London Gatwick Airport handled a total of 39.7m passengers in September, a rise of +6% against the same month last year, marking the 31st consecutive month of growth – and the busiest September in the airport’s history.

 

European routes grew by +7.8% and North Atlantic by +11.3%, while Canadian destinations also grew by +7.1% year on year, with Vancouver Airport +14% and Toronto Airport rising by +12%.

 

In terms of actual numbers, an additional 216,956 passengers travelled through London Gatwick in September compared to the same month in 2014, with the airport pointing to more air traffic movements per hour and larger aircraft being used on average across the airlines. Average load factors reported to be very healthy at 87.5%.

 

 

Airport management says that next May will also provide an additional boost when Canadian airline Westjet begins flying to six new routes, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and St. John’s.

 

Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate also wasted no time in promoting Gatwick’s corner for expansion in future. He said that the airport should be given the green light for expansion following its 31st consecutive month of traffic growth, since Gatwick expansion ‘provides the economic boost the UK needs and is by far the cleanest and quietest option environmentally.’

 

He added: “Gatwick expects to pass the 40m annual passengers mark this year, a milestone that the Airports Commission analysis predicted we will reach in a decade.

 

“A government decision this year in favour of Gatwick would mean that we can start building during this Parliament and be operational by 2025. Our runway proposal can be delivered faster, with a fraction of the environmental impact and at no cost to the UK tax payer.”