Gatwick Airport passengers grew 5.5% to more than 3.6m in June – up 5.5% – representing a new record 36.6m moving annual total to June.

 

Airport management said that its European scheduled traffic continued to perform strongly this month, growing by 11.1% or 213,300 passengers. New routes to business destinations included Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, alongside additional growth to Copenhagen (+15%) and Rome (+31%).

 

The average proportion of business travellers using Gatwick now stands at more than 20% per month and the airport reports that ‘foreign-based business passengers’ using Gatwick are also rising, accounting for 8.1% of all departing passengers in June.

 

The airport also proudly adds that it now serves 46 of the top 50 business routes in Europe, as well as key emerging and established long-haul markets. It says one in every five passengers flying through Gatwick is now travelling on business.

 

 

London Gatwick Airport South Terminal.

 

 

HIGH GROWTH EMERGING ECONOMIES…

The airport reports that traffic to high growth markets also continued to perform well, with increased frequencies to Turkey earlier this summer translating into a 20% year-on-year uplift on traffic to Istanbul in June.

 

Other long-haul routes grew by 7.1% or 27,900 passengers, as Gatwick continued to attract traffic to emerging economies such as Vietnam.

 

Looking ahead, the airport says it is expecting North Atlantic traffic to be boosted from July following the introduction of new services to New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale from Gatwick with Norwegian Air Shuttle’s new Dreamliner aircraft.

 

Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick, said: “A two-runway Gatwick would ensure a competitive market for the next generation, where all passengers have more choice and the UK is provided with the essential air links it needs to both established and emerging markets.

 

“Expansion at Gatwick would provide London and the UK with two world-class airports, enabling regional and national business to thrive and grow on the global stage. Businesses need certainty and Gatwick is, by far, the most deliverable option for expansion.”

 

[Top image: Another shot of London Gatwick Airport South Terminal].