Exeter Airport Parking

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Guide to Exeter Airport

Exeter Airport (EXT) handles scheduled and holiday charter flights to destinations in the United Kingdom and across Europe, serving around 850,000 passengers each year. The busiest routes to and from Exeter connect the airport with British cities like Manchester and Edinburgh and European destinations such as Palma de Mallorca and Amsterdam.

The facility was formerly known as Exeter International Airport, but Devon County Council sold it to Regional and City Airports Ltd in 2007 and it has since been named Exeter and Devon Airport Ltd, trading as Exeter Airport. More than 250 members of staff work at the airport all-year-round and that number increases to 300 during the peak season, making EXT an important employer of people in the area. Exeter Airport is a hub for the Flybe and Thomson airlines but also offers seasonal flights with a handful of other operators.

Location of Exeter Airport

The airport is 6.3 miles (10.1 kilometres) away from Exeter city centre on the edge of the village of Clyst Honiton in East Devon. It is accessible by car via the M5 or B3183 Honiton Road from the city centre, but there are no direct train services to the airport. Rail travellers can head to Exeter St Davids train station, where buses bound for Axminster will take passengers to a stop near the airport.

Travelling by car, the airport is 198 miles (318.6 kilometres) away from London, 78 miles (125.5 kilometres) from Bristol and 48 miles (77.2 kilometres) from Plymouth.

History of Exeter Airport

After five years of aerial surveys, site inspections and public enquiries, the Air Ministry finally granted a licence for an aerodrome at Clyst Honiton on May 31st 1937. More than 180,000 acres (72,840 hectares) of land was acquired, including a landing area with a length of 2,670 feet (814 metres). The first flight on the airport's opening day saw a Jersey Airways DH 86 greeted by Alfred Anstey, the city's mayor at the time, who was then taken on a flight over Exeter.

Public flights from EXT officially began on September 9th 1937, with Jersey Airways operating services to the Channel Islands and Railway Air Services Ltd running flights to Plymouth and Bristol. The airport's popularity grew for two years before services were halted due to the outbreak of World War II.

EXT's southerly position made it an important base for the RAF Fighter Command during the war and United States Army Air Force was based at Exeter along with a squadron of the Polish Air Force, known as the Defenders of Exeter. Attempts to keep the airport camouflaged during the war were unsuccessful and the Luftwaffe bombed the area, laying waste to many of the airport's buildings.

After the war ended, it took seven years for passenger flights to recommence at Exeter. Jersey Airways was the first company to make public flights from EXT available again in 1952 and a number of other small airlines ran services between Exeter and other destinations around the UK until the 1970s. Services to the Scilly Isles and Austria commenced in 1973 and improvements to the main runway and passenger facilities made international flights a more viable prospect.

Devon County Council became the sole owner of the airport in 1974 and Jersey European Airways made EXT its headquarters 11 years later in 1985. Traffic levels at the airport grew to more than 250,000 people per year in 1998 and a new arrivals building was opened to celebrate the airport's 60th birthday. A new departures lounge followed in 2003, before a majority share in the airport was sold to Regional and City Airports Ltd in 2007. Rigby Group, the owner of Coventry Airport, purchased the airport in 2013.

In the 21st century, Exeter Airport has provided Flybe with its headquarters and primary maintenance facility, while Devon Air Ambulance and the National Police Air Service have also used EXT as their base.

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Exeter Airport Facilities

Exeter might be one of the UK's smaller airports, but the substantial investment made in improvements to its facilities at the turn of the 21st century turned it into a fully modernised hub for travellers in the region.

Everything you would expect to find in a busy, modern airport can be found at EXT, albeit with less variety on offer than you might enjoy at larger airports. Car parking options include pick-up and drop-off areas as well as short-stay and long-stay car parks. Once you’re inside the terminal, you can upgrade to fast-track security and an executive lounge or enjoy the standard service and comfortable surroundings of the departures lounge.

The Fed and Watered restaurant and We Make Café Bar provide good quality food and drink with locally themed dishes and shoppers can pick up last-minute essentials at the newsagent or peruse the comprehensive range of cosmetics, clothes, alcohol and tobacco products at the World Duty Free store.

Special assistance is available at the airport and must be requested during the flight booking process. Urgent requests for assistance can be made by contacting the airport directly on (+44) 01392 367433.

Facilities at Exeter Airport include:

• ATMs

• Car rental

• Conference room

• Currency exchange

• Disabled access

• Fast-track security

• Family and baby facilities

• Food and drink

  • Restaurant

  • Cafés

  • Bars

• Information desks

• Lost property office

• Lounge

• Meeting rooms

• Parking facilities

• Shopping

  • Newsagent

  • Duty free

• Smoking area

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Exeter Airport Hotel And Parking

There is only one on-site hotel at Exeter Airport, the Hampton by Hilton. A hot breakfast is included with every reservation and the hotel also has its own fitness centre, business centre, free WiFi and a HDTV in every room.

