Gatwick Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids London Gatwick Airport
IATA: LGW ICAO: EGKK WMO: 03776
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Gatwick Airport Limited
Serves	Greater London Urban Area
Location	Crawley, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Opened	30 May 1958; 67 years ago (1958-05-30)
Hub for	British Airways
Built	November 1928; 96 years ago (1928-11)
Elevation AMSL	203 ft / 62 m
Coordinates	51°08′53″N 0°11′25″W / 51.14806°N 0.19028°W / 51.14806; -0.19028
Map
LGW/EGKK Location in West Sussex Show map of West Sussex LGW/EGKK Location in Southern England Show map of Southern England
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 08L/26R 2,565 8,415 Grooved asphalt 08R/26L 3,316 10,879 Grooved asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Total Passengers 32,835,381 Air transport movements 217,495 Gates 115 (in terminal)
Sources: UK AIP at NATS. Statistics from CAA.

London Gatwick (also known as Gatwick Airport) is a major international airport. It serves London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. The airport is located near Crawley, West Sussex, England. It is about 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London.

In 2022, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport in the UK. Only Heathrow Airport had more passengers. It was also the 8th-busiest airport in Europe. The airport covers a total area of 674 hectares (1,665 acres).

Gatwick started as an aerodrome in the late 1920s. It has been used for commercial flights since 1933. The airport has two main buildings called terminals. These are the North Terminal and the South Terminal. Gatwick uses one main runway. A second runway is available but can only be used if the main one is closed. In 2018, over 46 million passengers used the airport.

Gatwick is an important base for British Airways. It is also the largest base for the low-cost airline easyJet.

History of Gatwick Airport

Early Days and Growth

A Douglas DC-6 in front of the then new terminal at Gatwick Airport in 1964

A BAC 1-11 with the main terminal building at Gatwick Airport in 1973

The land where Gatwick Airport now stands was first used as an airfield in the late 1920s. The government approved commercial flights from the site in 1933. The first terminal building, called "The Beehive", was built in 1935. Regular flights from this new terminal began the next year.

During World War II, the military took over the airport. It was known as RAF Gatwick. After the war, it became a civilian airport again. A lot of building work happened at the airport in the 1950s.

In the 1960s, British United Airways (BUA) and Dan-Air were big airlines at Gatwick. BUA was the main airline for scheduled flights. Dan-Air was known for holiday charter flights. The government encouraged charter flights to move from Heathrow to Gatwick.

Later, British Caledonian (BCal) became the main scheduled airline at Gatwick in the 1970s and 1980s. After British Airways (BA) bought BCal, BA started to make Gatwick a second major hub. However, BA later reduced its flights there. This allowed EasyJet to make Gatwick its biggest base. EasyJet then became the airport's main airline.

Flights to the United States

From 1978 to 2008, many flights between the UK and the United States used Gatwick. This was because of special rules at Heathrow Airport. Many US airlines flew to Gatwick during this time.

In 2008, new rules made it easier for airlines to fly to Heathrow. Many airlines then moved their US flights from Gatwick to Heathrow. US Airways was the last US airline to leave Gatwick in 2013.

In 2021, JetBlue became the first US airline to fly to Gatwick again. They started flights to New York–JFK and Boston.

Recent Developments

In 2008, the airport's owner, BAA, announced it would sell Gatwick. This was because of rules about market dominance. In 2009, a group led by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) bought Gatwick for £1.51 billion. GIP later sold parts of its ownership to other investors.

In 2018, Vinci Airports bought a majority share (50.01%) of Gatwick. The sale was completed in 2019.

In 2020, the airport announced job cuts. This was due to fewer passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Gatwick Airport Works

Airport Buildings and Services

Airport Map (as of November 2016)

The airport control tower opened in 1984.

The bridge connecting the North Terminal to its apron pier

Interior of the North Terminal apron pier bridge

Gatwick has special lounges for travelers. For example, Virgin Holidays opened the V Room for its long-haul passengers. The airport also has a conference center and hotels.

There are chaplains from different Christian churches at the airport. There are also multi-faith prayer rooms in each terminal.

The airport has made many improvements over the years. This includes bigger terminals and better baggage systems. In 2013, Gatwick started a free service called Gatwick Connect. This helps passengers who are changing flights at Gatwick.

