A specially designed cake, an official ribbon cutting and water canon salute highlighted a celebration commemorating the start of American Airlines service from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Edinburgh, Scotland tonight. Flight 278 departed PHL at 9 PM for the seven-hour journey to the Scottish capital, the first of daily service between the two World Heritage cities through October 26.
“Edinburgh is a beautiful, amazing city,” said Airport CEO Chellie Cameron. “This new service gives our customers a convenient path to one of the most popular destinations in the United Kingdom and makes it easier for travelers from Scotland to visit the birthplace of America. We are excited about this new route, pairing two World Heritage cities.”
Cameron was joined at the festivities by City of Philadelphia First Deputy Commerce Director Sylvie Gallier Howard and American Airlines Senior Manager of International Operations Aaron Collins.
“As American’s transatlantic gateway, Philadelphia plays an important role connecting customers traveling between destinations throughout the U.S. and Europe,” said Jim Moses, American Airlines Vice President of PHL Hub Operations. “Our inaugural service to Edinburgh marks the first of four new transatlantic routes launching this year, reinforcing American’s commitment to the region as we grow to serve 20 non-stop European destinations from PHL.”
“Edinburgh and Philadelphia are cities steeped in history and culture and providing this direct link will open both of our cities to new markets on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Airport. “We’re looking forward to welcoming people to our fantastic capital city, giving them a taste of Scotland’s very best and leaving them with fond memories of our beautiful country.”
Edinburgh becomes the 35th international destination with direct flights from PHL and is the first of four international cities American is adding this spring from Philadelphia. On June 6, American begins service to Bologna, Italy; the next day to Berlin, Germany and Dubrovnik, Croatia. When this service starts, PHL will offer the only non-stop flights in North America to Bologna and Dubrovnik. The service is seasonal. These cities will be served for the first time from Philadelphia and will expand PHL’s non-stop international routes to 38.
