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East Midlands Airport
Nottingham, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
East Midlands Airport
Central England's key hub for cargo and leisure flights.
- ›East Midlands is one of the UK's top three busiest cargo airports by freight tonnage.
- ›DHL operates a major European air hub at the airport.
- ›The airport has a single runway designated 09/27.
- ›It served approximately 4.8 million passengers annually before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ›The airport is located within the National Forest area of Leicestershire.
East Midlands Airport, opened in 1965 near Castle Donington, serves the combined catchment of Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, and surrounding counties. It is one of the UK's busiest cargo hubs, handling significant overnight freight volumes alongside passenger operations. Its central location and strong low-cost carrier presence make it a practical alternative to larger London airports.
- Main Terminal — A single integrated terminal handling all passenger departures and arrivals, with check-in, security, retail, and gate facilities under one roof.
- Skylink bus service connecting Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester city centres directly to the terminal
- Trent Barton and National Express coach services to regional destinations
- Taxi and private hire ranks located directly outside the terminal building
- Car rental desks from major providers including Hertz, Enterprise, and Europcar in the terminal
- On-site and off-site car parks with shuttle bus connections to the terminal
- Radisson Blu East Midlands Airport
- Holiday Inn Express East Midlands Airport
- Best Western Yew Lodge Hotel
- Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel
- Premier Inn East Midlands Airport
Inside the terminal, passengers will find a mix of high-street brands including Wetherspoons, Caffe Nero, and various grab-and-go outlets airside. Options expand once through security, with a reasonable selection of hot meals, sandwiches, and drinks for pre-flight dining. For more varied choices, the Castle Donington village and nearby Kegworth town offer traditional pubs and local restaurants within a short taxi ride.
- Allow extra time during school holiday peaks, as queues at security can be lengthy in this single-terminal airport
- The Skylink bus is a cost-effective and frequent option if travelling from Nottingham, Derby, or Leicester without luggage constraints
- Long-stay car parks require a shuttle bus transfer, so factor in an additional 10–15 minutes when planning your journey to the terminal
- Check-in desks for some low-cost carriers open only a few hours before departure, so arriving too early may mean a wait in the main landside hall
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East Midlands Airport is an international airport in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England. The airport is situated between Loughborough, Derby and Nottingham ; Leicester is 20 miles (32 km) to the south and Lincoln 43 miles (69 km) northeast. It serves the majority of the East Midlands region consisting of the counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland and Derbyshire. The airfield was originally built as a Royal Air Force station known as RAF Castle Donington in 1943, before being redeveloped as a civilian airport in 1965.
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