A huge getaway is underway this spring half term holiday – with 81,500 people heading for their favourite European destinations from East Midlands Airport over the week.
May’s half-term holiday is the springboard to the airport’s main summer season, and with its packed schedules, signs are good for another strong summer performance at EMA.
It looks as though many are looking for an early escape, with Friday 24 May set to be the busiest day of the period when 9,600 passengers are forecast to depart.
A similar number will be arriving back from their breaks the same day. Altogether across the half-term break running to Sunday 2 June, including Friday 24 May, EMA expects to see 182,200 people leave for and return from their holidays through the airport, with more than 900 incoming and outgoing flights over the course of the week.
Popular beach holiday destinations within reach of EMA include Palma, Lanzarote, Alicante, Faro, Malaga, Corfu, Ibiza, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, with plenty of city break options also available including Rome, Paris, Barcelona and – new for this year with TUI – Naples. Ryanair, JET2.com and TUI are the main operators based at EMA serving top destinations across Europe and north Africa, along with Aer Lingus Regional, Eastern Airways, Aurigny and Blue Islands which offer a selection of other routes including some closer to home, such as the Channel Islands and Ireland.
Customer and Planning Director at EMA Mike Grimes said: “The spring half-term break is a really popular time to get away, with places not as busy as during the peak summer season and pleasant temperatures in many of the destinations we serve at this time of year.
“If you haven’t already booked for the half-term, there’s still time for some last-minute deals – perhaps a quick hop for a short city break or somewhere closer to home like Jersey, Dublin or Belfast? If not, summer’s just round the corner and we have plenty of popular places across Europe and beyond to choose from. And there’s some changes we’ve completed at the airport to help get your holiday off to a great start.”
A number of recent improvements completed during the early phase of a £120m investment programme includes a new-look Castle Rock Bar & Kitchen, JD Sports store, customer seating and toilets, plus a fleet of new trolleys and improved customer wi-fi throughout the terminal.
• Bulgaria – an alternative to other European destinations from East Midlands Airport
