easyJet Commits Seventh Aircraft to Glasgow Base as Scottish Expansion Accelerates

Budget carrier easyJet confirmed plans to station a seventh Airbus A320-family aircraft at Glasgow Airport from summer 2026, marking continued expansion in Scotland's aviation market following record passenger volumes during the airline's recently concluded financial year. The additional aircraft represents the latest phase of easyJet's Scottish growth strategy after carrying 8.1 million passengers through the nation's airports during fiscal 2025, representing a 9% year-on-year increase alongside network capacity expansion exceeding 213,000 additional seats.

Glasgow's seventh based aircraft will support approximately 400 direct and indirect employment positions whilst generating an estimated £27 million in gross value added to the regional economy, according to AGS Airports' economic impact assessments. The carrier will operate 42 routes from Glasgow following introduction of four new summer 2026 services connecting the Scottish hub with Pisa, Lisbon, Malta, and Sharm el-Sheikh, extending easyJet's Mediterranean and North African connectivity options for Scottish travellers.

The investment follows easyJet's 30th anniversary at Glasgow Airport in November, commemorating the carrier's inaugural service from London Luton on 10 November 1995. EasyJet established its first Scottish base at Edinburgh in 2001 before opening Glasgow operations in 2003, progressively expanding to maintain Scotland's largest airline position with 17 total aircraft stationed across four Scottish airports serving Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness.

Network expansion occurred against backdrop of easyJet's broader fiscal performance, with the carrier reporting 9% earnings growth reaching £665 million headline profit before tax during financial year 2025. Scottish operations experienced 11% network expansion through addition of 15 new routes during the period, demonstrating sustained demand recovery across both leisure and business travel segments within Britain's devolved administration territories.