EasyJet said yesterday it would base an additional aircraft at Edinburgh Airport, its largest Scottish hub.

It noted this meant it would have nine planes operating from Edinburgh from next summer, on 40 routes to destinations in the UK, elsewhere in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Asked if new routes would be launched from Edinburgh as a result, an easyJet spokeswoman replied yesterday: “We haven’t announced any more new routes from Scotland today. However we are continually reviewing our network with the view to identifying new opportunities.”

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easyJet describes itself as “the largest airline in Scotland” with 71 routes to 48 destinations across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It said the ninth aircraft based at Edinburgh would be at the airport throughout the year, “providing more seats next summer for customers travelling to and from the city”.

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The plane will join two, 156-seat Airbus A319 and six, 186-seat A320 aircraft at Edinburgh.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK country manager, said: “Nearly three decades ago we launched the airline with services from London Luton to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Twenty-seven years on, Scotland remains an important focus for easyJet and we continue to see opportunity in Scotland.”

Kate Sherry, aviation director at Edinburgh Airport, said: “The continued expansion of easyJet at Edinburgh Airport shows the strength the Edinburgh market has, as well as the confidence that one of our closest airline partners has in Scotland’s busiest airport. The industry’s recovery is still ongoing and this additional based aircraft will sustain the positive trajectory that we have seen at Edinburgh.”