East Midlands Airport

What East Midlands Airport does

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is a UK regional airport operated by East Midlands International Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which also owns Manchester and Stansted airports. Located in Castle Donington off the M1 motorway, the single-terminal facility connects over 4 million passengers annually to more than 80 leisure and business destinations across Europe and beyond, with a route network anchored on flagship carriers Ryanair, Jet2.com, and TUI.

The airport operates a multi-product commercial platform spanning passenger flights (information boards and Kiwi.com-powered search), five parking tiers (Short Stay, Mid Stay, Long Stay, JetParks, Meet & Greet) backed by ANPR barrierless access and an APCOA-operated payment portal, Security FastTrack, the Escape Lounge, World Duty Free Reserve & Collect with a 10% pre-book discount, a range of retail (Accessorize, JD Sports, WHSmith) and F&B (Burger King, Greggs, Starbucks, plus sit-down options), car rental via Rentalcars.com/Booking.com, and the Little Flyers Club family programme. The November 2025 MAG Phase One digital transformation rebuilt the EMA website with over 70 new CMS components in partnership with Counter from Northcoders, while parking, FastTrack, and lounge commerce run on the CAVU-Tech booking platform.

Revenue is generated through aeronautical fees, multi-tier parking products (with pre-book discounts of up to 76% versus turn-up rates), tiered pick-up/drop-off charges, lounge pre-bookings and walk-ups, retail and F&B concession commissions, car rental affiliate referrals, and ancillary services including travel insurance, currency exchange, eSim, hotels, and airside ground handling. The March 2026 Aurrigo International agreement extended operations into autonomous driverless ground handling, positioning EMA at the forefront of UK airside automation.

Name

East Midlands Airport

Legal name

East Midlands International Airport Limited

Website

https://eastmidlandsairport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

East Midlands Airport is a UK regional airport operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), connecting 4 million+ passengers to 80+ leisure and business destinations via a single-terminal facility in Castle Donington. Revenue is generated across parking, lounge, retail concessions, FastTrack, and car rental.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Official airport parking: Multi-tier parking products (Meet & Greet from £79/8 days; Short Stay from £47.99/4 days; Mid Stay from £64.99/8 days; Long Stay from £54.99/8 days; JetParks from £49.99/8 days), with pre-book discounts of up to 76%, free standard cancellation up to 72 hours before arrival, and optional Upgraded Cancellation Protection for cancellations up to 1 hour before arrival.
2. Pick Up and Drop Off charges: Tiered drop-off charges (£6 up to 30 minutes, £8 up to 1 hour, £12 up to 2 hours, £16 up to 3 hours) for the Rapid Drop-Off barrierless area, with auto-pay account option and Parking Charges for non-payment (£100 reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days). Free for Blue Badge holders at Short Stay 1 (up to 30 minutes) and Long Stay 2 (up to 60 minutes).
3. Escape Lounge access: Lounge bookings from £38.99 per person pre-booked and £49 per person walk-up; complimentary food and beverages included; infants 0-35 months free; cardholders from Priority Pass, DragonPass, Lounge Key, Lounge Club, Diners Club, Lounge Me, TAV Passport accepted.
4. Security FastTrack: Pre-bookable Security FastTrack product sold directly via the airport website, operating from 05:00 until the last departing flight.
5. Retail concession (World Duty Free and shops): Concession revenue from airport retailers including World Duty Free, Accessorize, JD Sports, and WHSmith, plus Reserve & Collect online ordering with 10% exclusive discount. VAT refund service available for international travellers.
6. Food and beverage concessions: Revenue from restaurant and cafe concessions including Alembic, Castle Rock, Terracotta Italian Kitchen, Burger King, Greggs, Pork & Pickle, and Starbucks. Options for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal diets.
7. Car rental commissions: Commission-based revenue from car rental partners (Alamo, Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, Sixt, Budget) facilitated through Rentalcars.com (Booking.com) comparison platform, with no hidden booking or credit card fees.
8. Airside services and ground handling: Revenue from airside services including ground handling operations (e.g., partnership with Aurrigo International for autonomous vehicles for goods and crew movement within the airport airside framework).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