The hotel offers free on-site parking for the duration of your stay and there are also long-term holiday parking packages available upon request. The hotel is located just beyond Car Park 4; upon arrival at the airport, you can turn right just after Car Park 4 to find the Hampton by Hilton.

Just nine minutes away from Exeter Airport by car is the Grange Court Hotel, where you can enjoy good quality accommodation and an inclusive breakfast in an idyllic setting, as well as free parking for as many nights as you are staying there.

The Gipsy Hill Hotel is just 3.3 miles (5.3 kilometres) from EXT; they allow you to enjoy two free car parking spaces per room for every night that you book. The hotel is surrounded by landscaped gardens and provides rooms with a variety of styles to suit all tastes and offer an escape from the monotony of chain hotels.

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Top things to do in Exeter Airport

Enjoy award-winning catering

While Exeter Airport doesn't boast the vast array of dining options that many of its larger contemporaries offer, it does provide its customers with the chance to fill up at an award-winning eatery.

The Fed and Watered Café-Bar at Exeter Airport was named Contract Catering Café of the Year at the 2016 Quality Food Awards and its success has been attributed to a commitment to locally sourced ingredients and seasonal dishes.

The excellent selection of sandwiches, cakes and cooked items available throughout the day ensures you can pick up something delicious on your way to your gate.

If you do have some time to spare and you want the same quality of food and service in a sit-down setting, Fed and Watered Wine and Dine branch serves hot and cold meals from the moment the check-in begins for the first flight each day at EXT and it also features an upstairs bar with superb views of the airfield.

Stock up on reading material

For many people, a flight is an ideal opportunity to get stuck into a book and forget about the world for an hour or two. If you find yourself at Exeter Airport without a book, magazine or newspaper to enjoy on your flight, you can head to WHSmith where the latest bestsellers are always available, along with the latest editions of your favourite magazines.

For those who aren't so keen on reading when they are on the move, flying represents a good opportunity to escape into an album or holiday playlist. If you need to pick up some spare headphones or those little adapters that let two people listen to the same source of music, WHSmith is the place.

Live like an executive

You don't have to be on a business trip to mix with the executives at Exeter Airport. The Executive Lounge is open to everyone, no matter which airline you are flying with or where you're headed.

It is a tranquil haven away from the main departures area, with comfy seats to relax in while you enjoy views of the runway and inclusive drinks and snacks. There is fast, unlimited WiFi available in the lounge, as well as newspapers and magazines and places to charge your mobile devices.

The lounge opens at first flight and closes at the last at EXT. Your time in the executive lounge is limited to three hours and anyone using the lounge is asked to restrict their alcohol intake to two drinks. The dress code is smart-casual, groups are limited to six people per party and children under 12 are not permitted entry.

Exeter Airport supports the Civil Aviation Authority's campaign against unruly behaviour and the Executive Lounge is geared up to provide a quiet, calm space for passengers to enjoy rather than a private area to have a party.

Reserve and collect

Baggage restrictions can make airport shopping feel like a futile endeavour if you find that you don't have space in your luggage for the items you've purchased in the terminal.

Fortunately, the World Duty Free outlet at Exeter Airport allows you to make purchases that you can collect on your return to the UK, so you don't have to carry them on your flight.

The store offers all the product ranges you would expect to find at an airport duty free shop, including cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco and confectionary. All passengers are entitled to a 60-day money back guarantee as well as a price promise for a refund of the difference if you find a product cheaper elsewhere in the UK.

Make the most of your money

While it is common for travellers to go abroad without any foreign currency and simply use a cash machine when they arrive at their destination, this approach rarely yields the best value for money.

If you want to make sure you know exactly how much your pound is worth before you head off, you can go to the currency exchange by the check-in desks at Exeter Airport and ask staff how to get the best possible rate. What's more, they will usually offer to buy any spare currency back from you at a fixed rate upon your return.

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Top things to do near Exeter Airport

Head to the Jurassic Coast

Exeter Airport sits just outside the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so if you've got some time to spare during your layover, a trip down to the Jurassic Coast is a must for nature-lovers.

The village of Beer is nestled in a bay on the World Heritage coastline and its population of just over 1,300 welcomes visitors from all over the UK throughout the year. Beer is a quaint, colourful little place, packed with delightful old pubs and breezy cafés looking out over the sea. It is also an ideal place to begin a walk along the spectacular Jurassic Coast with its dramatic white cliffs and unique flora and fauna.

Beer is just half an hour's drive from EXT, along the A30.

Take a trip to the beach

Just 26 minutes' drive from Exeter Airport is the town of Teignmouth, with its historic peer and glorious golden sands.

If you want the quintessential British seaside experience, there are few better places to experience it than there; you can hire a rowboat, walk along the pier, eat fish and chips and spend hours building sandcastles and watching the local fishermen mending their nets. If you grew up visiting British beaches, this one will really take you back.

