Edinburgh: Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, launched its new route to Edinburgh on Monday, making the Scottish capital its eighth destination in the UK as the city grows in popularity as a tourist destination.

The Dubai-based airline now runs 19 daily flights to the UK, adding Edinburgh, Britain’s second most visited city, to its repertoire this week.

“We are growing in the UK,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates senior vice president for the airline’s western markets, in an interview with Gulf News on board the inaugural flight. “The UK is really in the top group of the global markets.”

“We have a strong commitment to the UK, it’s a really important market for us and Scotland is a very integral part of it,” he added.

Frach pointed to the UK’s strong travel demand both outbound and inbound, and its strong mix of business and leisure travel.

Edinburgh reflected these strong fundamentals, he said.

“You have a strong focus on business here [in Edinburgh]. There’s a strong financial and asset management community. You will also find digital and high tech industries here,” Frach noted.

He also pointed to Edinburgh’s academic community, and its cultural offering, including numerous historical sites.

“There’ll be a very healthy demand, both inbound and outbound, from the business and leisure communities.”

Last week, Emirates said it would reduce its frequency on the new route to five flights a week instead of seven.

Frach said that was simply a temporary measure, and the daily service would kick off in earnest from June 2019.

The destination was also expected to benefit the airline’s freight division, Emirates SkyCargo, Frach said.

The Boeing 777-300ER, which will fly on the new route, can handle around 20 tonnes of cargo per flight.

“I expect it will be full [on each flight]. It will be basically…seafood, cars, whiskey, and some…oil drilling equipment,” he said.

At a press conference following the flight’s arrival in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Airport CEO Gordon Dewar said that he hoped the new route would attract new visitors from India, Thailand, and the Middle East to the city.