The lull between the summer holidays ending and the festive season beginning is used by airports across the UK to prepare for a surge in demand during December.
With just over two months of 2025 left, the super-organised among us will already be either preparing a festive getaway or looking even further ahead into the New Year.
A traveller’s intended destination often dictates the airport they travel from, but here in the East Midlands we’re fortunate to be near a regional airport serving more than 80 destinations.
East Midlands Airport is used by millions of people each year, making it the 14th-busiest airport in the UK.
The airport is set to get even busier in 2026, with several new destinations already confirmed for next year.
From sun-kissed Mediterranean islands to major European cities, these exciting new routes are now taking bookings.
Here are the 9 new routes launching from East Midlands airport in 2026, including Thessaloniki and Geneva:
1. The 11 new direct routes for East Midlands Airport in 2026
TUI is one of several airlines launching new routes from East Midlands Airport in 2026 | EMA Photo: EMA
2. Geneva, Switzerland
Jet2CityBreaks has launched packages from EMA to Geneva for Winter 25/26. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
3. Gdansk, Poland
Jet2 recently announced plans for a brand-new route from East Midlands Airport to Gdansk, Poland, as part of its winter 2026/27 programme. Two new weekly services (Monday and Friday) will operate to the Polish city from November 27 to December 21, 2026. | Scotch Mist/Wikimedia Photo: Scotch Mist/Wikimedia
4. Antalya, Turkey
SunExpress has confirmed it will launch a new scheduled passenger service from East Midlands Airport to Antalya, Turkey, from Easter through to the end of October in 2026. The service will operate up to three times weekly - on Tuesdays, Wednesdays (peak summer only), and Fridays, with mid-morning departure times. | Getty Images Photo: Getty