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✈️ Nottingham · East Midlands Airport · ~5M passengers/year

Cheap Flights from Nottingham

Compare prices from East Midlands Airport (EMA) — the international gateway shared by Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. Strong Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI presence, with a packed sun and city-break schedule.

~5M
Passengers/year
1
Airport (EMA)
10+
Airlines
90+
Destinations
Where to fly from

Airports serving Nottingham

Nottingham doesn't have its own airport. The nearest is East Midlands (EMA), 14 miles south-west of the city near Castle Donington. EMA is shared with Derby and Leicester, which is why it carries a regional name rather than a city one.

Local catchment, big network: EMA punches above its size because three large catchment cities funnel into it. That makes it Ryanair's largest UK base outside Stansted, with a Jet2 base alongside and TUI charter activity all summer. Beach Spain, Greek islands, the Balearics, Portugal and Eastern European city breaks are all well covered.
EMA
East Midlands Airport
Single-terminal airport at Castle Donington, off the M1 J23A/J24. Roughly 14 miles south-west of Nottingham, the same distance from Derby, and a 30-minute run from Leicester. Home to Ryanair's largest UK base outside Stansted, a Jet2.com leisure base, TUI Airways and DHL's UK cargo hub. No rail station — Skylink buses link Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Loughborough.
~5M pax/yrRyanair & Jet2 base
Where people fly to

Top destinations from Nottingham

The 12 busiest routes from EMA, with the cheapest typical one-way fare across all carriers.

EMA → DUB
Dublin · 1h 05m
from
£35
EMA → ALC
Alicante · 2h 50m
from
£42
EMA → PMI
Palma · 2h 35m
from
£59
EMA → BCN
Barcelona · 2h 25m
from
£45
EMA → FAO
Faro · 2h 55m
from
£62
EMA → TFS
Tenerife · 4h 30m
from
£119
EMA → AGP
Malaga · 3h 00m
from
£52
EMA → AMS
Amsterdam · 1h 15m
from
£49
EMA → CDG
Paris · 1h 30m
from
£55
EMA → MAD
Madrid · 2h 35m
from
£65
EMA → KRK
Krakow · 2h 30m
from
£39
EMA → PRG
Prague · 2h 05m
from
£49
Who flies from Nottingham

Popular airlines flying from EMA

Ryanair leads on volume, Jet2 on leisure breadth and TUI on charter holidays. Smaller carriers cover schedule and city-break niches that don't suit the big three.

AirlineMain EMA roleTypeRoutes from EMA
RyanairLargest UK base outside StanstedUltra low-cost50+ European
Jet2.comLeisure baseLeisure30+ beach & city
TUI AirwaysCharter operationsLeisure charterSeasonal sun & islands
Aer Lingus RegionalDublin shuttleRegionalDublin (with US connections)
LoganairDomesticRegionalBelfast City & seasonal
DHL Air UKUK cargo hubCargoCargo only — no passenger
When to fly

Cheapest months to fly from Nottingham

Average cheapest one-way to Europe from EMA. Ryanair's Spain/Portugal sales in January and Jet2's flight-only deals in November are the year's best windows.

Jan
£32
Feb
£39
Mar
£55
Apr
£72
May
£62
Jun
£89
Jul
£109
Aug
£119
Sep
£65
Oct
£55
Nov
£42
Dec
£69
Widen the net

Nearby airports worth comparing

If EMA doesn't have your route, the East Midlands has three sensible alternatives within an hour's drive — and a fourth (Manchester) under ninety minutes.

Flights from Birmingham

BHX is 50 minutes south on the M42 and adds Aer Lingus, Wizz, BA, Emirates and Qatar to the mix — useful for long-haul connections and Eastern Europe.

Compare Birmingham →

Flights from Manchester

MAN is 1h 20m north and the obvious pick for long-haul, more frequent short-haul schedules and any route EMA doesn't fly.

Compare Manchester →

Flights from Leeds

LBA is 1h 15m north — Jet2's home base, with similar leisure pricing if you're driving up the M1 anyway.

Compare Leeds →
Common questions

Nottingham flights FAQs

What is Nottingham's nearest airport?
East Midlands Airport (EMA) at Castle Donington, Leicestershire — about 14 miles south-west of Nottingham city centre via the M1 (J23A) and A453. The airport is shared with Derby (also ~14 miles) and Leicester (~22 miles), which is why the IATA code is EMA rather than a city-specific one. There is no direct rail link to the airport.
Is Birmingham or East Midlands cheaper for Nottingham?
For Mediterranean leisure routes the two are usually within £10–£25 of each other on Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI. East Midlands is roughly half the drive from Nottingham and avoids the worst of the M42/M6 traffic. Birmingham wins for long-haul connections (via Emirates, Qatar) and has a wider short-haul network on Wizz and BA. Compare both before booking — postcode and date matter more than the airport's reputation.
Which airlines are based at East Midlands?
Ryanair has its largest UK base outside Stansted at EMA, with several based aircraft and a packed European schedule. Jet2.com and Jet2holidays operate a leisure base, mainly to Spain, the Balearics, Greece and Turkey. TUI Airways runs charter and scheduled holiday flights. The airport is also home to DHL's main UK cargo hub — most overnight DHL traffic in the UK passes through EMA.
How do I get to East Midlands Airport from Nottingham?
Skylink Nottingham bus runs every 30 minutes round the clock from Nottingham Broadmarsh and city stops, taking 50–60 minutes (£4 single, £6 return). By car, the M1 J23A or J24 brings you in via the A453 — allow 25–35 minutes from Nottingham off-peak. Long stay parking is on site; meet-and-greet operators sit just outside. There is no airport rail station, despite long-running campaigns to build one.
What's the cheapest month to fly from East Midlands?
January and February are consistently the cheapest months for Europe — Ryanair runs sub-£25 fares to Spain regularly and Jet2 flight-only deals dip under £55 to the Balearics. November and early December are also strong value. Peak is mid-July to late August (school holidays driving Mediterranean prices up 2–3×) and the week between Christmas and New Year. May, late September and early October are the best price-weather balance.
Can you fly long-haul from East Midlands?
No regular scheduled long-haul. EMA's runway is long enough for widebody aircraft (DHL operates 757s and 767s) but no scheduled passenger long-haul service operates today. Charter long-haul to the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida runs via TUI from time to time. For routine long-haul you're better off via Manchester (1h 15m drive north) or Heathrow (2h 15m south).
Is East Midlands Airport ever closed by weather?
Weather closures are unusual. The airport sits at 308ft and isn't subject to the hilltop fog that occasionally affects Leeds Bradford. Heavy snow can cause delays in winter — the airport runs 24-hour cargo operations, so the runway is generally cleared promptly. Crosswinds rarely cause diversions to Birmingham or Manchester.
Pre-flight stay

Hotels near Nottingham Airport

Early flight or late return? Book a room within minutes of EMA so you're not racing the clock from home.

🏨
Booking.com
Compare hotels near Nottingham Airport
Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Hilton Garden Inn and more — typical pre-flight stays from £49/night with free shuttle to EMA.
Compare stays →
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