easyJet's addition of a seventh aircraft at Glasgow Airport signifies strong demand and is set to create 400 jobs while enhancing connectivity to Europe and North Africa.
London, United Kingdom Jul 31, 2026 ALN: One of Europe’s biggest airlines has handed a major vote of confidence to Glasgow Airport by adding a seventh aircraft to its base at the hub.
easyJet declared the arrival of the 186-seat Airbus A320 aircraft would support the creation of 400 jobs and provide the airline with the additional capacity to serve further destinations in Europe and North Africa from Scotland. That includes new summer services to Pisa in Italy, Sharm El Sheik in Egypt, and Malta, which commence next week, as well as a route to Krakow in Poland which begins in winter.
The new aircraft means easyJet now has 17 operating from its bases in Scotland, adding to the 10 planes which the airline runs from Edinburgh. These aircraft now serve more than 100 routes to 24 countries across the UK, Europe, and North Africa.
In an exclusive interview with The Herald, easyJet's UK country manager Kevin Doyle said the addition of the seventh aircraft in Glasgow comes in response to demand from business and leisure travellers, both for scheduled flights and the growing easyJet holidays business.
“Glasgow is one of our key UK bases, and the growth with the seventh aircraft just reflects that strong demand that we are seeing from customers in Scotland, both from a leisure and a business travel perspective, and I guess particularly with the easyJet holidays product that we have got,” Mr Doyle said.
“And more people than ever chose to fly with us from Glasgow last year. I think we took a record 2.8 million passengers travelling to and from the airport [in 2025], which was 5% up on the year before. The seventh aircraft really just demonstrates our confidence in the market and our long-term commitment to Scotland.
“And bringing that seventh aircraft just allows us to provide even more connectivity and choice for the customers and also supports jobs and economic growth. It’s also allowed us to look at new routes from Glasgow as well, so with the additional seventh tail, we have been able to launch Malta, Sharm El Sheik and Pisa. It also allows us to put additional capacity on to routes that are already performing well.”
He added: “We're fully committed to Scotland, to the growth that we've got there. It's an important market for us.”
Mr Doyle outlined the economic benefit that an additional aircraft will bring to the Glasgow area, stating that around 400 new jobs are created in the wider economy each time the company adds an aeroplane to a base.
“So that’s not just with the direct roles – the pilots, the cabin crew, the engineers – but also with airport operations, ground handling, tourism,” he said.
“We already directly employ just over 300 people in Glasgow through easyJet alone, with the aircraft that we have got based there. [The addition of an aircraft] absolutely provides further jobs; it also helps the wider economy.”
Mr Doyle anticipates that the addition of the seventh aircraft should ensure the airline will build on the record growth in passenger numbers it saw in Glasgow, where it has a market share of nearly 40%, last year. Asked if easyJet was targeting any specific destinations it does not currently serve with the new aircraft, he replied: “The seventh aircraft just gives us that greater flexibility to continue adding capacity onto routes that we already operate but we will also look at new destinations if there's customer demand. We continually review our network and look for the opportunities to provide more choices for our customers.
“The additional ones take us to 43 routes already from Glasgow. So, I think that our focus will still remain on ensuring that we operate and serve the routes that the customers want and need.”
The new investment by easyJet at Glasgow Airport comes as the new owners of the hub embark on a “comprehensive transformation” of the main terminal building.
AviAlliance completed its acquisition of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports owner AGS in late January for an enterprise value of £1.53 billion.
Mr Doyle said easyJet was “really supportive” of the plans.
Gavin Birch-Williams, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “The arrival of easyJet's seventh based aircraft at Glasgow Airport is a significant milestone for both our organisations and further strengthens a partnership that has been helping connect Scotland to key destinations across Europe for more than 30 years.
“This additional aircraft represents a major vote of confidence in Glasgow, our passengers and the wider Scottish market. It will support greater connectivity, create new opportunities for tourism and business travel, and provide even more choice for the millions of customers who choose to fly with easyJet each year.
“We are delighted to celebrate this investment alongside easyJet and look forward to welcoming the airline's new routes to Pisa, Sharm El Sheikh and Malta in the coming days, building on the successful launch of Lisbon earlier this year.
“easyJet remains one of our most valued airline partners and today's celebration demonstrates the airline's long-term commitment to Glasgow Airport and the communities we serve.”
easyJet has in recent weeks been at the centre of takeover speculation.
The airline’s board had accepted the fifth bid from Castlelake, worth £5.5bn, but then recommended a higher bid from Apollo Global Management worth £5.7bn, or more than £7 a share. However, a potential EU review of airline ownership has put a question mark over the deal.
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