More than 150,000 people expected through East Midlands Airport before end of October

Airport bosses expect the busiest day to be Saturday, October 22 Credit: PA

More than 156,000 passengers are expected through East Midlands Airport during the last two weeks of October.

Bosses at the site say they are expecting people to leave these shores for sunnier destinations during the October half-term weeks.

They expect the busiest day to be Saturday 22 October - which coincides with schools across the region breaking up.

Summer flight schedules from EMA will continue until the end of October, with airlines Ryanair, Jet2.com, TUI, Flybe, Blue Islands and Aurigny providing more than 50 destinations between them.

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Clare James, East Midlands Airport’s managing director, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming passengers to EMA for the end of our summer season.

"For many, this will be their last chance to either top-up tans or grab some last-minute sun in readiness for the darker winter months. 

"It’s been fantastic to welcome back more than 2.5m passengers during our summer season this year."

He adds: "As airlines start their winter flying schedules next month, our attention turns to planning for 2023 by building on what has been a very successful summer for us."

April to October have been described as the busiest months of the year for the EMA passenger operation.

This year, the airport expects to have welcomed more than 2.5m passengers through its doors during this time.

The summer marked a significant step on the road to EMA’s recovery following two years of pandemic disruption which grounded passenger air travel.

In September, passenger numbers were up 425% compared with September 2021.

April to October have been described as the busiest months of the year for the EMA passenger operation. Credit: PA

The airport expects to close this financial year with passenger numbers reaching 75% of pre-Covid levels overall.

Mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands continue to be the most popular destinations for travellers who choose EMA.

The top 10 destinations passengers are flying to are:

  • Palma de Mallorca

  • Alicante (Spain)

  • Faro (Portugal) 

  • Malaga (Spain)

  • Tenerife (Spain)

  • Lanzarote (Spain)

  • Dublin (Rep. of Ireland)

  • Barcelona (Spain)

  • Dalaman (Turkey)

  • Menorca (Spain)

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