Gatwick Airport achieved its busiest-ever June with long-haul routes rocket 24% year on year

  • Long-haul growth in June rockets 24% year on year, whilst Gatwick has been announced as the European airport with the most new long-haul routes
  • Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines arrived at the airport in June with routes to Hong Kong and Cape Town starting this autumn.
  • Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: “June’s passenger figures are the latest demonstration of Gatwick’s ongoing long-haul success story showing once again the unrivalled potential that an expanded Gatwick would deliver for Britain.”

LONDON, 2016-Jul-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Gatwick Airport has seen long-haul routes rocket 24% year on year, as the airport achieved its busiest-ever June.

Gatwick Airport has this week also been officially recognised as the European airport with the most new long haul routes, in the last twelve months, by leading aviation news and analysis organisation anna.aero.

North Atlantic routes at the airport grew 56% year on year in June.  Contributing to this North Atlantic growth were Toronto routes +109% and Vancouver routes +118%, two recent new route additions from WestJet as part of their twenty eight new weekly flights to six destinations in Canada.

European business destinations proving popular in June included Paris +80% and Prague +60% year on year.

Whilst holiday destinations Burgas, Bulgaria, Almeria, Spain and Kavala, Greece grew by +90%, +55% and +54% respectively.

Meanwhile, strong growth was also seen from Gatwick’s regional connections across the UK which grew 7.4% as a whole with Belfast routes +103%, Newquay +34% and Inverness +13% year on year.

Average load factors were consistently strong at 88%.

Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said:

“June’s passenger figures are the latest part of Gatwick’s ongoing long-haul success story demonstrating once again the unrivalled potential that an expanded Gatwick would deliver for Britain – providing an operational runway by 2025 with reduced environmental impacts and no taxpayer funding.

“We’re seeing strong growth right across the board – be it from our regional connections, business routes or holiday destinations – especially our long haul destinations which have rocketed this month by 24% year on year.

“This month saw the arrival of Tianjin Airlines’ route to China and in just weeks Cathay Pacific will commence flights to Hong Kong, joined by British Airways’ service to Cape Town this autumn. June’s results show the benefits a two runway Gatwick would provide for Britain – guaranteed growth with reduced environmental impacts and no taxpayer funding. Let’s get on with it and deliver for Britain.”

For more information contact:

Gatwick Airport press office

t: + 44 (0) 1293 505000
e: gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com

About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 220 destinations in 80 countries for more than 41 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the South East region, generating around 21,000 on-airport jobs and a further 10,000 jobs through related activities. The airport is south of Central London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express, and is part of the Oyster contactless payment network. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.

A Government decision on whether Gatwick airport should be expanded is expected this year. Gatwick’s second runway will deliver the UK the same number of passengers, the same number of long haul routes, better UK and regional connections, and the economic boost the UK needs, all at a dramatically lower environmental impact, at less than half the cost of Heathrow, and with no public subsidy.

For further information on Gatwick Airport see www.gatwickairport.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport