Exeter is served by Exeter Airport (EXT), a regional airport in Devon, South West England, for arrivals into Exeter. It primarily operates as a gateway for holiday travel from European sun destinations into EXT and a limited number of domestic and city-break routes to Exeter, with a schedule that peaks during the summer months for arrivals at EXT.
The airport's arrival network is focused on leisure travel to Exeter. Key routes into EXT include flights from popular holiday destinations in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and the Canary Islands to Exeter, operated by charter and scheduled airlines. There are also year-round flights from domestic destinations like Manchester, Belfast, and the Channel Islands to EXT, as well as a limited number of European city connections from Dublin and Amsterdam into Exeter.
Exeter Airport is a destination for the holiday airline TUI Airways, which operates many of its seasonal sun routes into EXT. Flybe (the revived regional carrier) operates domestic and some European routes to Exeter. Aer Lingus provides a connection from its Dublin (DUB) hub to EXT, and KLM operates a service from Amsterdam (AMS) to Exeter. Ryanair may operate seasonal services into EXT.
To find cheap flights to Exeter, book TUI package holidays well in advance for summer arrival at EXT. For scheduled flights with Flybe or Aer Lingus to Exeter, book several weeks ahead for flights into EXT. For a wider selection of origins into the Exeter area, lower fares, and more frequent services into the region, many travelers use Bristol Airport (BRS), which is about a 1.5-hour drive from Exeter and has a much larger network from European origins with easyJet and Ryanair, then take ground transport to Exeter. For long-haul travel to Exeter, connecting through London (LHR, LGW) or Amsterdam (AMS) from a larger airport and then taking ground or domestic flight transport to Exeter is necessary. Always compare the total cost and time of flying directly to EXT versus flying into Bristol or a London airport and traveling to Exeter.