Gatwick sees passenger numbers rise by 7.7% as demand for short distances increases

Gatwick Airport has reported a significant increase in passenger numbers, with 19.9 million travelers passing through its terminals in the first half of 2024, an increase of 7.7% compared to the same period last year.

The UK’s second largest airport attributes this growth to a strong recovery in short-haul traffic, even as long-haul passenger numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Revenues at Gatwick rose 15.3% to £488m in the first six months of 2024, while pre-tax profits rose 36% to £136.3m. Despite these increases, overall passenger numbers remain 10% below the level of the first half of 2019, with long-haul traffic particularly affected – a 30% drop on pre-pandemic figures.

Gatwick Chief Executive Stewart Wingate noted that some long-haul flight slots have been temporarily reallocated to short-haul airlines, but expressed optimism that these will return to long-haul flights as the airport continues to expand its network, particularly with airlines from India. , China and other parts of Asia.

Gatwick’s short-haul network remains robust, with 16.9 million passengers in the first half of 2024 – just 5.6% fewer than before the pandemic. Wingate expects short-haul passenger volumes to exceed those of 2019 in the second half of the year.

The airport is also awaiting government approval to put the northern emergency runway into regular use, a key part of the £2.2 billion expansion plan. If approved, Gatwick could handle up to 75 million passengers annually by the end of 2030, a significant increase on last year’s 40.9 million passengers.