Gatwick will reopen its North Terminal next week as several carriers resume flights from the south London airport.
The North Terminal closed at the start of April following plummeting demand as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The airport says that from Monday June 15 operating hours will increase to 0600-2200, with Easyjet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Belavia, Vueling and Blue Island all resuming services from the North Terminal.
Last month Easyjet announced plans to resume flights on June 15 after grounding its entire fleet at the end of March. At the time the carrier said that initial schedules would comprise “mainly domestic flying in the UK and France”.
The airport has introduced a number of new health and safety measures as it prepares to ramp up operations. These include:
- A requirement for all passengers and staff to wear face masks within its terminal buildings (face mask vending machines will be available)
- The addition of hand sanitising stations (including some touch-free models)
- Frequent deep cleaning of common-use surfaces
- Perspex screens added throughout the terminals, including at check-in and gate rooms
- Social distancing measures at check-in, security, gate rooms and departure hall seating, as well as in restaurants, bars and shops
Passenger guidance has been published on the airport’s website and app, and a new video has also been released to inform travellers of what to expect.
Commenting on the news Gatwick’s CEO Stewart Wingate,said:
“Having remained open throughout this pandemic the wellbeing and safety of our passengers and everyone that works at the airport remains our top priority. We have introduced a range of new social distancing and hygiene solutions to help this happen so we can all help protect each other when travelling through the airport. We want people to understand that airports and air travel is a safe environment in this Covid-19 travelling world.
“We are pleased to be in a position to re-open the North Terminal and we look forward to welcoming back Easyjet as they restart flights alongside our other airlines. The recent Government announcement regarding the 14-day quarantine period for passengers arriving into the UK is, in our opinion, already having an impact on the start of air travel recovery.
“We accept the Government’s absolute priority is the protection of public health, but we continue to push for regular, country by country reviews of quarantine regulations, based on medical evidence.”
