Marking the day EMA’s 60-year history took off

Civic leaders from around the region will gather in the airport’s check-in hall to hear about the significant role EMA has played not only as a gateway to holidays for 130 million people over its six decades, but as a major cargo hub that helps to drive key parts of the local economy.

The occasion will also be marked with the opening of a new restaurant, Alembic, in the airport’s departure lounge which has created a special mocktail only available on the anniversary date.

The county and city councils of Derbyshire, Derby, Leicestershire, Leicester, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham bought the airfield in 1963 for £37,500, having chosen the site of the old wartime RAF Castle Donington as a replacement for Burnaston Aerodrome near Derby which only had a grass runway.

It took £1,375,000 and 13 months to develop, with its location at the heart of the country and next to the yet-to-be-built M1 extension giving it a strategic edge which it continues to benefit from today. It opened for operations on April 2 1965 and was given an official royal opening in July of that year by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh who unveiled a plaque still on display in the terminal.

In its first year of operation there were only 114,888 passengers and just 358 tonnes of cargo. Sixty years later, after terminal and runway expansions, a new air traffic control tower and many developments in aviation, more than 4m passengers fly through EMA every year and a one thousand-fold increase in cargo volumes make it the number one express freight air hub in the UK. EMA now contributes £1.6bn national GVA and supports more than 17,000 jobs across the UK. A full timeline of EMA’s history is available here: Our history | East Midlands Airport

The civic celebration taking place on April 2 will be attended by civic leaders from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, with speeches from EMA’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths, the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Michael Kapur OBE and long-serving staff member Tony Hall. Music is to be provided by the Derby West Indian Community Association steel pans band which is one of the many local groups which has benefited from the airport’s community fund over the years. The winners of a school art competition which asked local children to imaging what flying will be like in 60 years’ time will be announced, with all entries on display.

The official launch of Alembic, a new restaurant experience in EMA’s departure lounge, will also take place to help mark the special occasion. Providing Mediterranean-inspired light bites and premium, locally-source spirits, the new Alembic restaurant, operated by HMS Host UK (part of Avolta), is the first of its kind in the UK.

Other activities to celebrate EMA’s anniversary this year include:

• A photo exhibition in the departure lounge looking back over EMA’s history
• An event to showcase the East Midlands as a tourism destination and trading hub
• Family fun days are planned on the first weekend of the school summer holidays in July at the East Midlands Aeropark. On July 19, 20 and 21, the events will include food stalls and family activities, with aircraft open for the public to look inside, and more activities to be announced
• Investment of £60,000 from EMA’s Community Fund in the 6.3-mile airport trail around the airport’s perimeter improving surfaces, signage and information panels
• The creation of a Memorial Garden to be officially opened on remembrance Day.

EMA’s Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: “It’s a real honour to be at the helm of East Midlands Airport as it marks its 60th anniversary. It’s a place that seems to engender real affection - from those working here, those who choose to fly from here and others who are drawn to it simply to enjoy the magic of aircraft heading to and from places all around the world.

“From humble beginnings it has grown to be the airport of choice for four million people a year, as well as becoming the UK’s foremost express air cargo hub and a key enabler of investment and growth. We can only thank those who had the foresight to locate it right at the heart of the country, next to the motorway network, for giving it a strategic edge which it still benefits from today.

“In this anniversary year, we are looking to the horizon to secure an even brighter, better future – with investments our customers can see and feel and proposals to develop our airfield to meet growth in cargo demand.”

Airport Security Officer Tony Hall is one of the longest serving members of staff, having started 42 years ago, and still loves working at EMA aged 76.

He said: “It’s a pleasure to work at East Midlands Airport, I like to greet passengers with a smile and help them through the airport without any problems.

“I enjoy every day, coming to the airport is like coming back home and I treat the passengers as my brothers and sisters. It has changed and grown over the years but it is still a friendly airport.”

Heidi Barlow, head of business development for HMS Host UK (part of Avolta), said: “East Midlands Airport is an extremely important partner of HMS Host, and we’re really excited to be launching the first ever Alembic in the UK as part of the airport’s 60th anniversary!

“We’ll be joining in the celebrations on 2nd April with some birthday surprises of our own for passengers travelling through as well as offering our celebratory mocktail.”