Runways and Flights

Gatwick has two runways, but it usually operates as a single-runway airport. The northern runway (08L/26R) is only used if the main runway (08R/26L) is closed. The main runway is 3,316 meters (10,879 ft) long. The northern runway is 2,565 meters (8,415 ft) long. The runways are too close together to be used at the same time.

In 2018, the airport announced plans to use its standby runway more often. This could mean using the northern runway for smaller planes taking off. The main runway would be used for all landings and larger planes taking off.

Night flights at Gatwick have rules to reduce noise. For example, noisier planes cannot operate between 11 pm and 7 am.

Airport Security

Sussex Police officers patrol Gatwick Airport. They are responsible for security across the entire airport. This includes armed and unarmed officers. They also check vehicles around the airport.

The airport's security team controls access to areas where planes are. This is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Main Airlines at Gatwick

Gatwick is a base for airlines like British Airways, EasyJet, and Wizz Air. It also hosts charter airlines like TUI Airways. Gatwick is special because it serves all three main types of airlines: full-service, low-cost, and charter.

By late 2015, EasyJet flew over 100 routes from Gatwick. It is their largest base. EasyJet carries about 16 million passengers per year at Gatwick. This makes up 45% of the airport's total passengers.

In 2020, Wizz Air opened a new base at Gatwick. In 2021, British Airways changed its short-haul operations at Gatwick. They later resumed these flights under a new subsidiary called "BA EuroFlyer".

Terminals at Gatwick

South Terminal main entrance

South Terminal check-in area

South Terminal shuttle station

North Terminal check-in zones A and B

Gatwick Airport has two terminals: the South Terminal and the North Terminal. Together, they have 65 gates. Both terminals have shops and restaurants. They are also accessible for disabled passengers.

The North and South Terminals are connected by a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) automated shuttle. This shuttle runs above ground and connects the two buildings.

South Terminal

The South Terminal has 32 gates with jetbridges and 7 remote gates. It officially opened in 1958. Gatwick was one of the first airports in the world with a terminal that allowed passengers to walk under cover to their planes.

The South Terminal was temporarily closed in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All airlines moved to the North Terminal. It fully reopened in March 2022.

North Terminal

The North Terminal has 31 gates with jetbridges. Three of these can handle very large planes like the Airbus A380. Building the North Terminal was a huge project in the 1980s. It cost £200 million.

In 2005, a new Pier 6 opened. It added 11 more aircraft stands. This pier is connected to the North Terminal by a very long passenger bridge. This bridge offers great views of the airport.

Terminal Changes

Gatwick and EasyJet made a plan to move airlines between terminals. EasyJet moved all its flights to the North Terminal. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic swapped their terminals. This helps the airport run more smoothly, especially during busy times. These changes were completed in January 2017.

Airlines and Destinations

The following airlines fly regularly to and from Gatwick Airport:

Airport Traffic and Numbers

Passenger Overview

In 2015, Gatwick became the first single-runway airport to handle over 40 million passengers in a year. By 2016, EasyJet carried over 40% of all passengers at Gatwick.

Gatwick is known as the world's leading low-cost airport. Until 2017, it had the busiest single-use runway in the world. It could handle up to 55 aircraft movements per hour.

Busiest Routes

Busiest routes to and from Gatwick (2022)

Rank	Airport	Total passengers	Change 2021 / 22
1	Dublin	1,155,114	261.1%
2	Barcelona	1,006,584	483.2%
3	Málaga	879,306	503.6%
4	Dubai–International	658,158	4,261.6%
5	Madrid	632,257	338.6%
6	Faro	626,800	325.6%
7	Palma de Mallorca	626,301	311.3%
8	Geneva	611,172	547.2%
9	Amsterdam	605,141	1,075.9%
10	Alicante	577,717	239.8%

Passenger Numbers Over Time

Gatwick handled 368,000 passengers in 1959. By 1962–63, it reached one million passengers. The number of passengers kept growing. It reached 5 million by the early 1970s. By the late 1980s, over 20 million passengers used Gatwick each year. By the year 2000, it handled more than 30 million passengers annually.

Year	Number of passengers	Percentage change	Number of aircraft movements	Freight (tonnes)
2000	32,068,540	–	260,859	318,905
2001	31,181,770	02.8%	252,543	280,098
2002	29,627,420	05.0%	242,379	242,519
2003	30,005,260	01.3%	242,731	222,916
2004	31,466,770	04.9%	251,195	218,204
2005	32,775,695	04.2%	261,292	222,778
2006	34,163,579	04.2%	263,363	211,857
2007	35,216,113	03.1%	266,550	171,078
2008	34,205,887	02.9%	263,653	107,702
2009	32,392,520	05.3%	251,879	74,680
2010	31,375,290	03.1%	240,500	104,032
2011	33,674,264	07.3%	251,067	88,085
2012	34,235,982	01.7%	246,987	97,567
2013	35,444,206	03.5%	250,520	96,724
2014	38,103,667	07.5%	259,692	88,508
2015	40,269,087	05.7%	267,760	73,371
2016	43,119,628	07.1%	280,666	79,588
2017	45,516,700	05.2%	285,969	96,983
2018	46,075,400	01.1%	283,926	112,600
2019	46,574,786	01.1%	282,896	110,358
2020	10,171,867	078.2%	79,489	26,063
2021	6,260,072	038.5%	52,000	11,623
2022	32,800,000	0423.9%	217,524	36,407
2023	40,894,242	024.7%	253,047	61,123
Source 2000–2016: UK Civil Aviation Authority Source 2017: Gatwick Airport Limited

In 2018, 46.1 million passengers used Gatwick. This was a 1.1% increase from the year before. Long-haul flights (like those across the Atlantic Ocean) saw big increases in passengers.

Getting To and From Gatwick

North Terminal A23 roundabout

Gatwick Airport wants more people to use public transport. They aim for 45% of passengers to use public transport when traffic reaches 45 million.

The airport is connected to the M23 motorway. This motorway links to the M25 motorway, which goes around London. The airport also has long- and short-stay car parks.

By Train

Gatwick Airport railway station

Gatwick Airport railway station is right next to the South Terminal. It opened in 1958. Trains from Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express serve the station. Great Western Railway also has an hourly service.

You can take trains south to Brighton and other coastal towns. Northbound trains go to London Bridge and London Victoria. Thameslink trains continue to places like St Pancras International and Cambridge.

You can also reach Heathrow Airport and Luton Airport by changing trains. Oyster Cards and contactless cards work on all train routes from Gatwick into London.

By Bus and Coach

National Express Coaches offers services to other airports like Heathrow and London Stansted Airport. They also go to cities and towns across the UK. Oxford Bus Company has direct services to Oxford.

Local buses connect the terminals to nearby towns like Crawley and Horley. These services are run by Metrobus.

By Bike

National Cycle Route 21 passes under the South Terminal. This allows for cycling and walking north to Horley and south to Crawley. There is a lift at the terminal to access the cycle route.

Between Terminals

The Gatwick Airport terminal shuttle departing from the South Terminal.

The North and South Terminals are connected by an elevated, automated shuttle. This shuttle runs on a concrete track with rubber tires. It connects the two terminals and the North Terminal to the railway station.

The shuttle opened in 1987 with the North Terminal. New shuttle cars and systems were installed in 2010. The system now gives live journey information.

An older shuttle system connected the main terminal to a circular pier in 1983. This was the UK's first automated people-moving system. It has since been replaced by a walkway.

Future Plans for Gatwick

Gatwick has been part of many discussions about airport growth in southeastern England. Plans have included adding a third terminal and a second runway. An old agreement not to build a second runway ended after 40 years.

In 2013, the airport suggested building a second runway south of the current one. This idea was considered by the Airports Commission. In 2015, the commission suggested expanding Heathrow instead of Gatwick. Gatwick disagreed with this decision.

In 2021, Gatwick announced plans to make its northern "emergency" runway usable for regular flights. This would increase the airport's capacity. The airport hopes to get approval in 2024. The main work would take about 4 years to finish.

Airport Incidents

• 1936: A British Airways plane crashed on takeoff during a night mail flight.
• 1959: A Turkish Airlines plane crashed in heavy fog while approaching Gatwick. Fourteen people died, but the Turkish Prime Minister survived.
• 1969: An Ariana Afghan Airlines plane crashed into a house near the airport in low visibility. 48 people on board and 2 on the ground died.
• 2018: The airport faced a major shutdown due to reports of drones flying near the runway. Flights were suspended for many hours, affecting thousands of passengers. The army helped the police resolve the situation.

Images for kids

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  London Gatwick Airport logo

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  An aerial view of Gatwick Airport