Airlines urged to explore direct route to US ALASTAIR JAMIESON AIRPORT bosses have brought transatlantic flights from Edinburgh a step closer by offering help to encourage airlines to establish a direct north America link. BAA Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, is understood to be offering Continental Airlines discounts of up to 75 per cent on landing charges for new transatlantic routes to and from its airports. Although Edinburgh has recently become Scotland’s biggest airport for scheduled air passengers, Glasgow is the only departure point north of the Border for direct US flights. The Scottish Executive has said it would back up any new route from Edinburgh with marketing help. BAA said the plan was to build transatlantic services from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, but industry analysts doubt there is enough business to sustain two services. Kieran Daly, the editor of Air Transport Intelligence, said: “Many people in the US won’t care whether they are flying into Glasgow or Edinburgh and the deals and conditions which airports offer are tremendously important in luring business.” Edinburgh is already growing faster than Glasgow and has far more of the lucrative business travellers that airlines and airports value most. BAA Scottish Airports’ business development manager, David Field, confirmed he had made a “very generous offer” to Continental in an effort to lure it to Edinburgh. He said: “We want to build transatlantic services to both airports. Any Edinburgh service would be in addition to, rather than instead of, Glasgow flights.” Nick Britton, a spokesman for Continental, said: “We welcome help in launching new services, but we would only consider a new destination if it were viable in its own right. We have operated the Glasgow-Newark route now for four years and that will remain. We will not be considering anything else until the economic situation becomes clearer.” Roger La France EWR CO767 or ewrgateman on IAM