East Midlands Airport (EMA, often incompletely called Nottingham Airport) is a relatively small international airport in England’s Midlands. It is located near the village of Castle Donington.
The airport is positioned between the cities of Derby (12 miles away), Nottingham (14 miles), and Leicester (20 miles) and serves as a central hub for the East Midlands region. The airport caters mostly to the leisure segment with many flights to holiday destinations in Spain and Portugal.
In 2024, East Midlands Airport handled just over 4 million passengers, ranking as the 14th-busiest airport in the UK by passenger traffic.
Major Airlines - Jet2.com, Ryanair, TUI Airways
East Midlands Airport is an important cargo airline hub in the UK due to its central location on the island. It’s the second busiest airport when it comes to freight traffic. As passengers, this side of the airport mostly remains hidden and out of sight.
Since the early 2010s, East Midlands Airport has been almost exclusively used by low-cost carriers, tour operators, and seasonal charter flights.
The three biggest airlines that use East Midlands are:
Jet2.com: Offers flights to various European destinations, including popular holiday spots in Spain, Greece, Italy, and Turkey.
Ryanair: Operates numerous routes across Europe, providing budget-friendly travel options. It offers regular flights to cities in Poland, Spain, Germany, and Ireland, to name a few.
TUI Airways: Specializes in charter flights to vacation destinations like Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as well as seaside towns and islands in Greece and Cyprus.
Other smaller airlines with a presence at the airport are Aer Lingus (flies to Dublin) and Blue Islands (flies to Jersey).
Click here to see all the airlines at East Midlands Airport.
Check-in Process
Different airlines at EMA open their check-in counters at different times. Here’s a quick guide:
Jet2, TUI, and Thomas Cook: three hours before departure.
All other airlines: two hours before departure.
East Midlands Airport is rather small and only in peak summer can there occasionally be any queues.
Your options for checking in are:
Online Check-in: Offered by most modern airlines and available through their respective websites or mobile apps. You can save a lot of time at the airport by checking in online including the options to select seats and add extras.
Self-Service Kiosks: Located within the terminal for quick check-in and boarding pass printing.
Check-in Counters: Staffed by airline representatives to assist with baggage drop-off and other services.
Note that you must show some form of ID even for domestic flights. For most international flights, your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months after the date you intend to leave the country you’re traveling to.
FastTrack at EMA
East Midlands Airport offers a FastTrack service at a small additional cost.
Security FastTrack costs 5 GBP and gives you access to a dedicated fast lane straight to the security checkpoint. This means you can reach the departure lounge a bit faster than usual.
Passport Control FastTrack also costs 5 GBP and allows you to use a dedicated lane through Passport Control on your return to the UK. It is currently unavailable.
Terminal Layout of East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport features a single terminal building that handles both arrivals and departures:
Departures Area: located on the right side of the check-in hall. Has plenty of shops and restaurants as well as places to sit and charging points.
Arrivals Area: Includes baggage claim facilities, customs, and access to ground transportation.
Dining Options at EMA
Although small, East Midlands Airport still has enough to offer with regard to dining, fast food, or having a drink before your flight.
On the quick meals front, you can get a flame-grilled burger from Burger King or a traditional Scottish pastry from Greggs.
Seeking a caffeine boost? Starbucks has an outlet serving freshly roasted coffees, ice-blended drinks, and various sandwiches and cakes.
The sit-down restaurants at EMA Airport include:
Castle Rock Tap Room & Kitchen: a favorite among Nottinghamians.
Frankie & Benny’s: The place to go for 1950’s America-style food.
Pork & Pickle: If you go here, you must try the locally sourced pork pies!
Lounges at East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport has only 1 lounge: the Escape Lounge.
It’s a small cozy place with round armchairs, complimentary refreshments, and exclusive Wi-Fi. It is accessible to all passengers for a fee of £33.99 (if pre-booked) or £45 (if you walk up).
In general, it’s worth the money, especially given the buffet has a good variety of different kinds of food and the offered draft beers, wine, and sparkling wines.
East Midlands Aeropark
The Aeropark at East Midlands Airport is a heritage museum displaying restored British planes with great runway views. It is located about 3 miles away from the terminal, on the other side of the airport grounds.
It is a recommended stop for any aviation enthusiasts and an interesting place to bring kids.
Transportation to and from East Midlands Airport
Given the central location, both within the UK and within the region of East Midlands, the airport is well-connected and you can easily organize transport to many places around it, both near and far.
For starters, 4 motorways pass near EMA Airport. Three of them, M1, A42, and A50 intersect at Donington Park, about 4 miles from the airport. A46 passes not too far from the airport either.
For public transportation, you have the following options:
Trains: The airport does not have a dedicated railway station but the nearest, East Midlands Parkway, is about 4 miles away and there is an hourly minibus service connecting the airport with it.
Buses: Regular bus services (24/7) connect the airport to Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Ilkeston, Burton-upon-Trent, and other local areas.
For private transport, the usual options are readily available:
Taxis: The official Private Hire company at East Midlands Airport is Arrow Cars whose fares for all journeys to and from the airport are fixed and pre-paid with no additional car parking or waiting time charges. You can find their kiosk in the Arrivals area.
Car Rentals: Some of the world’s biggest car rental companies, such as Avis, SIXT, and Hertz, have a presence at East Midlands Airport. You will find their offices in the Arrivals area.
If you’d like to book a private transfer, click here.
Parking at East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport offers 5 parking facilities for different needs and different lengths of stay.
Here’s a summary of the available car parks:
Meet & Greet: An expensive premium option that puts you within a minute of the Terminal building. It is suitable for those traveling with kids or heavy luggage. Pre-book only. A Meet & Greet driver will wait with your car and keys when you return. 82 GBP for an 8-day stay.
Short Stay: Located right next to the terminal and ideal for brief trips. Costs 49.99 GBP for a 4-day stay.
Mid Stay: The most popular parking choice for trips of up to 7 days (parking fee is 64.99 GBP). With automatic license plate recognition, it’s easy to see why - just park and head straight to check in, just 6 minutes walk away. No hassle and no fuss.
Long Stay: A pre-book-only parking option situated about a 5-minute drive by a shuttle bus to the terminal. 8 days of stay costs 57.99 GBP.
Jet Parks: The budget-friendly parking option with a price of 54.99 for an 8-day stay. The downside? These car parks are slightly further away from the terminals but worry not - there are regular free shuttle buses which will take you there in about 15 minutes.
Hotels
There are no on-site hotels within the terminal building of East Midlands Airport and there is no need. It’s close to cities with a ton of accommodation options to which it’s well connected and it isn’t a major transit hub. Nonetheless, there are several hotels in close proximity.
The closest hotel is Leonardo Hotel East Midlands Airport - a small 4-star hotel with an awesome swimming pool and spa, and a delightful breakfast.
A more upscale option is the Radisson Blu Hotel East Midlands Airport, just a short drive from the terminal. It provides luxury rooms, a classy restaurant, and conference facilities.
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