Private jet charter from East Midlands Airport
East Midlands is open around the clock with one 2,894-metre runway and customs and immigration at all hours. It is a designated customs and immigration airport in the UK AIP. Business aviation is handled by Signature, which runs a private terminal with customs and immigration on site, the independent Advantage Flight Support, and Donington Aviation, which also offers hangarage. Every visiting aircraft must book a handling agent before landing, and between 23:00 and 07:00 local aircraft with a noise quota count of 4 or more cannot operate.
- Longest runway
- 2,894 m
- Codes
- EMA · EGNX
- Business aviation handling
- 3 handlers
Did you knowEast Midlands Airport was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on 21 July 1965. Its first airport director, Eric Dyer, oversaw the project that turned a derelict RAF airfield into the new civil airport. East Midlands Airport media centre: 60th anniversary
Travel guide: Flying with Dogs and Pets on a Private Jet.
Charter a private jet from East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport is 7 nautical miles south-east of Derby (AIP figure), a few minutes from the M1 and three junctions from Leicester (airport figures). It is open 24 hours, with customs and immigration at all hours and a 2,894 m runway, and private flights are handled by Signature, Advantage Flight Support or Donington Aviation. A handling agent must be booked before landing, and between 23:00 and 07:00 aircraft with a noise quota count of 4 or more cannot operate.
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Independent UK charter broker since 2015 · Volairis Ltd, Companies House 09488748 · Member of The Air Charter Association
Popular private jet trips from East Midlands
Approximate flying times. Follow a trip for airports, aircraft and what to know there.
Verbier and Crans-Montana
Light or midsize jet
East Midlands to Verbier and Crans-Montana by private jetAlso: Ibiza (about 2h 35m), Zurich (about 1h 50m), Rome (about 2h 35m), Vienna (about 2h 15m), Los Angeles (about 11h 35m), Courchevel (about 1h 50m), Mykonos (about 3h 50m), Gibraltar (about 2h 50m).
What the private terminal is like at East Midlands
Signature describes its own private jet terminal at East Midlands, with a passenger lounge, crew lounge and customs and immigration on site. Advantage Flight Support describes its own private FBO facility on the airport, opened in May 2015.
Signature Flight Support (Signature East Midlands)
Building 33, Dakota Road, Castle Donington (DE74 2SA). Private terminal with passenger lounge, crew lounge and on-site customs and immigration. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Says it has a 200,000 sq ft ramp with 24-hour surveillance. Listed in the AIP for general and executive aviation.
Advantage Flight Support (AFSL)
Independent, privately owned FBO licensed by the airport authority. Approved as a ground handler at East Midlands in 2004; its own FBO facility opened on 1 May 2015. Handles corporate, business, specialist charter, medical and general aviation flights. Listed in the AIP for general and executive aviation.
Donington Aviation
Listed in the AIP for general and executive aviation with hangarage, and as the contact for the airport's limited hangar space for visiting aircraft. Its own site describes FBO and handling services, Jet A-1 fuelling (including Jet A-1 with icing inhibitor for light jets and helicopters) and hangarage, from Building 33, Dakota Road.
Customs at East Midlands, step by step
What happens on an international flight, in the order you meet it. We handle the paperwork with the operator.
- When you book, we ask for each passenger's passport details. The operator uses them for the General Aviation Report (GAR) on international flights.
- Every visiting aircraft must have a handling agent booked before it lands, and parking on the aprons is by prior permission. The operator arranges both with the FBO.
- At Signature you use its private terminal, which has customs and immigration on site. Advantage Flight Support has its own private FBO facility on the airport.
- Customs and immigration are listed as available 24 hours a day.
Which private jets can use East Midlands?
On runway length, every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. The check below uses each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight, at sea level on a 15°C day. Heat, altitude, a wet runway and the operator's own rules can need more, so we confirm it for your aircraft and date.
