Main Terminal Building
Devon’s own airport building has stood in some form since 1937, formally reopened by the Air Minister in 1938 and rebuilt in stages since — the current departure lounge dates to 2003. Everyone checks in, clears security and boards from the same hall; KLM’s daily Amsterdam service is the real hub connection, alongside TUI’s leisure charters, Ryanair, Loganair and the Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly operators.
Charter holiday desks generally open 2.5 hours before departure and close 60 minutes ahead; scheduled airlines set their own times. Ryanair follows its own terms for check-in, boarding and seating rather than the airport’s general desk hours.
Exeter still screens under the old liquids limit: 100 ml per container, sealed into a single clear bag capped at one litre — none of the 2-litre relaxation some neighbouring regionals have already rolled out. Skip the queue with a Fast Track voucher from the Kiosk ahead of the Departure channel; it buys speed, not different rules — the same DfT checks still apply to everyone.
Nothing rail-shaped sits on the airport footprint itself. Getting to a platform means boarding Stagecoach’s 4A into town, which calls at both Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central, while its 43 route heads out to Pinhoe instead — public transport doing double duty as the rail transfer.
Departures share one hall; arrivals do not share one building. Most flights land into Arrivals 1, while the separate Arrivals 2 building — reachable only through Car Park P2 — is reserved for domestic traffic.
A low-level counter at the check-in-hall Assistance Desk, a Sunflower lanyard scheme for conditions that aren’t visible, and a dedicated Quiet Room tucked away from the departure lounge. Notify your airline 48 hours before travel to arrange it; on the day, airport wheelchairs, an Ambulift and a 7% Avi Ramp handle boarding for anyone who can’t manage the steps.