42615_img_american_777200A brand new route from Edinburgh begins tomorrow and may be of interest to the shopaholics among you! American Airlines will start a new daily service between Edinburgh and New York’s JFK airport tomorrow morning when the first flight arrives to the traditional welcome at Edinburgh Airport.

Sadly we will not be at the airport in the morning to witness the arrival of the inaugural flight but we hope to get some of our own photos and footage of one of the incoming or outgoing flights soon.

Initially running from May until September, the new daily service will offer access to New York via the preferred business airport – JFK – and onto the network of the world’s largest airline. The route will be operated with a Boeing 757-200 with 16 Business Class seats.

From JFK there are easy international connections with American Airlines to Rio and Sao Paulo in Brazil, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Montreal and Toronto in Canada and Cancun in Mexico.

Passengers can also connect onto Scotland’s favourite US leisure destinations like Las Vegas and Orlando, while business passengers will delight at the luxurious interiors of the A321 – with fully lie-flat seats in First and Business Class – that connects New York to San Francisco and Los Angeles hourly.

Flights from Edinburgh will depart at 9.15 a.m., arriving at JFK at 11:45 a.m.
Flights leave JFK at 7.10p.m. daily, arriving in Edinburgh at 7:15 a.m. (the next day).

TER Fifth Avenue New YorkWelcoming the news, Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “New York is one of the most famous cities in the world and one of our most popular international destinations. We’re delighted to be working with American Airlines and look forward to the launch of this new service next year.”

Following comments by  David Thomas, a regional director of American Airlines, that Air Passenger Duty is “stifling demand” on flights between Scotland and the United States, Colin Keir, Edinburgh Airport’s MSP, said:

“Mr Thomas’s comments are most welcome and further validate our position that the Scottish Government must have control over Air Passenger Duty.

“As Edinburgh Airport’s recent report showed, reducing APD in Scotland by 50% will initially support 800 new jobs and create millions for the economy, is most welcome and must be taken seriously by the UK Government.

“The tourism tax that is particularly damaging to Scottish airports – should be cut at once. Devolution of APD would be a game changer for Scottish airport.

“The Scottish Government has committed to cutting Air Passenger Duty once it is devolved and that responsibility cannot come soon enough for passengers and Scotland’s airports.

“A strong team of SNP MPs will ensure Scotland gains the powers it has been promised – including APD – to create jobs and build a more prosperous and fairer country.”

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.

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