Stretch your legs on a historic trail

If you fancy a bit of history combined with some exercise during your layover at EXT, a walk along the Templer Way could be your new favourite thing.

This ancient route traces the path along which granite was transported between Dartmoor and Teignmouth on a granite tramway. This unique walk takes you through open moorland and woodlands, along estuary foreshore and past remnants of the old tramway and its adjacent canal.

The whole walk is 18 miles (29 kilometres) long, but even if you just do a bit of it, you'll get a flavour of the area's industrial past. The Edgemoor Hotel, just 26 minutes away from EXT, is a good place to start.

Witness 600 years of history

Exeter Airport is less than 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre, where you can visit the historic Exeter Cathedral and enjoy one of Devon's most impressive religious buildings. Dating back to around 1400, but with some sections that are even older, the cathedral features a spectacular ceiling supported by the broadest span of unbroken Gothic vaulting anywhere in the world.

If you're travelling with children, you’ll want to let them add a brick to the scale model of the cathedral that is situated just beside the main entrance - it’s made entirely out of LEGO.

Become an underground explorer

Another fascinating piece of history waiting to be explored is the network of underground passages dating back to medieval times. The vaulted passages were originally created to house pipes that brought fresh water to the city, but nowadays you can enjoy a guided tour of the tunnels and hear tales of the city's history, including ghost stories and secret escape routes.

Open from 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30am to 4pm on Sundays between June and September (there are slightly reduced opening hours between October and May), the Exeter underground tunnels are an unmissable experience for all the family.

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Which terminal?

Exeter Airport offers year-round flights to destinations across the United Kingdom and Europe as well as seasonal routes to select locations and special departures on certain dates. Annual passenger numbers have surpassed the one-million-mark in the past, but the airport now handles around 850,000 passengers per year, with Flybe and Thomson airlines using EXT as a hub for their services.

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How to get to Exeter Airport

Car

The post code for Exeter Airport is EX5 2BD and you can enter it into a sat nav system for directions when travelling by car. The route to EXT from Exeter city centre is simple; from the cathedral, you simply take Palace Gate to South Street and pick up the B3183 on Honiton Road, which takes you all the way to the airport (becoming the A3015 and the A30 along the way).

If you are travelling by car from anywhere north of Exeter, you can take the M5 down to junction 29 and join the A30 onto the airport.

Bus

The bus service that takes passengers from Exeter city centre to the airport is the 56 (including the 56A and the 56B), operated by Stagecoach. The buses run from Exeter St Davids train station to the airport and the journey takes around 35 minutes in good traffic. The bus can also be caught from Exeter Bus Station and all three services (56, 56A, 56B) depart on an hourly basis.

Taxi

Exeter Airport recommends Apple Central Taxis as its authorised private hire company and journeys from the airport can be booked at the taxi desk in the arrivals building. Apple Central Taxis operates a left luggage facility at Exeter St Davids, but if you would rather use a different company, there are plenty of Exeter taxi firms that will drop you off in Car Park 1.

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Useful Tips

Fly to London City Airport (LCY) for great offers

Passengers flying from Exeter Airport to London City Airport (LCY) can obtain discounted parking rates in short-stay Car Parks 1 and 2, as well as free fast-track security and complimentary executive lounge access. The parking discount code can be obtained from this page of the airport's official website, while LCY passengers simply need to show their boarding pass to use fast-track security and the executive lounge.

Don't overdo it

The management team at Exeter Airport take antisocial behaviour very seriously and any passengers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be refused permission to board their flight. If a member of airport staff refuses embarkation, you will not be compensated and if your behaviour is deemed unruly, the matter may well be referred to the police. In short, don't turn up drunk and expect to get onto your flight.

No animals, except assistance dogs

Given the absence of a cargo operation or an animal holding unit at Exeter Airport, domestic pets are not allowed to travel with you. The airport is not licensed to bring animals into the country either.

However, Flybe makes provisions for assistance dogs to board its aircraft on flights to domestic and international destinations from Exeter Airport.

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Exeter Airport FAQs

What measures does the airport take to protect local wildlife?

A team of staff members at Exeter Airport monitors bird activity within an eight-mile (12.9-kilometre) radius of the airfield and works to reduce the likelihood of birds being struck by aircraft. Local bird species are closely monitored to assess the impact of bird strikes on their numbers.

How can I make a complaint about Exeter Airport?

Any complaints about your experience at Exeter Airport should be made to the terminal manager, either by phone on (+44) 01392 354999 or via the airport's official website. The airport aims to act upon justified complaints within 24 hours.

Can I smoke in the airport?

Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the terminal building, but there is a designated smoking shelter at the front of the terminal building and this is for use by all smokers, including anyone who wishes to use an e-cigarette.

What is the geographic location of Exeter Airport?

The coordinates for EXT are as follows:

50.7346 N

3.4150 W