Best Destinations from Edinburgh Airport: Where to Fly in 2026
Edinburgh has the biggest route network in Scotland and one of the most interesting in the UK. From Sumburgh to JFK, here is our honest pick of the best flights from EDI.
Where to Fly from Edinburgh airport in 2026
Edinburgh is Scotland's busiest airport and one of the UK's most interesting. From daily London shuttles to the Highlands and Islands routes, and a growing transatlantic network, EDI punches well above its size. Here is our pick of the best destinations from Edinburgh for 2026, drawn from real flight data.
All route numbers below come from our live Edinburgh destinations page.
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The Best Short-Haul Destinations from Edinburgh
Edinburgh's short-haul is a mix of classic European capitals, leisure sunshine routes and an unusually rich Scottish and Highlands network.
Dublin, the busiest single route
Dublin is Edinburgh's top destination, with about 59 weekly flights on Aer Lingus and Ryanair. Under 90 minutes in the air. Perfect for a weekend or as a connection across to North America through DUB.
The London routes
London is the single biggest market from Edinburgh by far. We see:
- London Heathrow, about 55 weekly flights on British Airways
- London City, about 38 weekly flights on British Airways
- London Stansted, about 31 weekly flights on easyJet and Ryanair UK
- London Gatwick, about 24 weekly flights on easyJet
- London Luton, about 16 weekly flights on easyJet
London City is the smart choice for anyone heading to the Square Mile or Canary Wharf, door to desk in under 3 hours from central Edinburgh is routine. LNER's east coast train is a genuine competitor from city centre to city centre.
Amsterdam Schiphol
KLM and easyJet run roughly 32 weekly flights. Outstanding for connections, Schiphol gets you to almost anywhere in the world on a single ticket.
Paris CDG
Air France and easyJet do about 26 weekly flights. Well over two hours in the air but very frequent.
Belfast and Bristol
Belfast International runs 27 weekly flights on easyJet and Ryanair UK, and Belfast City 23 on Aer Lingus and easyJet. Bristol runs 20 weekly easyJet flights. All three are excellent weekend options.
Long-Haul Highlights from Edinburgh
New York JFK
Delta and American Airlines run about 10 weekly flights between them to JFK. Around 7 hours 30 minutes westbound. Book well in advance for the autumn New England colour season.
Other long-haul
Emirates, Qatar Airways and United also serve Edinburgh with seasonal or year-round long-haul flights. Frequencies vary, check live EDI departures for the current picture.
Flying early? Don't risk the traffic. Stay minutes from the terminal with park & fly packages included.
Underrated Routes from Edinburgh
Edinburgh has one of the most distinctive route networks in the UK thanks to its position as Scotland's main hub.
Sumburgh with Loganair
Loganair run about 9 weekly flights to Sumburgh, in Shetland. This is proper adventure travel, puffins, the Iron Age broch at Mousa, and a fascinating mix of Scottish and Scandinavian culture.
Kirkwall
Loganair again, 9 weekly flights to Orkney. Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Italian Chapel are all unmissable. Short flight, genuinely different place.
Southampton
Loganair run 14 weekly flights to Southampton. Useful for the south coast, New Forest and connections to the Channel Islands.
Frankfurt
Lufthansa run 15 weekly flights to Frankfurt. A better connecting hub than Heathrow for most of Central and Eastern Europe.
Copenhagen
About 16 weekly flights on Ryanair, Norwegian Air Sweden, Ryanair UK and easyJet. One of our favourite European city breaks.
Barcelona
Barcelona runs 13 weekly flights on Ryanair, easyJet and Vueling. Three hours in the air and genuinely good value off-peak.
Tenerife South
13 weekly flights on easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2. Year-round sun from Scotland's capital, hard to argue with that in February.
When to Fly From Edinburgh
Sunshine routes
Tenerife, Lanzarote and Malaga are popular year-round. Peak season for prices is July and August; September is warmer and cheaper.
City breaks
Late April to early June is ideal for Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Paris. September is brilliant too. Avoid August for Rome and Barcelona, too hot and too busy.
Transatlantic
JFK pricing is lowest January and February and highest July, August and December. Shoulder seasons (April/May and late September/October) give you both mild weather and reasonable fares.
Highlands and Islands
Sumburgh and Kirkwall are best May to September for weather, but book early, flights can fill up quickly around Up Helly Aa (late January, Shetland) and Orkney Folk Festival (late May).
Timing at the airport
Edinburgh is one of the most efficient major UK airports. Even in peak summer, queues rarely exceed 20 minutes. Arrive 2 hours early for short-haul, 3 for long-haul.
Sources
- Route frequencies from live Edinburgh departures on this site
- Edinburgh Airport route list: edinburghairport.com
- Live Edinburgh destinations
Flight numbers are a typical weekly sample and can change seasonally.
Plan Your Trip
See every route currently flying from EDI on our live destinations page or check today's departures. We also compare Edinburgh Airport parking across all providers before you drive in.
Questions about Edinburgh routes? Get in touch, we read every message.
Written by
Which Terminal Team