Gatwick opens new routes to high-growth markets

• Gatwick today opens a new route to Moscow with easyJet
• This follows new routes recently launched to other key emerging markets
• Gatwick is helping to improve connectivity with the capacity we have today

2013-03-18 — /travelprnews.com/ — Today’s inaugural flight from Gatwick to Moscow comes as the airport reveals its increasing number of connections to key emerging markets. Research from Goldman Sachs has identified eight key ‘growth markets’ – the world’s most dynamic economies – and Gatwick Airport will serve four of them by the end of 2013.

The Moscow link comes hot off the heels of the announcement of a new route between Gatwick and Indonesia. The first non-stop Jakarta-London flight was announced last month and will open in Q4 2013. The route will aid the commitment made by Prime Minister David Cameron last year, to double trade (goods and services) between the two economies by 2015 to £4.4 billion. It also makes Gatwick the only UK airport to connect passengers directly to the largest economy in South East Asia.

Alongside new routes to Indonesia and Russia, Gatwick already serves Beijing, China and Istanbul, Turkey. In addition, new direct services to the key emerging market of Vietnam were added last year – proving there is real scope to use existing capacity at London’s airports today, to establish links to major new business destinations.

Baroness Valentine, Chief Executive Officer, London First, commented:

“We welcome the opening of new routes from Gatwick to Moscow, and Gatwick’s other services to key emerging markets. It is vital that the UK maximises existing capacity to ensure there are strong links with growth markets, while developing options to meet the long term capacity challenge. International transport links enable the UK to export its skills to new markets and we need significant improvement in London’s connectivity in the long-term.”

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport, said:

“We are proud to add Moscow to the list of destinations we fly to, which follows the addition of new daily services to other key growth markets. Gatwick Airport is playing a crucial role in supporting the UK’s growth by making the best use of existing capacity and delivering the direct connections that are needed to grow exports and inward investment with key markets. We will need more direct air links to ensure the UK competes. As Gatwick’s new routes show, a ‘hub’ airport is not the only way to deliver these.”

Notes to Editors 

Goldman Sachs Asset Management adopted the term ‘growth markets’ to describe how they view some of the world’s most dynamic economics. Eight countries satisfy this criteria: Brazil, Russia, India, China, Mexico, Korea, Turkey and Indonesia. For further details see: http://www.ivci.com.tr/Uploads/GoldmanSachsTurkeyBRIC.pdf

About easyJet’s Moscow route 

• From 18 March 2013, easyJet will operate daily flights between London Gatwick and Moscow Domededovo Airport departing at 0700 and arriving in Moscow at 1350. The return flight will depart from Moscow at 1430 and arrive into Gatwick at 1540.
• From 15 April 2013, a second daily flight will operate, departing Gatwick at 1410 and arriving into Moscow at 2100. The return flight will depart from Moscow at 2140 and arrive into Gatwick at 2250.

About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world. It serves around 200 destinations in 90 countries for around 34 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 23,000 on-airport jobs and a further 13,000 jobs through related activities. The airport is 28 miles south of London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.

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