East Midlands Airport operates a regional UK airport platform providing scheduled passenger flights to over 80 direct destinations alongside an integrated suite of on-airport services: a five-tier car parking portfolio (Meet & Greet, Short Stay, Mid Stay, Long Stay, JetParks) plus Blue Badge, Turn Up and Park and a barrierless Rapid Drop Off area. Layered on top are passenger-experience products including Security FastTrack, the Escape Lounge, World Duty Free Reserve & Collect, retail and food and beverage concessions, Car Rental via Rentalcars.com, Assisted Travel services and the Little Flyers Club family programme, all distributed through the eastmidlandsairport.com website backed by CAVU-Tech booking and the MAG-wide CMS platform.

Product overview

East Midlands Airport operates as a single integrated airport platform rather than a discrete software product, but its digital offering is structured as a platform-plus-modules experience delivered through the eastmidlandsairport.com website. The core platform covers Flights (live departures, arrivals and a Kiwi.com-powered search across 80+ direct destinations), the multi-product Parking suite (Short Stay, Mid Stay, Long Stay, JetParks, Meet & Greet, Blue Badge, Turn Up and Park, Pick Up & Drop Off and Rapid Drop Off, all backed by ANPR technology and an APCOA-operated payment portal) and Transport access (Travel by Bus via Trent Barton skylink / my15 / Diamond route 9, Travel by Train connecting four nearby stations, Travel by Car, Travel by Coach and Travel by Taxi with Arrow Cars). Layered on top are passenger-experience modules: Security FastTrack for priority lanes, the Escape Lounge for pre-flight hospitality, World Duty Free Reserve & Collect, an A–Z of Shops (Accessorize, JD Sports, WHSmith), Restaurants and Bars (Alembic, Castle Rock, Terracotta Italian Kitchen), Cafes (Greggs, Pork & Pickle, Starbucks), Car Rental via Rentalcars.com/Booking.com, the Little Flyers Club family programme, Assisted Travel services, Currency Exchange, eSim and Travel Insurance. Underlying all of this, the November 2025 MAG digital transformation Phase One rebuilt the EMA website with Counter from Northcoders on over 70 new CMS components, while parking, FastTrack and lounge commerce run on the CAVU-Tech booking platform and the March 2026 Aurrigo agreement extended the airport's airside operations into autonomous ground handling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Flyers Club: A family-focused children's brand and play experience at East Midlands Airport featuring a crew of characters, a Play Zone opposite Gate 12, and downloadable activity booklets.
• Escape Lounge

