The short answer
For most flights from Edinburgh:
- Hand luggage only, checked in online, short-haul: aim to arrive about 2 hours before your flight. Outside the busiest times, you can often manage with a little less.
- Dropping a bag, short-haul: allow 2 to 2.5 hours, more at peak times.
- Long-haul, including the USA: allow 3 hours.
- Early morning flights and school holidays: add 30 minutes to all of these.
These are our suggestions, not airport rules. Your airline's check-in and bag drop closing times are the deadlines that actually matter, and they're in your booking confirmation.
Security is quicker than it used to be
Edinburgh is one of the UK airports with new CT security scanners. When we checked in October 2026, the airport's guidance said:
- You can carry liquids in containers of up to 2 litres each, and keep them in your bag.
- Laptops and tablets can also stay in your bag.
- Liquids in vacuum flasks can't be scanned, so empty them first.
That makes the security queue move faster and saves the clear-bag faff. But check the rules for your return flight: many airports abroad still apply the 100ml limit, and you may not be able to bring a 2-litre bottle back through security there.
The airport also posts live security queue times on its social media channels. They cover security only, not check-in or passport control, but they're worth a look before you set off.
Drop your bag the night before
Edinburgh's Twilight bag drop lets you check in your hold luggage the evening before an early flight, so you can walk straight to security in the morning. When we checked, it was offered by Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways, each with its own hours and rules. The airport's table listed:
- Ryanair: 17:00 to 21:00, for flights before 08:00.
- easyJet: 16:00 to 20:00.
- Jet2: 16:30 to 21:00, for flights before 12:00, and you must have checked in online at least 24 hours before.
- British Airways: 16:00 to 20:00, for flights before 12:00.
You'll need to have checked in and have your boarding pass. For Ryanair, everyone on the booking has to be there when you drop the bags. Hours change, so check the airport's Twilight page before you rely on it.
If you live nearby or are staying at an airport hotel, this is the easiest way to make a 6am flight less painful.
Ryanair's new bag drop deadline
Ryanair is Edinburgh's biggest airline for Europe, and from 10 November 2026 it is closing airport check-in and bag drop 60 minutes before departure across its network, instead of 40 minutes.
- If you're dropping a bag, you need to be at the desk at least an hour before take-off, plus queuing time. Our 2 to 2.5 hours allows for that.
- If you only have hand luggage and have checked in online, the change doesn't affect you.
EasyJet, Jet2, British Airways and the long-haul airlines set their own deadlines. Long-haul check-in usually closes earlier than short-haul, which is why we suggest 3 hours.
How long to allow, worked out
Here's how the time adds up for a typical summer Saturday flight to Barcelona at 07:00 with one checked bag:
- Bag drop closes 60 minutes before, at 06:00 (Ryanair from 10 November).
- Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the bag drop queue at a busy time.
- Security at peak time can take 20 to 30 minutes, and you need to be at the gate around 30 minutes before departure.
That puts your arrival at about 05:00, two hours before the flight. Use Twilight bag drop the night before and you could arrive closer to 05:45, with hand luggage only.
For a winter flight to Tenerife at midday on a weekday, an hour and a half is often enough with hand luggage only. For a transatlantic flight to New York, allow the full three hours.
Getting there
The airport is about 8 miles west of Edinburgh city centre:
- Tram: around 30 to 35 minutes from the city centre. Make sure your ticket covers the airport zone.
- Airlink 100 bus: around 30 minutes from Waverley Bridge, traffic permitting, and runs around the clock, which helps for the earliest flights.
- Car: there's a charge to use the drop-off zone outside the terminal, and it's cheaper to pay for parking than to linger. Check current prices on the airport's website.
If you're driving from further afield, allow for traffic on the city bypass and M8 at rush hour.
Five ways to make it easier
1. Check in online and download your boarding pass before you leave home. 2. Use Twilight bag drop for early flights, if your airline offers it. 3. Check the live security times before you set off, especially at 5am to 8am, when the early wave of flights leaves. 4. Book fast track if you're travelling in the school holidays and short on time. It isn't usually needed outside peak times. 5. Know your return airport's liquids rules, so your 2-litre bottle doesn't get binned on the way home.
Still choosing where to fly? Our guide to where you can fly direct from Edinburgh covers the routes, and our December and January pages show what's good for winter sun. Rules and opening hours change, so check the airport and your airline before you go.
