- Gatwick’s plans will provide new opportunities for the South East and bolster the local economy for future generations
- Plan includes bringing the airport’s existing standby runway into routine use for the first time
Gatwick , UK, 2019-Jan-07 — /Travel PR News/ — Gatwick is reminding local residents and businesses that they have just one week left to respond to the twelve week public consultation on its growth plans, which include – for the first time – the routine use of its existing standby runway.
Gatwick’s draft master plan was launched for consultation in October 2018 and considers how Gatwick could grow across three scenarios looking ahead to the early 2030s. The three scenarios are:
1. Main runway – using new technology to increase capacity in the near term offering incremental growth through more efficient operations.
2. Standby runway – potentially bringing Gatwick’s existing standby runway into routine use for departing flights, alongside its main runway, by the mid-2020s. This development would meet all international safety requirements and would be delivered without increasing the airport’s noise footprint and provide greater operational resilience.
3. Additional runway – while not actively pursuing the option of building a new runway to the south of the airport – Gatwick believes it is in the national interest to continue to safeguard this land for the future.
The public consultation on Gatwick’s draft master plan runs until 5pm on 10 January 2019 and can be accessed here
Gatwick’s development will help meet future aviation demand with sustainable growth and ensure strong connections between Britain and global markets. It will also provide new opportunities for the South East and continue to bolster the local economy for future generations.
One month ago 75% of residents surveyed across Sussex, Surrey and Kent said that they supported Gatwick’s growth plans, with just 14% opposing.
Stewart Wingate, Chief executive Officer, Gatwick Airport, said:
“Our draft master plan outlines some low-impact and highly innovative ways of unlocking new capacity from within our existing infrastructure. This will provide the UK with much needed new capacity, improve the airport’s resilience and generate new opportunities for the South East and its economy for generations to come.
“With only one week left I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in our ongoing consultation on our draft master plan, including anyone who wants to show their support for the airport’s exciting vision for the future.”
Notes
The publication of Gatwick’s draft master plan reflects Department for Transport guidance for airports to provide regular updates on their long-term plans, and responds to the Government’s recent call for airports to ‘make best use of their existing runways’.
About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick’s 2018 draft master plan sets out proposals for the airport’s ongoing development and sustainable growth. It also outlines the airport’s latest thinking on how it can meet the increasing demand for air travel and provide Britain with enhanced global connectivity. A public consultation will run on the draft master plan until 10 January 2019 and will help inform the publication of the final master plan next year.
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport. It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 46 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver and generates around 85,000 jobs nationally, with 24,000 of these located on the airport. 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.
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Source: GATWICK AIRPORT