London Gatwick Airport handled 6.378m passengers in its busiest-ever May, representing a 5.8% increase on the same month last year, with a stand out 40.5% performance rise to 260,500 passengers to North America.

This follows the start of Westjet’s new 28 weekly flight service to the US, which began at the start of May, taking Gatwick’s moving annual passenger total passenger count to 41,123,000 – a new world record for a single-runway airport.

By comparison, Gatwick handled 340,900 passengers to UK and Channel Island destinations (+8.5%); 136,500 to Ireland (+14.8%); 2,580,500 to European scheduled destinations (+4.6%); 237,700 charter passengers (-9.7%); and 275,200 other long haul passengers (+0.4%).

 

Gatwick also opened its £186m ($264m) Pier 1 during the month, describing this as the airport’s biggest single investment since it passed out of BAA hands into new majority ownership under Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
NEW TAXI WAYS WILL BE VERY WELCOME

The new facility replaces the old Pier 1 – which was originally opened by the Queen in 1958. Its new first early bag store allows up to 2,600 bags to be checked up to 18 hours before departure – an initiative that improves convenience for passengers and also reduces queues by spreading out check-in times.

Four new taxiways have also been constructed – reducing delays on the airfield – with new dual boarding facilities reducing queues at the passenger gates.  A new lounge for premium passengers sits on top of the new Pier and boasts panoramic views across the airfield.

 

Commenting, Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO said: “Our new Pier 1 supports Gatwick’s mission to become London’s airport of choice and helps the airport on its journey to become one of the most efficient in the world. These new state-of-the-art facilities make it easy for airlines to choose Gatwick as an operating base and means our passengers will enjoy even better customer service.”