Edinburgh to Boston route to launch in May
- Published
Delta has scheduled a 163-seat Boeing 757-200ER aircraft between Edinburgh and Boston
A new flight route between Edinburgh and Boston is to be launched next summer.
The flights will link Edinburgh Airport and Boston's Logan International Airport from 24 May.
The seasonal route will be operated by US airline Delta, alongside its existing service to New York, in conjunction with Virgin Atlantic.
The Scottish government has welcomed the announcement.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson highlighted the "important role" that direct air links between the US and Scotland had in the Scottish economy.
He said: "Not only will this give Scottish businesses a direct route into important North American markets, but it will also give inbound visitors more options when it comes to getting a taste of the world-class tourism experience on offer in Scotland."
'Opportunities for tourism industry'
There will be two flights every day on the new route during peak summer months.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, also welcomed the strengthened links with the US market.
He said: "It is exciting that this new service from Boston to Edinburgh will open up opportunities for the Scottish tourism industry to engage with a new area of the USA".
Roberto Ioriatti, Delta's vice president - transatlantic, said: "Boston is our fastest-growing international hub and a daily service from Edinburgh responds to increased demand for travel to the US and provides greater choice when it comes to planning trips for business or pleasure."
The announcement comes in the same week that Edinburgh Airport announced it had its busiest ever September, after a record-breaking July and August.
Gordon Dewar, chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: "North America has been one of our biggest growth markets and there has been exceptional demand for those services this summer, so to add Boston with Delta is fantastic news."
More than half a million American tourists visited Scotland in 2017, and the new route will add a further 2,000 seats per week between the US and Scotland.