Products and services

• Short Stay Parking Three on-site Short Stay car parks (Short Stay 1, 2, 3) located 1-5 minutes' walk from the terminal, with ANPR barrierless entry, from £47.99 for a 4-day pre-booked stay; available to all passengers for short trips.
• Mid Stay Parking Value parking for trips up to one week, with three Mid Stay car parks a 5-7 minute walk from the terminal, ANPR entry, and Blue Badge bays at Mid Stay 3. From £64.99 for an 8-day stay.
• Long Stay Parking Two Long Stay car parks for stays of a week or longer, with a free 24-hour shuttle bus running every 15-20 minutes for a 3-5 minute transfer to the terminal. From £54.99 for an 8-day stay.
• JetParks Budget parking with two JetParks car parks connected to the terminal by a free shuttle bus (12-15 minute transfer), suitable for overheight or larger vehicles, pre-book only. From £49.99 for an 8-day stay.
• Meet & Greet Parking Valet-style parking service where drivers park the customer's vehicle in a secure on-site compound using state-of-the-art inspection technology, with the car returned close to the terminal on collection. From £79 for an 8-day stay; 20% discount for Blue Badge holders.
• Blue Badge Parking Accessible parking across Meet & Greet, Short Stay 1, Long Stay 1 and 2, and Mid Stay 3, with designated bays, help points, and assistance to the terminal. Includes 30 minutes' free Short Stay 1 parking and a 20% Meet & Greet discount for Blue Badge holders.
• Pick Up and Drop Off (including Rapid Drop Off) Short Stay 1 pick-up/drop-off bays plus a barrierless Rapid Drop Off area in front of the terminal with online and auto-pay payment via the APCOA-operated payment portal. Charges from £6 for up to 30 minutes.
• Turn Up and Park Day-of-departure parking without a reservation at Short Stay 1 and Mid Stay 3, paid via ticket machines or barrier credit/debit terminals. Up to 24 hours from £45.
• Security FastTrack Paid priority security lane open from 05:00 until the last departing flight, available to pre-book to skip queues; open to all passengers via the airport website.
• Escape Lounge Pre-flight lounge on the terminal ground level opposite Gate 17, offering freshly prepared hot and cold food, complimentary bar with wines, beers, spirits, soft and hot drinks, ultra-fast WiFi, charging points and printing services. Pre-book from £38.99 per person, walk-up £49, infants (0-35 months) free; accessible to all travellers regardless of airline or ticket class.
• World Duty Free Reserve & Collect In-terminal duty-free retail with online Reserve & Collect that lets passengers pre-order brands such as Creed, Jo Malone London, Penhaligon's, Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehl's, and MAC up to 30 days ahead for 10% off in-store collection at East Midlands Airport.
• Car Rental Car hire comparison and booking through Rentalcars.com/Booking.com with eight on-airport operators (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, Sixt) at the Car Rental Village. Offers small, large, premium, estate, 4x4, and economy vehicles across 53,000+ destinations worldwide.
• Assisted Travel services Passenger assistance covering assistance at the airport, accessible transport, Blue Badge parking, airport facilities, assistance at security, requesting assistance, non-visible disabilities, assistance dogs, and published service standards and performance reports for passengers with reduced mobility and other accessibility needs.
• Travel by Bus (Skylink and Diamond services) 24-hour bus services connecting East Midlands Airport with Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Loughborough, Long Eaton, Coalville, Ilkeston, Stapleford, Ashby and Burton via Skylink, Skylink Express, my15 and Diamond route 9, operated by Trent Barton, Diamond Buses and Stagecoach Nottsbus On Demand.
• Travel by Taxi (Arrow Cars) Official private hire taxi service (Arrow Cars) operating 24 hours with exclusive pick-up/drop-off points outside the terminal, fixed pre-paid fares, and a range of Estate, Minibus and executive vehicles.
• Flight Search (via Kiwi.com integration) Live flight departures and arrivals boards for East Midlands Airport with a Kiwi.com-powered flight search enabling passengers to search and book UK, European and global flights from the airport across more than 80 direct destinations.
• Airport Hotels On-airport hotel options positioned for terminal-adjacent stays before early departures, promoted alongside flight and hotel bookings on the EMA website.
• Airport Restaurants and Cafes (Alembic, Castle Rock, Terracotta Italian Kitchen, Burger King, Greggs, Pork & Pickle, Starbucks) Sit-down restaurants, bars and grab-and-go cafes operating as concessions at East Midlands Airport, including Alembic, Castle Rock, Terracotta Italian Kitchen, Burger King, Greggs, Pork & Pickle and Starbucks, with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal options; available to all airport visitors.
• Airport Shops (Accessorize, JD Sports, WHSmith, World Duty Free) Pre-security and post-security retail including Accessorize, JD Sports, WHSmith and World Duty Free, with the airline-permitted one extra bag allowance and a global returns policy via World Duty Free; open to all airport visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 76% savings on pre-booked parking versus turn-up rates
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship and minor.

