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51 month winning streak for Gatwick as long haul powers passenger growth

Gatwick Airport has revealed its 51st consecutive month of growth after enjoying its busiest May ever.

The airport has revealed that passenger numbers last month surpassed 4m, marking a 6.7% increase on May 2016 with particularly marked growth in business and long haul passengers.

In particular, the airport highlighted strong performance in its long haul routes to North America as helping to drive passenger growth, with top destinations for travellers last month including Los Angeles, which was up 48%, and Fort Lauderdale in Florida which enjoyed a 125% rise in passenger numbers.

The numbers also hint that the widely speculated potential dip in holidaymakers travelling to the USA in light of President Trump’s proposed travel ban has not materialised, with British passengers seemingly undeterred by the wider political climate.

Long haul routes from the airport are only set to grow in the coming months, with Norwegian beginning its Denver and Seattle routes, as well as its Singapore service, this September.

Gatwick Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate, commented: “The airport’s long haul network has grown significantly and the results benefit both leisure passengers and also the country as global trade becomes increasingly important for the UK economy.

“With this in mind, Gatwick stands ready to build a credible and deliverable new runway should the Government give us the green light to proceed.”

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