Edinburgh Airport (EDI) has been crowned the Overall Winner at the Routes Europe 2025 Awards, as well as triumphing in the 5-20 Million Passengers category.
The Scottish airport was one of five winners recognized at the event, which celebrates excellence in airport and destination marketing. Other winners at the ceremony—held during Routes Europe 2025 in Seville, Spain—included London Southend Airport (SEN), Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), Turismo de Portugal and Jet2.com.
“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award, and for it to come from the airline community makes it extra special,” said Edinburgh Airport Head of Aviation Jonny Macneal. “For us, it recognizes the hard work and dedication of the team at EDI, but also the airline partners who we have worked so closely with across the past year.
“This work has strengthened connections between Scotland and the world, ensuring even more choice for our passengers, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration and building on this work in the future.”
Edinburgh Airport achieved a record-breaking year in 2024, welcoming 15.8 million passengers. Seventeen new routes were launched across nine airlines, including new entrants JetBlue Airways, Emirates, Pegasus Airlines and Aurigny. Long-haul traffic surged 50% versus 2019, with EDI now offering the largest number of U.S. destinations outside London in the UK. For 2025, the airport will see 15 additional new routes.
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In the Under 5 Million Passengers category, London Southend Airport took home the top honor. The airport has experienced a remarkable resurgence, recording 250% year-on-year passenger growth between 2023 and 2024. This growth has been fueled by the return of a three-aircraft easyJet base. In 2024, Southend secured 10 new easyJet routes, added charter services to Lapland and Bulgaria, and secured its first domestic route to Newquay.
Madrid-Barajas Airport claimed the award in the Over 20 Million Passengers category after a record-breaking year in 2024, handling 66 million passengers. The airport added 35 new routes, including services to Tokyo, Shenzhen, Izmir and Verona. Tailored incentive programs have supported hub development, network expansion and a strategic push into Asia. As a result, China-related traffic grew by 20% compared to 2019, with a 50% increase in scheduled seats and two additional Chinese destinations set to launch in summer 2025.
Turismo de Portugal claimed the Destination Award for the second consecutive year, following another record-breaking performance in 2024. The country welcomed 31.6 million visitors and generated €27.7 billion in tourism revenue. With over 90% of international arrivals coming by air, Turismo de Portugal has prioritized strategic airline partnerships and route development across its airport network. In summer 2024 alone, it secured 54 new routes and welcomed 12 new airlines.
Jet2.com was named Airline of the Year—also for the second year running—recognizing its continued growth and network expansion. The UK-based leisure carrier operated more than 575 routes to 75 destinations from 13 UK bases in the past year, including new operations from Liverpool, Bournemouth and London Luton. Since 2023, Jet2.com has launched over 160 new routes and added 10 new destinations, including Bergen, Marrakesh, Palermo and Tallinn.
Finalists in the Airport and Destination categories were reviewed and scored by a panel of airline judges, while the Airline category was judged by a panel of editorial judges.
The Winners:
Overall: Edinburgh Airport
Under 5 Million Passengers: London Southend Airport
5-20 Million Passengers: Edinburgh Airport
Over 20 Million Passengers: Madrid-Barajas Airport
Destination: Turismo de Portugal
Airline: Jet2.com
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