November has got off to a strong start at Scotland’s Edinburgh Airport (EDI), with the facility welcoming Emirates back for the first time in four years. The UAE flag carrier will now serve the Scottish capital city on a daily basis, increasing worldwide connectivity for passengers from the region through its Dubai hub.
A very Scottish welcome
According to historical scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Emirates’ last scheduled flights to and from Edinburgh operated back in March of 2020. It was at that point that the rapid onset of the coronavirus pandemic prompted the airline to withdraw the route, meaning that its return to the ‘Athens of the north’ had been more than four and a half years in the making.
Photo: Rebius | Shutterstock
Emirates
- IATA/ICAO Code
- EK/UAE
- Year Founded
- 1985
Given Emirates’ operational hiatus in Edinburgh and the significance of its return to the city, the airline’s first landing was heralded in spectacular fashion. Indeed, the aircraft operating the first flight was guided onto its stand by pipers from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, giving an unmistakably Scottish soundtrack to its arrival. Commenting on Emirates’ return, Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar stated:
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Emirates back to Edinburgh to resume that direct connection between Scotland’s capital and one of the world’s most sought out destinations in Dubai.”
From Scotland to the world
Data from Flightradar24 shows that, from today onwards, Emirates flight EK23 will depart 
Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 14:50, with its arrival into Edinburgh scheduled for 19:05. However, yesterday’s rotation departed somewhat earlier, taking to the skies at 09:39 (scheduled for 09:05) and touching down seven hours and 30 minutes later at 13:09 local time (11 minutes earlier than scheduled).
The return leg is an overnight affair, with flight EK24 scheduled to depart from Edinburgh at 20:40. Yesterday’s rotation took to the skies at 20:54 local time, and, after six hours and 47 minutes in the air, touched down in Dubai at 07:41 this morning (against a scheduled arrival time of 08:05). Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar was keen to underline the importance of the flights on a global scale, adding:
“Direct connectivity to Dubai is something that will be welcomed by both business and leisure passengers, while the onward connections through the vast Emirates network also opens up a plethora of opportunities for travel.”
Awaiting the A350
Yesterday’s first Dubai-Edinburgh flight for more than four years was operated by a 
Boeing 777-200LR aircraft bearing the registration A6-EWB. However, long-time Simple Flying readers may remember that, when Emirates initially announced its plans to return to Edinburgh, the Airbus A350 was slated to operate the flights. However, the type’s entry into service at the airline has been delayed several times.
Related
Emirates Delays Airbus A350 Entry Into Service & Launch Of Multiple Other Routes
Here is the latest information.
Photo: Airbus
Nonetheless, Cirium’s data does appear to show an A350-shaped light at the end of the tunnel. While all of Emirates’ flights between Dubai and Edinburgh in November are set to be operated by the Boeing 777-200LR, the company’s schedules currently show that the A350 will take over on December 16th. If this does prove to be true, it will mark a fantastic early Christmas present for the route’s passengers.
