More than 400 new security staff have started work at London Gatwick Airport, as part of the airport’s initiative to reduce security delays ahead of the busy summer holiday period.
Gatwick’s recovery has seen the airport re-establish its extensive short-haul network to destinations across Europe and grow its long-haul network, which now serves 40 routes, including across the USA, Canada and Asia. The school summer holidays will see several million passengers traveling through Gatwick, with top short-haul destinations including Barcelona, Malaga and Dublin, and top long-haul routes including Dubai, Toronto and Orlando.
To smooth the airport security process even further, Gatwick has joined other Vinci Airports facilities by promoting five travel tips on its social media channels for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, including placing all liquids, creams, gels, balms and pastes in one resealable, transparent bag – separate to hand luggage – when going through airport security. This is because every day in recent weeks, around 10,000 hand luggage items going through the scanner at the airport were rejected and needed to be searched, adding an average of five minutes to the time taken to pass through security. At peak times, this can contribute to delays.
Adrian Witherow, chief operating officer at Gatwick Airport, said, “With passenger numbers rapidly returning to 2019 levels, we expect to be busy, particularly at peak times such as weekends and the forthcoming school summer holidays. We are doing everything possible to make the airport process as smooth as possible, including recruiting and training hundreds of new security staff, many of whom have already started or will be in the coming weeks. It’s also important, however, that we do what we can to help passengers prepare for security before reaching the trays. We understand many already do this, but by publishing the list of top items that are currently being forgotten, we hope to get even more people through airport security quickly, so they can go on and relax ahead of their flight, enjoy a drink or sit down for a meal.”
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