Parking at East Midlands Airport
What it costs to drop someone off, what the car parks charge, what catches people out and who issues a ticket and how to appeal at East Midlands Airport.
East Midlands' Rapid Drop Off outside the terminal costs £8 for up to 10 minutes and £1 for every minute after that, with a 30-minute maximum. There is no barrier and no pay machine: you drive through and must pay online by midnight the following day, or a £100 parking charge follows. The free option is Long Stay 2, where pick-up and drop-off are free for up to 60 minutes, with a shuttle to the terminal. Short Stay 1 charges £12 for up to half an hour.
Dropping someone off at East Midlands Airport
No free period in the drop-off zone.
| How long you stay | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Rapid Drop Off, up to 10 minutes | £8 |
East Midlands publishes one tariff with no split by terminal.
After the first 10 minutes the Rapid Drop Off costs £1 for every further minute, up to the 30-minute maximum stay. It is barrierless; payment is online or by phone only and must be made by midnight the following day. Unpaid visits bring a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Free alternative: Long Stay 2: free for up to 60 minutes for pick-up and drop-off, then £1 per minute (card only at the exit); free shuttle to the terminal.
Picking someone up
Collecting from the terminal costs £12 to £22.
Short Stay 1 continues at £59 for up to 24 hours and £59 for each additional day.
Free alternative: Long Stay 2: free for up to 60 minutes, then £1 per minute; card only at the exit.
Car parks at East Midlands Airport
| Car park | Type | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Short Stay 1 Turn-up rates. The three Short Stay car parks are «a 1-5 minute walk to check-in». Pay at the terminal machines or with a card at the exit barrier; a lost Chip Coin is charged at the full day rate for the stay plus £5. |
Short stay | Up to 30 minutes:
£12 Up to 30 minutes, Blue Badge holders: Free Up to 1 hour: £14 Up to 2 hours: £18 Up to 3 hours: £22 Up to 24 hours: £59 Each additional day: £59 |
| Mid Stay 3 Turn-up rates published only to three hours. The Mid Stay car parks are «a 5–7 minute walk to the terminal». |
Long stay | Up to 30 minutes:
£12 Up to 1 hour: £14 Up to 2 hours: £18 Up to 3 hours: £22 |
| Long Stay Free shuttle bus every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, «a 3–5 minute transfer». No turn-up day rate is published. For pick-up and drop-off, Long Stay 2 is free for up to 60 minutes — press for a token at the entry — then £1 per minute, card only at the exit. |
Long stay | Not confirmed |
| JetParks Two car parks further from the terminal, served by a free shuttle bus. No turn-up price table is published. |
Budget | Not confirmed |
What catches people out at East Midlands Airport
- The Rapid Drop Off has no barrier to remind you — You drive through without stopping, and there is nowhere to pay on the way out. Payment is online or by phone only, by midnight the following day. source
- Forgetting to pay costs £100 — A Rapid Drop Off visit not paid by midnight the following day brings a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. source
- Rapid Drop Off: £1 a minute after ten — The first 10 minutes cost £8, then every minute adds £1, up to the 30-minute maximum. Waiting for someone there gets expensive quickly — Long Stay 2 is free for an hour. source
- The free hour is in Long Stay 2, not at the terminal — Short Stay 1 charges £12 for up to 30 minutes. Long Stay 2 is free for up to 60 minutes for anyone picking up or dropping off, with a shuttle to the terminal; overstay is £1 per minute. Blue Badge holders also get 30 minutes free in Short Stay 1. source
- A lost Chip Coin costs a full day plus £5 — Lose the token from the Short Stay barrier and you pay the full day rate for the stay plus a £5 charge. source
- Pre-booked overstays are charged by the day — Overstaying a pre-booked space costs £20 a day in Meet & Greet, Mid Stay and Short Stay, £15 in Long Stay and £10 in JetParks. source
If you get a ticket at East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport is private land. A notice issued here is a parking charge notice — a claim under the contract you accept by parking, not a fine issued by a council. Nobody at the airport has the power to fine you.
Because this is not a council notice, an appeal does not go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which hears council penalty charge notices in England outside London, and Wales.
Enforcement is carried out by APCOA (barrierless Rapid Drop Off payments) on behalf of East Midlands Airport.
The operator names no trade body on the parking pages we read, so we cannot say in advance whether an appeal would go to POPLA or the IAS. Ask for the basis of any charge in writing before paying or disputing it.
How a private parking charge works, and when the keeper can be pursued →
Appealing a private parking charge, step by step →
| Notice | Charge | If paid early |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid Drop Off not paid by midnight the following day Stated on the Pick Up & Drop Off page. |
£100 | £60 within 14 days |
Nearby
Common questions
Is there free drop-off at East Midlands Airport?
How much does the Rapid Drop Off cost at East Midlands Airport?
How do I pay for the Rapid Drop Off at East Midlands Airport?
How much is Short Stay at East Midlands Airport without booking?
Sources
Figures last checked 19 October 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Pick Up & Drop Off accessed 19 October 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Turn Up and Park accessed 30 September 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Short Stay accessed 30 September 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Mid Stay accessed 30 September 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Long Stay accessed 30 September 2026
- East Midlands Airport – JetParks accessed 30 September 2026
- East Midlands Airport – Car Parking Terms and Conditions accessed 30 September 2026