Coronavirus: Emotional reunion at East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport has welcomed back its first passengers after three months in lockdown.

A trickle of travellers will pass through the airport this month with just 16 flights scheduled before the end of June.

So what was it like to be one of the first holidaymakers to board a plane after lockdown?

Shannon Traynor flew to Spain in March for a two-week trip to see her uncle but the coronavirus pandemic meant she could not return home before flights resumed this week.

The 18-year-old from Spondon said she "just wanted to cry" after hugging her mum for the first time in three months.

"It's just really sad. I've missed her so much, it's been really hard," she said.

"She's my mum, I've always been with her even on holidays so I've missed her a lot."

Her mother Caroline said it had been an "awful" few months.

"It's the first time she had flown on her own," Mrs Traynor said.

"And when she got there it all kicked off and there were police on the streets, and she wasn't allowed out and she was quite frightened.

"The only contact we've had has been over the phone, when she's had data."

Lachlan and Dale Forbes-Sutherland booked their tickets to Alicante the day before their flight.

"We were in the hot tub... we got a bit of Dutch courage, and just booked it," said 35-year-old Lachlan.

Dale, who lives in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, said: "We've travelled quite a lot, but we're going to do as we're told, wear our masks, make sure we anti-bac our hands often, we'll get there and I'm sure we're going to have an amazing time when we're there."

Lachlan said: "It's a little daunting, and a little scary. I was a bit nervous about the airport, I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about [coronavirus]."

"A bonus is we won't have to buy fast track boarding passes as there won't be a queue," Dale added.

Sarah McElhetton is excited to be flying to Alicante as she will be reunited with her boyfriend after four months.

"It's the best day of my life," the 46-year-old from Mickleover, Derby, said.

"I can't wait, it's making me cry. I feel safe going over there because their cases have completely vanished compared to over here, so I actually feel safer going over there, and staying there for a while."

Northamptonshire couple Mike and Linda Robinson are going to their holiday home for the first time since February.

"We want to go and check that everything's OK," 69-year-old Mike said.

"There's a bit of apprehension to see what we face, but we're told that everything is open as best as they can, and we hope the house is still in one piece."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].