Summary
JetBlue’s inaugural flight between New York and Edinburgh took off on May 22, landing at the Scottish capital on the following day.
The transatlantic flight was six hours long.
Four airlines operate transatlantic flights from/to EDI: Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
JetBlue officially took off on its inaugural flight between New York JFK in the US and Edinburgh International Airport in Scotland. The airline’s flight B6 73 was operated on an Airbus A321neo.
6-hour flight
Flightradar24 records show the inaugural flight, connecting New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Edinburgh Airport (EDI), departed JFK at 20:35 local time (UTC -4) and landed at EDI at 7:50 local time (UTC +1) on the following day. In total, passengers traveled in the air for six hours and 16 minutes.
JetBlue operated the flight with an Airbus A321neo, not an A321LR, a derivative of the A321neo. The aircraft, registered as N2142J, was delivered to JetBlue on June 3, 2021, and was christened as ‘A Mint Summer Night’s Dream,’ according to ch-aviation data.
According to Marty St. George, the President of JetBlue, the airline has redefined the transatlantic travel experience, introducing low fares and enhanced service in markets previously dominated by high-fare legacy airlines. The executive added that JetBlue was looking forward to connecting the two cities and their corresponding regions this summer with its Mint premium and Core economy cabins, bringing the signature JetBlue experience to the Scottish capital.
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
Related Transatlantic Expansion: JetBlue Adds Flights To Edinburgh & Dublin JetBlue will operate daily flights to the UK and Ireland through the summer 2024 travel season.
The Scottish Connection
Executives from the Scottish side, including John Lamont, the United Kingdom Government Minister for Scotland, emphasized a special relationship with the US. Lamont added that JetBlue’s newest flights between JFK and EDI will strengthen the connection between the US and Scotland.
“Just last month, I walked down Sixth Avenue with other representatives from the UK Government as part of the annual Tartan Day celebrations in Manhattan, promoting our most important exports – whisky, energy and financial services, and our rich culture.”
Jim Fairlie, the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity of Scotland, said the new flights will increase connectivity between the US and Scotland, and the itineraries will also improve connections for business travelers.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
According to Fairlie, another direct connection has demonstrated that EDI has a strong case for a Pre-clearance border facility at the airport. The facility, operated by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would make the travel experience much smoother for passengers traveling to the US.
Two European airports currently offer CBP Pre-clearance: Dublin Airport (DUB) and Shannon Airport (SNN), Ireland. CBP has authorized 15 airports worldwide to pre-clear travelers to the US. Other countries with such facilities include Canada, Aruba, Bermuda, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Related How Does US Preclearance Work & Which Airports Have It? The system allows US-bound travelers to bypass the CBP and TSA process.
EDI’s connectivity
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that EDI will have 57 weekly flights to the US in June. Four airlines, namely Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic, are scheduled to operate transatlantic flights during the month.
Photo: GingChen | Shutterstock
The 57 weekly flights, including 27 flights to the New York area, namely JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), will total 62.6 million weekly one-way ASKs. During the same month a year prior, the EDI’s flights to the US totaled 60.5 million ASKs, with 52 weekly flights scheduled across the Atlantic Ocean.
Related United Airlines Celebrates 20 Years Of Edinburgh Service With Capacity Boost The Chicago-based carrier has three nonstop services to Edinburgh.
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