• Aurrigo InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Aurrigo International, a Coventry-headquartered autonomous transport firm, has secured a licence to support ground handling operations at East Midlands Airport, enabling it to work directly within the airport's airside framework for goods and crew movement. The agreement positions Aurrigo to shape the future of airside automation in the UK and potentially secure further airport contracts. Aurrigo received £14.1 million in growth support last year.
• Manchester Airports Group (MAG)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025East Midlands Airport is operated as part of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the parent group that also owns Manchester and Stansted airports. MAG completed Phase One of a digital transformation project creating new websites for East Midlands, Manchester, and Stansted airports, with over 70 new CMS components.
• Counter (Northcoders)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 November 2025Counter from Northcoders partnered with Manchester Airports Group on a digital transformation programme delivering new websites for East Midlands, Manchester, and Stansted airports, with over 70 new CMS components built with emphasis on code quality, safety, and team integration.
• World Duty FreeflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld Duty Free is the principal airport retail concession at East Midlands Airport, offering Reserve & Collect online ordering with a 10% exclusive discount for orders pre-booked up to 30 days in advance. Brands include Creed, Jo Malone London, Penhaligon's, Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehl's, and MAC.
• Escape LoungesflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEscape Lounges operates the airport's premium lounge at East Midlands Airport (located on the main terminal ground level, opposite Gate 17). The lounge offers pre-bookings from £38.99 per person with complimentary food and beverages, and accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass, Lounge Key, Lounge Club, Diners Club, Lounge Me and TAV Passport cards.
• Club AvoltamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerClub Avolta is a member-only benefits programme offered at East Midlands Airport, providing savings at over 5,100 outlets worldwide, discounts on airport shopping and restaurants, and deals on hotels, lounges, and car rental.
• Arrow CarsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArrow Cars is the official Private Hire company of East Midlands Airport, offering 24-hour taxi service with exclusive pick-up and drop-off points right outside the terminal, fixed pre-paid fares with no additional car parking or waiting time charges, and a range of vehicles from Estate cars to Minibuses to luxury executive vehicles.
• Trent BartonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrent Barton operates Skylink Nottingham (every 20 minutes during the day, hourly at night), Skylink Derby (every 15 minutes during the day, hourly at night), Skylink Express to Trent Bridge and central Nottingham (every half hour from 04:00-23:00), and my15 to Ilkeston, Stapleford, Castle Donington, and Long Eaton.
• Diamond BusesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiamond Buses operates the number 9 Airway service to Ashby and Burton, running daily up to every 30 minutes.
• Private coach operatorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEast Midlands Airport offers a dedicated bay for private hire coach drop-off and pick-up, located just past WHSmith in the Coach Station. Private hire coaches must be booked in advance by contacting the airport directly.
• TrainlinemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrainline is the airport's affiliate rail ticket booking partner, with passengers able to book advance train tickets via the Trainline portal to save up to 43% on average. Trainline operates as the primary rail booking route promoted on the airport's train travel pages.
• Stagecoach (Nottsbus On Demand)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNottsbus On Demand service operated by Stagecoach connects East Midlands Parkway train station (5 miles from the airport) to East Midlands Airport.
• Rentalcars.com (Booking.com)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRentalcars.com (Booking.com) is the airport's official car hire comparison partner, offering booking with no hidden fees and access to over 53,000 destinations worldwide and 900+ rental providers. Car rental operators include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt.
• APCOAmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAPCOA operates the payment portal at pay.eastmidlandsairport.com for Rapid Drop-Off charges and Parking Charge notices, and manages customer service, webchat, and Parking Charge appeals for the airport. A £100 Parking Charge (reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days) applies for non-payment.
• Kiwi.commajorTechnology or IntegrationKiwi.com provides the embedded flight search functionality on the East Midlands Airport website, enabling passengers to search and book UK, European and global flights from the airport.
• CAVU (cavu-tech.com)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationCAVU Tech powers the parking booking and lounge booking engines (migration.live.web.cavu-tech.com/v2/migration-redirect/ema-parking, ema-fasttrack, ema-lounges) used by East Midlands Airport.
• RyanairflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRyanair is a primary airline partner at East Midlands Airport, operating flights to multiple European leisure destinations including Gran Canaria, Prague, Palma, Mahon, Tenerife, Paphos, Alicante, Bergerac, Faro, Ibiza, Rhodes, Rome-Ciampino, and Dublin. Contact: 01138 684151.
• Jet2.comflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJet2.com is a primary airline partner at East Midlands Airport, operating flights to Palma, Tenerife, Alicante, Faro, Heraklion, and other European leisure destinations. Contact: 03333 000042.
• TUIflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTUI is a primary airline partner at East Midlands Airport, operating package holiday flights to Mahon, Paphos, Palma, Ibiza, Rhodes, and Dalaman. Contact: 02034 512688.
• Aer LingusmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAer Lingus operates flights from East Midlands Airport including services to Belfast City. Contact: 03330 045000.
• LoganairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLoganair operates regional flights from East Midlands Airport. Contact: 01416 429407.
• AlembicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlembic is one of the airport's restaurant/bar concessions at East Midlands Airport, offering sit-down dining.
• Castle RockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCastle Rock is a family-friendly pub/dining option at East Midlands Airport with a kids' menu.
• Terracotta Italian KitchenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTerracotta Italian Kitchen is a sit-down restaurant concession offering vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal options.
• Burger KingmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBurger King is a grab-and-go family-friendly restaurant at East Midlands Airport offering flame-grilled burgers, fries, soft drinks, and children's meals.
• GreggsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreggs is a cafe/bakery concession offering sausage rolls, vegan sausage rolls, steak bakes, chicken goujons, and iced buns.
• Pork & PickleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPork & Pickle is one of the airport's cafe concessions at East Midlands Airport.
• StarbucksmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStarbucks is a cafe concession at East Midlands Airport offering coffee, Italian-style espressos, ice-blended drinks, paninis, sandwiches, cakes and pastries.
• AccessorizeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccessorize is a fashion and accessories shop at East Midlands Airport.
• JD SportsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJD Sports is a sports retail shop at East Midlands Airport.
• WHSmithmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWHSmith is a news, books and convenience shop at East Midlands Airport.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Manchester Airports Group (MAG): Parent group of East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted airports. Comparable as a portfolio operator with multi-airport non-aeronautical revenue platforms, group-level digital infrastructure, and shared corporate functions — relevant for group-level benchmarking rather than direct airport competition.
• AviAlliance: German-based airport investor and operator with stakes in multiple European regional airports (including Birmingham Airport stake historically). Relevant as a broader-incumbent peer on regional-airport portfolio management, capital allocation, and ancillary revenue optimisation.

Direct peers

• Manchester Airport: Sister airport within Manchester Airports Group (MAG), sharing digital platforms, MAG-wide brand and corporate functions. Largest MAG asset and the group's flagship, providing direct comparability on parking tiering, lounge, retail concession and digital commerce models — but materially larger scale (~28M+ passengers vs EMA's 4M+).
• London Luton Airport: Mid-sized UK regional airport serving London catchment with a strong low-cost-carrier mix (especially easyJet). Comparable model: single terminal, multi-tier parking products, executive lounge, F&B and retail concessions, and accessible travel services.
• London Stansted Airport: Third MAG-owned airport (alongside Manchester and EMA), sharing Phase One digital transformation benefits, MAG corporate brand, and similar ancillary revenue structures. Comparable as a UK single-terminal regional airport with strong LCC carrier mix, though serving a London catchment.
• Bristol Airport: UK regional airport of similar passenger scale and leisure-tilted route network. Comparable ancillary revenue mix including parking tiers, lounge access, retail concessions and F&B offerings, with similar customer demographic skew to leisure and family travellers.
• Leeds Bradford Airport: Smaller UK regional airport serving the Yorkshire catchment with a similar leisure and short-haul European focus. Comparable single-terminal operations, parking tiering, and concessions model, though at a smaller scale than EMA.
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport: UK regional airport of comparable scale (single terminal, leisure-tilted route network, similar passenger volumes). Operates overlapping ancillary revenue streams including multi-tier parking, lounges, and retail concessions, making it a relevant operational peer.
• Birmingham Airport: Closest geographic competitor to EMA in the West Midlands, with overlapping catchment. Comparable single-terminal UK regional airport serving leisure and business travellers, with similar multi-tier parking, lounge, F&B and retail concession models.

Others

• Aurrigo International: Coventry-headquartered autonomous transport firm that secured an airside-automation licence at EMA in March 2026. Comparable as a strategic technology partner rather than a direct competitor, but operationally relevant as a bellwether for the UK's emerging airside-automation market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EMA_Airport
• Facebookfacebook.com/EastMidsAirport

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Midlands Airport