London Gatwick Airport

London Gatwick Airport started life some 70 years ago as a private airfield owned by Home Counties Aviation Services. In 1936 Gatwick had its first terminal, taxiways and airside apron. However the lack of paved runways caused the operators to abandon the airfield in 1938. Gatwick was taken over by the Royal Air Force during the war and returned to civil use in 1946. In 1953 the Government decreed Gatwick as London's second airport. The now run down old airport was closed for three years whilst major re-development work was carried out. Officially opening as London Gatwick Airport in 1956 the airport had been transformed into a modern facility with a 2000 feet runway, a modern terminal incorporating the railway station and a covered pier linking terminal with aircraft, the first of its kind in the Britain. As the population of the UK discovered package holidays and cheaper travel in the 1980’s so Gatwick became busier and busier, by the end of the eighties the airport was handling in excess of ten million passengers per year. Still a single runway airport Gatwick is now desperate for a second runway. However the strength of local environmental lobbying looks as though that may never happen. Gatwick is the busiest single runway airport in the world and the second largest airport in the UK. It is currently the sixth busiest international airport in the world. Gatwick handles more than 30 million passengers each year on approximately 80 airlines serving over 200 destinations. Gatwick is scheduled to handle up to 40 million passengers by 2011. On very busy days the airport handles up to 800 movements. Gatwick handles a mixture of Scheduled, “No Frills” and Charter Flights.

Airport Location
London Gatwick Airport is about 28 miles south of Central London and directly linked to the M23 motorway at junction 9 and to the A23 London-Brighton road. Driving times to and from the airport are often dictated by the notorious vagaries of the M25 London Orbital Motorway. It is recommended that passengers allow sufficient time to reach the airport, especially during morning and afternoon rush hour periods. There are 24-hour petrol stations at both the North and South Terminals. View London Gatwick Airport Map

Car Parks at London Gatwick Airport
There are approximately 27,000 car parking spaces for travelers using Gatwick Airport. On the busiest day in its history so far, the16th of August 2003, 134,527 passengers passed through the airport. This led to there being insufficient parking space to meet the demand. Off airport car parks provides a further 15,000 spaces and this additional space is now proving to be inadequate. The moral. Book your parking at Gatwick Airport well in advance of your departure, particularly during the busy summer months. Short term parking is recommended for stays of up to 5 hours otherwise mid or long term parking may become a cheaper option. Both the South and North terminals have their own short stay car parks both with weather covered walkways and just a short walk from the Terminal entrances. Fast Track is Ideal for travellers who need to get into the terminals quickly as possible. Located within the short stay car parks of both the North and South Terminals this facility offers quality under cover parking and the fastest link into the Terminal building. Long stay parking for both terminals offer secure, well lit, CCTV covered parking with a regular courtesy coach service to the Terminals.

Check-in and Arrivals
Gatwick is a “silent” airport. There are no flight or gate number announcements. Keep an eye on the flight information screens for details of departure times and gate numbers. The Arrivals Hall is located on the ground floor.

London Gatwick Airport Terminals
2 terminals. North and South Terminals. There is a free Monorail style transit train linking the North and South terminals 24 hours a day. Major airlines using the North Terminal include British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Iberia. The South Terminal handles mainly Charter Flights and international flights.

London Gatwick Airport Opening Hours