East Midlands Airport is crowned ‘Airport of the Year’ at National Transport Awards

The win was announced at an awards ceremony in London last night (Thursday 1 October) where Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was the keynote speaker.

East Midlands Airport's winning submission was based on a successful year in which:

· Passenger numbers were held at around 4m

· The express air cargo operation remained the busiest in the UK, with cargo growth representing a third of all air cargo growth in the UK

· Extensive improvements were carried out throughout the terminal and on the airfield as part of an ongoing £120m investment programme to enhance the customer experience

· Customer satisfaction increased across all metrics, with 97% of customers rating the airport good to excellent

· East Midlands was among the least delayed airports in the UK, with 90.4% of flights departing on time during the busiest early wave

· The CAA gave the airport the highest accessibility ranking for the sixth year running, as investment continues in Assisted Travel improvements

· Progress was made to decarbonise ground operations, shifting the airport's operational fleet to biodiesel, and continuing to incentivise airlines to reduce their carbon footprint

· Ongoing training and employment activity included the first-ever Aviation Careers Festival backed by the DfT and CAA, attracting 500 students.

The National Transport Awards, supported by the Department of Transport, highlight and celebrate the unwavering commitment, expertise, and innovation of those working tirelessly to improve transport networks across the UK.

East Midlands Airport's Managing Director Steve Griffiths said: "We're so pleased to be recognised and rewarded in this way on a national stage.

"We have a fantastic team, who have earned us this prestigious accolade through their total dedication to providing effortless travel for our customers and delivering seamless trade for the UK.

"The award marks a period of growth for our unrivalled cargo operation and the implementation of huge improvements throughout the airport, leading to outstanding customer satisfaction scores. Being Airport of the Year strengthens our resolve to deliver the best possible service to people and businesses in our region and beyond."