Nearly 3.2 million passengers traveled through Gatwick Airport in London in April 2015, a 0.6% increase on the previous year and the 26th consecutive month of growth. It was also the airport’s busiest April on record with an increase of 18,000 passengers.
The largest growth was seen on North Atlantic routes on which nearly 152,000 people traveled, an increase of 8.2% compared to the same period last year. This is due to the success of the Norwegian airline operation, which offers low-cost long-haul flights to four destinations in the US. The busiest European route in April was Barcelona, with traffic up by 0.2% with 113,200 passengers traveling to the Spanish city.
Dubai remains the busiest long-haul route out of Gatwick, with passenger numbers increasing month on month following the introduction of a second daily A380 on the route operated by Emirates.
Stewart Wingate, CEO for Gatwick Airport, said, “Our record run of growth proves yet again the benefit of having a network of competing airports in the South East. However investment can only take us so far with our growth strategy. Now is the time for a final decision on extra runway capacity. Decades of debate must now turn to action. The fact remains, a new runway at Gatwick can be delivered quicker, cheaper, more simply and at a fraction of the overwhelming environmental costs that face Heathrow.
“It is highly significant that the first decision by the Airports Commission after the election is to consult on the issue of air quality. It shows that the issue has now become fundamental to the choice that lies ahead. It is an issue that cannot be ignored. The area around Heathrow currently breaches legal air quality limits, while Gatwick has never breached legal air quality limits and our location means we never will.”