A handling agent must be booked before landing, apron parking is by prior permission and the airport allocates stands. The runway is 2,894 m, with 2,714 m declared for landing on runway 09 and 2,764 m on runway 27. Between 23:00 and 07:00 aircraft with a noise quota count of 4, 8 or 16 cannot land or take off, and the operator must supply the aircraft's noise data in advance. From 22:00 to 07:00, departures on runway 27 normally start from an intersection with a 2,465 m take-off run, and full length is given on request for performance reasons.
| Aircraft class | On this runway |
|---|---|
| Turboprop 5–8 seats · take-off 730–1,000 m · Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Yes |
| Very light jet 4–5 seats · take-off 630–1,100 m | Yes |
| Light jet 6–7 seats · take-off 960–1,200 m · Embraer Phenom 300E | Yes |
| Super light jet 7–8 seats · take-off 820–1,350 m | Yes |
| Midsize jet 8–9 seats · take-off 1,100–1,660 m · Cessna Citation XLS+ | Yes |
| Super midsize 9–10 seats · take-off 1,400–1,600 m · Bombardier Challenger 350 | Yes |
| Heavy jet 12–14 seats · take-off 1,430–1,780 m · Dassault Falcon 7X | Yes |
| Ultra long range 13–19 seats · take-off 1,700–1,970 m · Bombardier Global 7500 | Yes |
| VIP airliner 18–50+ seats · take-off 1,500–2,100 m | Yes |
Worth knowing before you fly
- East Midlands is open 24 hours with customs at all hours, but between 23:00 and 07:00 local aircraft with a noise quota count of 4 or more cannot operate, and the operator must supply the aircraft's noise data in advance. Check a late arrival or early departure against the aircraft's rating when booking.
- There are three handlers for private flights: Signature, which is open 24 hours with customs and immigration in its own terminal, Advantage Flight Support and Donington Aviation. One of them has to be booked before the aircraft lands, so the choice is made when the trip is planned.
- ACL lists daytime runway closures (10:00-18:00 local) on a series of Wednesdays between December 2026 and February 2027 for maintenance. Check for your date.
- For onward rail travel, East Midlands Parkway station is about 5 miles away and Nottingham station about 12 miles (airport figures).
Operating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | Aerodrome, customs and immigration, air traffic control, handling, security and de-icing are all listed as H24 in the UK AIP, and Jet A-1 fuel is available H24. ACL also gives the airport as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Signature lists its FBO as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | The AIP does not require PPR for the aerodrome as a whole, but all visiting aircraft must pre-book a designated handling agent before landing, and parking on the aprons is strictly PPR, with stands allocated by the airport. All flights except general aviation and military flights are subject to the prior approval of the airport's Managing Director and prior notification to Airport Coordination Ltd (ACL); ad hoc requests go to ACL 08:30-17:00 on weekdays and to Airfield Operations at other times. Before filing East Midlands as an alternate, operators must have arranged handling, maintenance and aircraft recovery. |
| Customs and immigration | Customs and immigration are H24 (UK AIP). East Midlands is listed in GEN 1.2 Appendix C as an airport designated for customs and excise and as a port of entry under the Immigration Act 1971, and Border Force has an office at Building 16 on the airport (GEN 1.2 Appendix D). Signature lists customs and immigration on site at its private terminal and links to the government's General Aviation Report (GAR) service. |
| Slots | Not slot-coordinated: ACL lists East Midlands as IATA Level 2 (schedules facilitated). The AIP says all flights except general aviation and military flights need the airport's prior approval and prior notification to ACL. MAG says the airport operates without flight-slot restrictions. |
| Noise and night restrictions | Night period 23:00-07:00 local. Aircraft with a quota count (QC) of 16, 8 or 4 may not take off or land at night, and no aircraft may take off or be scheduled to land at night unless the operator has given the airport enough information beforehand to verify its noise classification. Night departures must stay within noise limits measured 6.5 km from start of roll (80 dB for QC 0.25 and below, 82 dB for QC 0.5 and 1, 84 dB for QC 2 and 4), and a 90 dBA limit applies by day. Between 22:00 and 07:00 local, runway 27 departures should start from the Whiskey intersection, with full length on request for performance or ATC reasons only, and pilots are asked to avoid reverse thrust above idle. Jets that do not meet Chapter 3 may not operate 23:00-07:00 local except in special circumstances. Departures avoid overflying Castle Donington and Diseworth where possible. APUs may run only from 5 minutes after on-blocks and from 30 minutes before departure. |
| Aircraft parking | Stand allocation is by the airport, and parking on the aprons is strictly PPR (UK AIP). Aircraft must be pushed back from stands unless the stand is self-manoeuvring. Hangar space for visiting aircraft is limited and available on prior request from Donington Aviation (AIP). Signature says it has a 200,000 sq ft ramp. No business-jet parking time limits are published. |
