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Gatwick sees 7.7% passenger increase as short-haul demand surges

August 23, 2024

Almost 1,000 workers at Gatwick Airport, including baggage handlers and check-in staff, will stage eight days of strikes from later this month.

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

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

Revenues at Gatwick rose by 15.3% to £488 million in the first six months of 2024, while pre-tax profits surged by 36% to £136.3 million. Despite these gains, overall passenger numbers remain 10% below the levels seen in the first half of 2019, with long-haul travel particularly affected—down by 30% from pre-pandemic figures.

Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s Chief Executive, noted that some long-haul flight slots have been temporarily reallocated to short-haul carriers but expressed optimism that these will revert to long-haul use as the airport continues to expand its network, especially 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% shy of pre-pandemic numbers. Wingate anticipates that short-haul passenger volumes in the latter half of the year will surpass those of 2019.

The airport is also awaiting government approval to bring its emergency northern runway into regular use, a key part of its £2.2 billion expansion plan. If approved, this would allow Gatwick to handle up to 75 million passengers annually by the late 2030s, a significant increase from the 40.9 million passengers recorded last year.