--- iata: EMA name: East Midlands Airport city: Nottingham country: United Kingdom lastUpdated: '2026-09-01' officialWebsite: 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/about-us/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/help/security/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/at-the-airport/security-fasttrack/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/at-the-airport/escape-lounge/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/at-the-airport/airport-facilities/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/at-the-airport/restaurants/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/getting-to-and-from/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/getting-to-and-from/by-bus/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/getting-to-and-from/by-train/' - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/getting-to-and-from/by-taxi/' - >- https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/getting-to-and-from/pick-up-and-drop-off/ - 'https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/flight-operators/' - >- https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2025/annual-2025/ - 'https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/services/skylinknottingham' - 'https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/fares-and-tickets/choosing-the-right-ticket' - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en/lounges' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Midlands_Airport' quickFacts: - >- Castle Donington, Leicestershire (Nottingham / Derby / Leicester catchment); IATA EMA / ICAO EGNX; owned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) - >- 3,955,756 terminal passengers in calendar 2025 (UK CAA Table 09; −4.3% vs 4,133,398 in 2024); 59,874 total aircraft movements (CAA Table 03.1); ~382,747 tonnes of freight in 2025 (CAA Table 13.2) — one of the UK’s largest cargo airports - >- Single passenger terminal; asphalt runway 09/27 about 2,893 m × published width on AIP/Wikipedia asphalt data; leisure airlines Aer Lingus, Jet2, Ryanair, Loganair and TUI on the airport’s airline contacts list - >- No rail station on site — Skylink Nottingham every 20 minutes 24/7 (trentbarton) and Skylink Derby/Leicester/Loughborough (daytime every 15 minutes per airport bus page); East Midlands Parkway ~5 miles with Nottsbus On Demand link - >- Escape Lounge airside opposite Gate 17 after Duty Free (Priority Pass / DragonPass / LoungeKey / paid); FastTrack security from £5.99 online, open from 03:00 - >- CT-style screening: liquids ≤100 ml may stay in the cabin bag without a separate plastics bag (airport security page, last updated April 2026) — containers over 100 ml still blocked bentoTips: - label: Transport title: Skylink bus is the default city link detail: >- There is no train station in the terminal. For Nottingham, board trentbarton’s Skylink Nottingham at the coach station beside the terminal — every 20 minutes, 24/7, via Long Eaton (airport service page / trentbarton). For Derby, Leicester and Loughborough use Skylink Derby (airport lists daytime every 15 minutes and hourly overnight). Buy with contactless, Mango or cash; adult Mango day caps on the trentbarton network are published at £7.90 after 09:00 Mon–Fri (and from 04:00 weekends/Bank Holidays) or £11.40 before 09:00 weekdays, and zigzag is an unlimited trentbartonland day ticket at £8.80 — confirm live fares in the trentbarton fare pages before you travel because cash singles vary by stage. East Midlands Parkway is about five miles away for long-distance rail; the airport points to Nottsbus On Demand for the station shuttle (check operating hours on Stagecoach’s Nottsbus page). summary: Skylink Nottingham every 20 min 24/7; no on-site rail station. category: timing - label: Security title: 100 ml liquids stay in the bag — not a free-for-all detail: >- East Midlands Airport’s security advice (updated April 2026) lets liquids, gels and aerosols of 100 ml or less remain inside hand luggage without a clear bag. Anything over 100 ml per container is still refused, even if partly empty. Body scanners are mandatory on the standard lane. FastTrack is a paid dedicated lane from £5.99 online, advertised from 03:00 until the last departure — useful for 05:00–08:00 Jet2/Ryanair/TUI banks; skip it if the main queue is short. summary: '≤100 ml liquids stay packed; FastTrack from £5.99 from 03:00.' category: terminal - label: Lounge title: Escape Lounge opposite Gate 17 is the only PP room detail: >- After security and Duty Free, continue through the shopping area — Escape Lounge is on the ground level opposite Gate 17. Schema.org hours on the airport lounge page run from 03:30 with weekday closes between 17:00 and 18:30 (Saturday often 17:00; Tuesday/Sunday listed to 18:15). Pre-book from £33.99; walk-up from £49; infants 0–35 months free. Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey are accepted with pre-booking portals linked from the airport page — reserve on peak summer mornings. Food finishes about 30 minutes before listed close. summary: Escape Lounge airside by Gate 17; PP/DragonPass; book peaks ahead. category: status - label: Drop-off title: Rapid Drop-Off is £5 / 15 minutes — not free detail: >- Barrierless Rapid Drop-Off sits directly outside the terminal: up to 15 minutes £5, then £1 per further minute (airport pick-up & drop-off tables). Pay online or by phone to APCOA by midnight the next day or risk a £100 parking charge (£60 if paid within 14 days). Short Stay 1 is better if you want to walk in with someone (from £6 / 30 minutes; Blue Badge first 30 minutes free). Arrow Cars is the official private-hire operator with a desk in Arrivals (01332 814000) and fixed pre-paid fares. summary: Rapid Drop-Off £5/15 min; Short Stay from £6/30 min; Arrow Cars desk. category: timing lounges: - name: Escape Lounge hours: >- From 03:30 daily; closes typically 17:00–18:30 by weekday (Saturday often ~17:00) — confirm on the day; food offer stops ~30 minutes before close access: - Priority Pass (pre-book via Priority Pass portal) - DragonPass / LoungeKey (where listed; pre-book) - >- Paid walk-up / pre-book via Escape Lounges (from £33.99 pre-book / £49 walk-up) bestFor: - Priority Pass / DragonPass holders on morning leisure waves - Families (infants 0–35 months free; family-friendly layout) - >- Anyone wanting hot food and a bar before a Jet2 / Ryanair / TUI departure summary: >- Only public passenger lounge at EMA. Ground floor airside opposite Gate 17 after Duty Free and the shopping area. Hot/cold buffet, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits (including sparkling), flight screens and charging points. Pre-book on summer peaks — walk-up is dearer and can sell out. No second competing Priority Pass lounge in this terminal. verdict: worth-it terminal: Main terminal (airside) amenities: - Hot and cold food - 'Soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits' - Wi-Fi / charging points - Flight information screens - Family-friendly seating waterOptions: - kind: refill name: Airside water refill points zone: airside summary: >- East Midlands Airport lists water refill among terminal facilities after security — fill an empty bottle once you clear the 100 ml rule instead of buying airside repeatedly. location: Airside departures after security (airport Facilities “Water Refill”) terminal: Main terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Landside Greggs / Starbucks bottled water zone: landside price: Typically about £1.50–£2.50 for 500 ml summary: >- Grab a sealed bottle before security if you do not want to hunt for a refill point or prefer not to ask café staff. location: Landside food court / high-street units before security terminal: Main terminal - kind: purchase name: Airside café or WHSmith-style bottled water zone: airside price: Typically about £2–£3.50 for 500 ml summary: >- Sealed still or sparkling after screening when refill points are busy or you want a cold bottle for the gate. location: Airside retail and cafés toward the gates after Duty Free terminal: Main terminal isBestQuality: true airportistScore: 7.2 slug: ema region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/ema](/airports/ema). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/ema) - [Lounge directory](/airports/ema/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # East Midlands Airport (EMA) Nottingham, United Kingdom · Europe MAG leisure-and-cargo gateway with one easy terminal and Skylink buses instead of a station — Escape Lounge helps Priority Pass holders, while Rapid Drop-Off and morning LCC banks are the main friction. ## Airportist Score **7.2 / 10** - Comfort: 7.0 - Navigation: 8.0 - Food: 6.6 - Transport: 7.0 - Disruption resilience: 7.0 ## At a glance - Passengers: 4.0M - Terminals: 1 - Typical security: 12 min - On-time: 76% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Nottingham / Derby / Leicester catchment leisure flights - Priority Pass travellers using Escape Lounge - Travellers happy to bus rather than rail ## Watch out for - No on-site rail — budget Skylink or Arrow Cars time - Rapid Drop-Off is £5/15 min, not a free kerb - Escape Lounge can close early evening vs late returns ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/ema/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/ema/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/ema/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/ema/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/ema/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/ema/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/ema/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/ema/reviews.md)