East Midlands Airport to reopen to passengers on Sunday
East Midlands Airport is preparing to reopen to passengers on Sunday with increased safety measures.
It’ll initially operate a significantly reduced timetable, with just 16 Ryanair flights scheduled from the airport until the end of June.
The first flight will take off at 15:45 on Sunday (21 June) bound for Alicante.
New rules are in place to ensure safety for staff and passengers:
The airport is trialling the use of temperature screening technology which passengers will see on entry to the departure hall.
Protective screens have been installed at check-in desks, in the security area and at boarding gates to protect staff.
Hand sanitising stations have been installed throughout the airport.
Only those who are flying will be allowed inside the terminal building.
Face coverings must be worn before entering the terminal.
A limited number of car parks will be in operation.
Many of the airport's shops, restaurants and bars will be closed.
The airport has managed to fare better than others because of its smaller reliance on passenger flights.
Other UK airports have seen the number of flights reduce by at least 90% since March, but East Midlands has continued operating around 60% of its schedule as it's made up of cargo flights.
It means during the pandemic, the airport briefly became one of Europe’s top 10 busiest airports by flight numbers.
Although, airport bosses have warned things won’t return to normal for a long time.
Current government guidelines state anyone returning to the UK from overseas must quarantine for 14 days, while the Foreign Office still advises against non-essential travel.
Read more: