London Gatwick announced its 28th consecutive month of traffic growth as it achieved its busiest ever June with 3.8 million passengers travelling through the airport, a 5% increase on the previous year. Growth in this important sector further illustrates Gatwick’s case for expansion as it can cater for all types of flights by all types of airline.
The airport’s long-haul routes – which have seen 12 months of consecutive growth – were the key drivers of this impressive performance +8% on the twelve months to last June.
Destinations contributing to this significant long haul growth include North Atlantic routes +14.3% with USA routes +20.6%, largely driven by passenger take up of Norwegian’s low cost long-haul routes. Such passenger demand has driven a new Norwegian route London Gatwick to Boston which will be starting May 2016.
Significant growth was also seen by Caribbean and Latin America +8.1% routes year on year. Long haul leisure destinations drove this Caribbean and Latin America increase with Tobago +79.1%, Grenada +44.3% and Havana +38.2%.
Further long-haul growth was seen by Middle East and Central Asia routes +9.1% year on year with United Arab Emirates routes +11.7% on the previous year as passengers take advantage of the thrice daily services London Gatwick to Dubai.
An additional 184,000 passengers travelled through London Gatwick in June compared to the same month in 2014. Passenger growth is the result of more air traffic movements per hour and larger aircraft being used on average across the airlines. Average load factors were consistently strong at 86.5%.
Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: “Gatwick remains the best option for expansion as it can cater for all airline types flying to all types of destination – this is clearly illustrated by the growth in the numbers of passengers choosing long haul services at Gatwick. The growth of our transatlantic routes, which from May will include Boston, is the latest demonstration of the way the industry is moving – with a new generation of carriers and aircraft fuelling the low cost long-haul revolution.
“We will continue to engage actively with government at all levels to show why Gatwick expansion is the only means by which we can sustain the low cost revolution that has driven aviation growth over the last two decades, and the only choice which can actually deliver the aviation capacity that the UK desperately needs. The UK needs extra capacity that can meet the needs of all travellers and Gatwick remains the only deliverable option for expansion.”
