Gatwick airport bosses have said they want to engage with the corporate travel community and become the airport of choice for the business traveller. Gatwick aims to build on recent success in attracting new carriers, including Air Asia X, Vietnam Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines’ all-business service, and Air China’s four-times weekly service to Beijing that is due to start in May.
At a conference in London attended by a number of senior figures from the business travel industry, the airport’s CEO Stewart Wingate said Gatwick was now “free to compete”, having been cut loose from the “monopoly” that was BAA. To attract more corporate business, the airport has undertaken a number of upgrades, including the installation of fast-track security channels for premium travellers and the opening of two new executive lounges by No.1 Traveller.
Wingate said Gatwick, unlike Heathrow, has capacity to fill, citing a figure of 30 per cent growth capability. Senior travel management figures welcomed the plans. HRG director Tony Berry said Gatwick’s £1 billion investment programme was “absolutely necessary”. “What they’ve done is looked at the issues – they’ve started to address them and delivered some improvements,” he said.
CWT’s Nigel Turner said carriers who operate out of both airports tended to leave upgrading their Gatwick aircraft till last. He said the recent changes have meant Gatwick is beginning to “step up to the mark” in terms of business travel facilities, but the airport will need to work on changing people’s perceptions.
Gatwick’s plans to concentrate on the Far East are “undoubtedly going to be successful”, said HRG’s Berry. “China is an emerging market ... I think it shows a lot of foresight.”
FCM regional general manager Brian Donnelly said Gatwick’s strength would lie in its routes with Easyjet, which is also going after the business traveller.