The prospect of a complimentary pre-flight refreshment quickly captured attention. However, the innovative service was swiftly revealed to be a cheeky April Fool’s Day stunt.

Dougal Sharp, Innis & Gunn’s founder, remarked on the popularity of the airport pint tradition and the positive public reaction to the hoax, adding that while the free tap isn’t real “just yet”, the brewery’s actual range of beers remains available in the airport’s bars.

“We loved seeing people get on board with the idea and who knows, maybe one day we’ll make it a reality,” he added.

Gordon Robertson, chief communications officer at Edinburgh Airport, said: “Providing choice and enhancing the passenger experience is always our focus.

“While a free non-alcoholic beer tap might not be something we can offer just yet, it was great to see people enjoying the joke. For now, we’ll stick to free water stations, but never say never!”