Inspiring young people

The Aerozone is our free education centre at East Midlands Airport, built for school trips and college visits. It welcomes children and young people aged 4 to 18. Since opening in June 2010, it has hosted over 33,000 students.

We’re a short drive from Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and Loughborough, with minibus parking onsite, whilst coaches can drop students directly outside.

The Aerozone is divided into zones based on key areas of the airport. These include a check-in zone with a working tannoy and a security zone with hand-held security wands.

There is also a cabin zone with aeroplane seats, plus a flight deck with two Xbox flight simulators.

All activities are hands-on and educational. Students explore careers across the airport, from cabin crew to border force. Popular topics include careers, STEM, customer service, business studies and the history of flight. We can tailor your school trip to support almost any subject.

We can arrange a talk with a member of the airport team. Previous speakers have included airline crew, police, firefighters, airfield operations, customer services, security, border force and the sustainability team. Where possible, we will match the speaker to your learning objectives.

You can add a self-led tour of the terminal’s landside areas to your visit. The terminal is a short walk from the Aerozone. We provide a guide for teachers and trail sheets for students.

The Aeropark is a volunteer-run aviation museum on the other side of the airport. It hosts school groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a small charge. Book directly through the Aeropark website.

A member of the Education team will welcome your group and guide you through your itinerary. The Aerozone occupies the ground floor of an airport building, within walking distance of the terminal. You will receive a risk assessment and other useful documents before your trip.

The Aerozone is very popular and is now fully booked for the 2026/27 academic year. You can join the waiting list for 2026/27 visits. If you have any questions, email the Education team at aerozone.ema@magairports.com. Before your visit, please read the Aerozone terms and conditions and the Aerozone GDPR policy.