Gatwick airport has published its results for the full year of 2022, showing a return to profit after over £830 million of losses in 2020 and 2021.
The south London airport welcomed 32.8 million passengers last year – 70.4 per cent of pre-pandemic levels – and recorded a profit of £196.5 million, with revenue at £776.6 million.
Of this total £405 million came from aeronautical income, £159 million from retail revenue and £102 million for car parking income.
Gatwick said that its short-haul network had now reached 92 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with a total of 156 destinations. Of these easyJet is flying 72 per cent of short-haul routes.
Meanwhile the airport is now serving 47 long-haul routes (76 per cent of pre-Covid levels), with forthcoming services including:
- Norse Atlantic routes to Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Orlando San Francisco and Washington DC
- Air India services to Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa and Kochi
- Seasonal Delta flights to New York JFK
The airport also highlighted its commitment to reach net zero for Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030, ten years ahead of its previous target, with a £250 million investment in technology including an electric vehicle fleet, and low carbon alternatives for gas boilers and refrigerants.
Work on the airport’s airport train station is expected to be completed this year, and Gatwick will begin upgrading its North Terminal international departure lounge, as well as preparing planning applications to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use.
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Commenting on the news Stewart Wingate, chief executive officer, London Gatwick Airport, said:
“The decisive actions we took early last year allowed us to offer good levels of service to passengers who travelled through Gatwick. Thank you to all colleagues across our airport, who supported the operation last year as travel restrictions eased and passengers started to travel.
“This year we will have even more choice of airlines and destinations for travellers, whether flying for business or leisure.
“While we still have some way to go to reach a full recovery, we know long-term sustainable investment is critical to the future of our airport and provides a significant boost to the regional and national economy.
“This year we are pushing forward with a number of projects to improve resilience and the overall passenger experience, including preparing our planning application to bring the existing Northern Runway into routine use.
“Central to this is our commitment for our business to be net zero for scope 1 and 2 by 2030. The aviation industry is addressing the challenges, and we are working closely with our stakeholders to ensure we create a sustainable airport for the future.”
