Scottish capital.
"Canada is one of our most important international markets and we are seeing record levels of visitor demand from here, with this exceeding 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
"We know these visitors are drawn to Scotland for a variety of reasons, especially our history and culture and people, from ancestral to present-day with many visiting friends and family as part of a trip.
"These visitors also tend to stay longer, spend more, and visit multiple regions with Edinburgh offering a well-connected gateway to the rest of the country.
"Making it as easy as possible for people to visit here is key with VisitScotland partnering with WestJet and Edinburgh Airport to grow our transatlantic network. With the arrival of this new route and following our recent marketing campaign with WestJet in Canada we hope to welcome even more Canadian visitors to Scotland this summer."
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