Gatwick Airport has witnessed a remarkable increase in passenger traffic over the past year as air travel resumed following pandemic restrictions.
The West Sussex hub reported that nearly 33 million passengers traversed its terminals in 2022, marking a staggering rise of over 420% compared to the previous year’s 6.3 million.
Despite this impressive recovery, Gatwick still falls short of pre-Covid levels, with passenger figures standing at 71% of 2019 levels.
The airport’s sustained revival has seen the reintroduction of long-haul routes, with Delta Airlines resuming daily flights to New York and British Airways launching new services to Canada and the US. Notably, Air India’s recent announcement of adding four new destinations from Gatwick, including Goa and Amritsar, further underscores Gatwick’s resurgence.
Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer at Gatwick, expressed optimism about the airport’s trajectory, stating, “We still have some way to go but we’re looking forward to welcoming even more passengers this year, including those flying to our growing choice of long-haul destinations.”
Meanwhile, Gatwick’s counterparts, Heathrow and Luton, have also released their latest figures. Heathrow Airport reported a surge in passenger numbers to 5.9 million last month, despite challenges posed by Border Force strikes. Overall, Heathrow remains on track with expectations, anticipating 61.6 million passengers for 2022.
In contrast, Luton Airport’s annual figures continue to trail pre-Covid levels, despite recording its busiest Christmas Day ever. With over 13 million visitors in the past year, Luton saw a 37% decrease compared to 2019’s 18 million passengers, highlighting the ongoing recovery challenges faced by the capital’s fourth-largest hub.