A MAJOR airline is to launch the first service between the Scottish capital and the Middle East.

Qatar Airways will introduce its 787 Dreamliner service between Edinburgh and Doha on May 28.

The operator said the flight, which takes less than seven hours, will reduce journey times between Edinburgh and destinations around the world, and reduce the need for domestic transfers in the UK.

Qatar Airways said the route will also be Scotland's first scheduled service on one of the world's newest aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Akbar Al Baker, chief executive of the airline, said: "The start of services from Edinburgh to Doha not only offers travellers access to the Middle East in under seven hours, but also a quicker journey time to popular destinations in Asia, India and Australasia."