Edinburgh will become Emirates’ second destination in Scotland after Glasgow and its eighth in the UK after the airline starts its daily service to Stansted in June.

The new service will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in first class, 42 lie-flat seats in business and 304 seats in economy.

“Edinburgh is a very popular leisure and business destination, and the new service will offer our customers from across our global network, particularly from key inbound markets such as Asia and Australia, a direct option to the city via our Dubai hub,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ divisional senior vice-president, commercial operations, west.

“It will also be a more convenient point for travellers from the greater Edinburgh area, and beyond, such as Aberdeen and Dundee, to travel with Emirates to Dubai and onward to destinations across our network,” he added.”

Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh airport, added: “This is a fantastic announcement for Edinburgh airport as we welcome another world renowned airline to Scotland’s busiest airport, which will enhance our connectivity with the Middle East and further afield.”