Gatwick sees passenger numbers increase by 2.4% in September

  • Over 80,000 more passengers flew from Gatwick compared to the prior year
  • Load factors remain high at 86.6% – 1.4% higher than the prior year

2012-10-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — September 2012 traffic performance summary

 

Month Moving Annual Total
Growth Oct-11 Oct-10 Growth
Sep-12 Sep-11 (%) Sep-12 Sep-11 (%)
Total terminal passengers (000s) 3,443.80 3,363.50 2.4 34,055.80 33,184.40 2.6
Market Analysis:
UK + Channel Islands 340.6 341 -0.1 3,793.70 3,657.00 3.7
Ireland 107.9 103.8 3.9 1,278.60 1,279.40 -0.1
European scheduled 1,915.20 1,788.20 7.1 18,415.90 17,157.60 7.3
European charter 541.3 614.4 -11.9 4,132.80 4,607.40 -10.3
North Atlantic 168.4 187.7 -10.3 1,880.90 1,955.50 -3.8
Other long haul 370.4 328.4 12.8 4,554.10 4,527.50 0.6
Air transport movements 22,887 22,858 0.1 241,896 243,207 -0.5
Cargo (metric tonnes) 7,814 7,135 9.5 93,670 91,816 2

Note: Origins and destinations are classified according to ultimate origin or destination of aircraft in the case of multi-sector flights.

Figures for the market sectors have been rounded. Totals as per traffic summary.

Key Points:

    • Gatwick saw a return to the historical growth rate of 2.4% in September as 80,200 more passengers flew from Gatwick compared to the prior year.
      • Traffic on scheduled services to Europe continued to increase versus the prior year at a growth rate of 7.1%
      • Charter traffic to the same region however is in decline and there was also a slight fall in passengers on domestic routes
      • New Asian carriers flying passengers to Beijing, Seoul and Vietnam contributed over 20% to the September traffic increase
    • The trend of achieving high average load factors continues; load factors in September were 1.4% higher than the prior year at 86.6%. Notably, load factors on Asian carriers have also continued to increase this month

This month

  • British Airways announced a new three weekly service to Colombo from Winter 2012
  • Air Arabia confirmed it is to launch a twice weekly service to Tangiers and a three weekly service to Casablanca from Winter 2012
  • Monarch confirmed the cancellation of a twice daily Milan service from Winter 2012 in favour of focussing Gatwick operations on ski-related routes

Commenting, Gatwick Airport’s Chief Finance Officer Nick Dunn said: “As expected, the increase in late August bookings post the Games continued into September and this saw us return to the historic growth rate of 2.4% for this time of the year.

“Furthermore, I am delighted to see our new long-haul customers serving Beijing, Seoul and Vietnam performing well. We remain committed to supporting those airlines to help them grow and prosper here at Gatwick and ensure London has the connectivity it needs today and in the future.”

Notes to Editors

For media relations information, please contact:

Sarah Baranowski, 01293 505000, sarah.baranowski@gatwickairport.com

For investor relations information, please contact:

Jeff Naested, 01293 502597, jeff.naested@gatwickairport.com

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 busiest single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 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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GATWICK AIRPORT PRESS OFFICE

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