Edinburgh Airport: We have a role to challenge where standards are not good enough
“We believe our efficient security operation is among the best airport experiences of its kind anywhere in the world”
Millions of passengers travel through Edinburgh Airport every year and, overall, they have a good experience.
We know that because we listen to them, polling passengers extensively and regularly about every stage of their journey.
That feedback matters enormously as it tells us what's working well, but just as importantly it tells us where we need to do better.
Where we have direct control over an experience, we have demonstrated what we can deliver. Security is a good example.
We have invested significantly in new technology and in our people, creating a modern, efficient security operation that we believe is among the best airport experiences of its kind, anywhere in the world.
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We want passengers to have that same level of experience throughout their journey.
As we've grown, some parts of the passenger journey, including bits of our infrastructure, are experiencing the pressures that come with serving record numbers of passengers.
Areas of the terminal that were designed for a smaller airport are now supporting a significantly larger operation, and that's noticeable at our busiest times.
That's why we're investing in new infrastructure and facilities, creating a more modern, welcoming and efficient experience that reflects the airport Edinburgh has become.
There are also parts of the passenger journey that are delivered by other organisations, including airlines, ground handling companies and Border Force.
Although that distinction is important operationally, we recognise it doesn't matter as much to passengers because they don't see a series of different organisations - they see Edinburgh Airport and just want the whole journey to work.
We may not directly control every element of that experience, and that distinction is important, but we are aware we have a role to bring people together, challenge where standards are not good enough and work with our partners to improve them.
We do that regularly but there's always more work to do. We are working on those challenges now but we're also building for the future.
Our £500 million investment programme is about giving Edinburgh an airport equipped for the number of passengers we serve today and the growth we expect in the years ahead.
It will allow us to address some of the infrastructure constraints we know passengers experience and deliver a better, more consistent journey through the terminal.
Every day, thousands of people choose Edinburgh Airport as their gateway to and from Scotland and we never take that responsibility for granted.
We're proud of the experience our colleagues deliver, often in challenging and fast-moving environments, and we're equally excited about the improvements we're making.
Through significant investment in infrastructure, technology and capacity, we're building an airport that is more comfortable, more efficient and better equipped for the future.
Above all, we want everyone who travels through Edinburgh Airport to feel they've received the warm, welcoming experience Scotland is known for.
That's the standard we and our partners are working towards every day, and it's the ambition that continues to drive us forward.
Peter Barnes is chief operating officer of Edinburgh Airport
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