Management at East Midlands Airport are confident passenger numbers this summer will be close to where they were pre-pandemic.
Following the economic shock of Covid 19 the Castle Donington Airport has been busy recruiting fort 100 positions in areas such as ground handling, food and drinks, retail and car rental to meet anticipated demand.
It comes as new figures showed the airport welcomed 3.27 million passengers between January 2022 and January 2023, during its first full year of restriction-free operation since pre-Covid.
That compared to around 900,000 during the 2020 lockdowns, which was down from almost 5 million in each of the previous years.
Passenger numbers are expected to grow strongly as airlines respond to increased demand by putting on more flights and increasing the number of seats on sale.
More than 94,000 passengers are expected through the airport this week and next, during the two weeks that schools across the region break up for February half-term.
Airport managing director Steve Griffiths said: “We’re delighted to welcome passengers to the airport this half-term, many of whom will be heading off somewhere exciting for a much-needed break.
“Although not yet our peak summer season, the next couple of weeks are a good indicator of passenger demand later in the year and it’s a good test of our readiness for what will be a fantastic summer for us and for our customers.
“We’re working flat out to ensure the experience for everyone who uses EMA is the best it can be this year.”
Popular destinations include the sunny Canary Islands, while the winter sports market to Austria, France, Switzerland and Bulgaria is being catered for with flights to Salzburg, Chambery, Geneva and Sofia.
