East Midlands Airport issues warning to all passengers travelling next week due to Download Festival

Passengers using the East Midlands Airport (EMA) next week have been urged to allow extra time due to possible delays caused by the Download Festival.

The three-day music festival in Donington Park, Leicestershire, will take place between June 14 and June 16, with campsites opening from June 12.

EMA has warned of “significant” traffic affecting all roads around the airport including the M1, A42, A50 and A453.

There will be more than 300 flights arriving and departing EMA over the course of the festival’s three days, with airlines asked to alert passengers to potential delays.

The disruption comes amid the busy summer holiday season as tens of thousands of passengers set to use the airport.

EMA has benefitted from soaring passenger numbers in the wake of the pandemic.

Figures show 240,000 passengers travelled through the airport in March, representing a 22.4% increase on the same month last year.

Around 75,000 people are expected to attend the festival over the three days, where acts including Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood and Fall Out Boy are set to perform.