Gatwick has set a new global passenger record for a single runway airport, serving 40.3 million passengers in 2015.
2.7 million of these passengers passed through in December, a 4.7 per cent increase on December 2014, and Gatwick’s 34th consecutive month of traffic growth.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO, said: “A government decision this year backing Gatwick expansion will mean that Britain finally solves its long standing problem of airport capacity in the South East.”
Long haul flights were a significant driver of the growth in passengers, increasing 7.6 per cent year on year, particularly North Atlantic routes which increased by 14.7%.
Destinations contributing to this North Atlantic growth include flights to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Toronto, which increased by 53.0 per cent, 49.9 per cent, and 22.8 per cent respectively.
The results from Gatwick come shortly after Manchester Airports Group (MAG) announced increased passenger traffic (see news, January 2016).
Sam Walsh
