Gatwick Airport handled 3.3m passengers (+7.8%) in October – its 20th successive month of growth – in ‘a record breaking year’.

 

The UK and London’s second-largest airport handled a total of 37.7m (+7.2%) passengers in total between November 2013 and October 2014 with European scheduled and other long haul both recording double digit growth of 12.1% and 11.8%% respectively.

 

Gatwick management says that long-haul traffic, European business routes and emerging markets combined to ensure Gatwick’s record-breaking year to date.

 

Gatwick also set another record with its busiest October to date, handling an additional 241,000 passengers more than in the same month last year.

 

In October, long haul continued to be the highest growth sector with new routes to New York and Los Angeles helping boost North Atlantic traffic to a 17.5% increase in October. Other long haul travel was up 11.3% with Dubai among the top performers, seeing an 8.2% growth.

 

 

 

 

FAST GROWING BUSINESS TRAVEL

Routes to emerging markets also increased with Vietnam up 12.3% and Garuda Indonesia’s new Jakarta services continuing to grow. New easyJet routes to Israel further added to Gatwick’s strong long-haul growth.

 

A record 21.7% of Gatwick passengers flew on business travel during October. New and existing business routes helped boost European scheduled traffic, which rose by 9.9% or 179,000 passengers. With one in five Gatwick passengers now travelling for business, new easyJet services to Paris, Strasbourg and Brussels have all seen strong growth.

 

Nick Dunn, Chief Financial Officer at London Gatwick, said: “Another record-breaking month for Gatwick further underlines the benefits of competition in the London market. We are continuing to see growth across a wide range of travel and airline models, from low cost carriers and European business travel, to long haul providers and emerging markets.

 

“With the airports expansion debate entering a crucial phase, these figures are a timely reminder that only an expanded Gatwick would support growth across the broadest range of airline models.

 

“With more flights to more markets, greater competition and lower fares, Gatwick is the obvious solution if we want all passengers and all types of travel to benefit from expansion.”