Gatwick airport has reported a 5.5 per cent boost to its revenue in the six months to September 30, which CEO Stewart Wingate says proves the hub has a major role to play in the UK’s future aviation strategy.
Passenger numbers at the airport were up 5.1 per cent on the previous year, boosted by a 12.4 per cent increase in long-haul routes and a 5.3 per cent growth in domestic routes. Gatwick says that by the end of the year, it will serve connections to Taipei, Buenos Aires, Chicago and Austin in addition to existing long-haul destinations.
To go along with the boost in passengers, Gatwick reported year-on-year revenue growth of 5.5 per cent to £469.7 million, with profit before tax reaching £140.7 million. The airport attributes its rapid growth to more planes, bigger aircraft and fuller planes, with each aircraft carrying four more passengers on average than the previous year.
Wingate commented: “We have ambitious plans to build on these results to reach 50 million passengers per year and beyond, which will further set the standard for a single runway airport. We are currently preparing our full submission to the government’s re-opened National Policy Statement consultation. We are planning future submissions to support the aviation strategy, in which we will detail the plans we have to continue to make best use of the airport’s existing facilities.”
gatwickairport.com