| De-icing | Available H24 (UK AIP), by arrangement with the handling agents. |
| Other restrictions | A handling agent must be booked before landing, and apron parking is strictly PPR. Aircraft unable to talk to ATC by radio need prior permission. Training needs ATC approval and is allowed only for based operators, regular users and non-jet aircraft under 5,700 kg; jets may not train at weekends or on public holidays. Engine runs are not approved 23:00-06:00 local unless urgently needed. ACL lists runway closures for planned maintenance, 10:00-18:00 local on a series of Wednesdays from 2 December 2026 to 24 February 2027; check for your date. |
Runways
| 09/27 | 2,894 m, asphalt (porous friction course, ungrooved) |
|---|
By road
| Derby | 7 nautical miles south-east of the city (AIP figure) |
|---|---|
| M1 | A few minutes' drive (airport figure); six minutes (MAG figure) |
| Leicester | Three junctions away on the M1 (airport figure) |
| Nottingham railway station | 12 miles (airport figure) |
| East Midlands Parkway station | 5 miles (airport figure) |
| Long Eaton station | 7 miles (airport figure) |
Airports near East Midlands
Nottingham City
Tatenhill
Leicester
More airport guides nearby: Manchester Airport, Turweston Aerodrome, London Oxford Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at East Midlands Airport?
Yes. Signature describes its own private jet terminal at East Midlands, with a passenger lounge, crew lounge and customs and immigration on site. Advantage Flight Support describes its own private FBO facility on the airport, opened in May 2015.
What are East Midlands Airport's opening hours for private flights?
Aerodrome, customs and immigration, air traffic control, handling, security and de-icing are all listed as H24 in the UK AIP, and Jet A-1 fuel is available H24. ACL also gives the airport as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Signature lists its FBO as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Can I clear customs at East Midlands Airport on a private flight?
Customs and immigration are H24 (UK AIP). East Midlands is listed in GEN 1.2 Appendix C as an airport designated for customs and excise and as a port of entry under the Immigration Act 1971, and Border Force has an office at Building 16 on the airport (GEN 1.2 Appendix D). Signature lists customs and immigration on site at its private terminal and links to the government's General Aviation Report (GAR) service.
What size of private jet can use East Midlands?
The longest runway is 2,894 m. Going by each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight: every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. A handling agent must be booked before landing, apron parking is by prior permission and the airport allocates stands. The runway is 2,894 m, with 2,714 m declared for landing on runway 09 and 2,764 m on runway 27. Between 23:00 and 07:00 aircraft with a noise quota count of 4, 8 or 16 cannot land or take off, and the operator must supply the aircraft's noise data in advance. From 22:00 to 07:00, departures on runway 27 normally start from an intersection with a 2,465 m take-off run, and full length is given on request for performance reasons. The operator confirms performance for your aircraft, load and date.
How long is a private flight from East Midlands to Geneva?
About 1 hour 40 minutes in a light or midsize jet. Actual times depend on the aircraft, winds and routing.
How long is a private flight from East Midlands to Nice?
About 2 hours 5 minutes in a light or midsize jet. Actual times depend on the aircraft, winds and routing.
Can I fly into East Midlands with my dog or cat?
Yes, on a private charter. East Midlands is on the government's approved list for pets arriving on charter flights, but approval belongs to each operator for each airport, so we choose an operator approved for East Midlands. Your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and the right certificate, and dogs need tapeworm treatment. Our guide to flying with pets has the details.
What are the fees for a private jet at East Midlands?
Our quotes include landing and handling fees, along with fuel, crew and taxes. What the airport and handler charge depends mainly on the aircraft's size and the time of day. Out-of-hours, de-icing and special event fees can be extra, and we tell you which could apply before you book.
Can we have catering on a private flight from East Midlands?
Yes. Tell us what you would like when you book and the operator orders it for the flight. Depending on the operator and region it is either included or charged separately, and we tell you which before you book.
Checked 14 November 2026 from the UK AIP and published airport, government and handler information (aurora.nats.co.uk, acl-uk.org, signatureaviation.com, fly-advantage.com, donair.co.uk, magairports.com, eastmidlandsairport.com). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
