In the highly competitive global aviation industry, airports face mounting pressure to optimize operations, enhance passenger experience, and achieve sustainable growth. Edinburgh Airport, Scotland's busiest airport handling over 16 million passengers annually, has emerged as a leader in adopting data-driven strategies to maintain its position as a key international hub.
Strategic Positioning and Growth Approach
Located approximately 9 kilometers west of Edinburgh city center, Edinburgh Airport (EDI) serves as Scotland's primary international gateway, connecting the region with over 150 destinations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. The airport's growth strategy centers on its aviation team, which focuses on developing new route opportunities while maintaining existing connections.
The team employs a rigorous, data-driven methodology for route development:
- Comprehensive market analysis to identify potential route opportunities
- Collection of schedule data, passenger statistics, fare information, and economic indicators
- Advanced predictive modeling to forecast route performance
- Development of detailed business cases for airline partners
The Data Solution: OAG New Schedules Analyser
To support its analytical needs, Edinburgh Airport partnered with aviation data firm OAG to implement the New Schedules Analyser platform. This cloud-based tool provides:
- Global flight schedule data covering all airlines and airports
- Customizable capacity reports with multiple visualization options
- User-friendly interface accessible to all team members
- Snapshot functionality for comparing schedule changes over time
The platform has become integral to the airport's daily operations, with teams using it for route development, airline relationship management, capacity planning, and strategic decision-making.
Measurable Success in Transatlantic Expansion
The airport's data-driven approach has yielded particularly impressive results in transatlantic route development. Since embedding the Schedules Analyser into its forecasting processes, Edinburgh Airport has:
- Achieved 122% growth in available transatlantic seats compared to 2019 levels
- Developed over 1 million annual roundtrip seats to North America
- Improved forecast accuracy for new route launches
- Enhanced credibility with airline partners through data-backed proposals
One specific route launched as a limited summer service in 2023 expanded to cover most of the summer season within two years, with seat capacity growing by 119% since inception.
Operational Efficiency Gains
The adoption of data analytics has transformed the airport's workflow by:
- Eliminating manual data collection from multiple sources
- Reducing business case development time
- Improving resource planning accuracy
- Enabling faster, more informed decision-making
These operational improvements have contributed to Edinburgh Airport becoming one of the UK's fastest-growing airports, with international capacity in 2025 projected to be 35% higher than 2019 levels - the largest increase among all UK airports handling over 1 million passengers annually.
Future Outlook
As a development partner for OAG's platform, Edinburgh Airport continues to shape the tool's evolution to meet its strategic needs. The airport plans to:
- Further expand its route network through data-backed proposals
- Monitor industry trends and airline network adjustments
- Maintain its position as Scotland's primary international gateway
- Continue investments in data analytics and technological innovation
The airport's success demonstrates how data-driven strategies can help aviation hubs navigate the competitive landscape while achieving sustainable growth. As the industry continues to evolve, such analytical approaches will likely become increasingly vital for airports worldwide.