GATWICK IN NUMBERS
36 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR 1
RUNWAY 2
TERMINALS 45
AIRLINES
200 DESTINATIONS
115
AIRCRAFT STANDS 346
CHECK-IN DESKS
1 IN 5 PASSENGERS ARE BUSINESS TRAVELLERS
GATWICK Operating for more than 50 years,
Gatwick has two terminals (North and South), serves more than 200 destinations and sees an average of 55 take-offs and landings per hour on just one strip of tarmac. In 2009, it was bought by GIP (Global Infrastructure Partners), which proceeded to pump £1.2 billion (US$1.9 billion) worth of investment into upgrading it, from installing cutting-edge technology to putting together a bid for a second runway. Infrastructure has been a big focus of the renovations, with the unveiling of a £6.4 million (US$10.1 million) A380 stand (110) for the launch of Emirates’ superjumbo flights to Dubai at Pier Six in the North Terminal in March 2014, while Pier Five is also undergoing refurbishments to be unveiled in the summer. The security area in the South
Terminal has also undergone a major revamp aimed at enabling all passengers to pass through within five minutes. “Anonymous face recognition” cameras that photograph passengers at each stage of the process allow the airport to monitor whether that target is being reached. The same technology has been fitted in immigration, which now has 15 e-gates for people with biometric passports.
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www.businesstraveller.asia
In terms of leisure facilities, the
South Terminal underwent a £41 million (US$64.4 million) retail overhaul in 2013, with 22 new or refreshed stores opening including Armani, Harrods and World of Whiskies. The new landside Bloc hotel opened in April and offers 244 rooms with free wifi, double beds, walk-in rain showers and automatic checkout facility. For business people, Regus
Express opened a landside lounge next to the Yotel last October. It also introduced a number of 4 sqm private “workboxes” airside in both terminals, equipped with printers, computers, phones and wifi. In July, No 1 Traveller (no1traveller. com) opened a second Gatwick facility called My Lounge. The “loft- inspired” venue seats 50 guests and offers free wifi, snacks plus fast- track security access. Since May, the airport has been trialling an innovative new service called Gatwick Connect, designed to help passengers transferring from one airline to another. Instead of having to check your bag in for a second time, you can leave it at the Gatwick Connect desks in baggage reclaim, where staff will process it for your connecting flight and issue an onward boarding pass. Connectivity is also getting
an overhaul. Two train operators – Southern and First Capital
This page: Gatwick Airport
Connect – currently offer services to the South Terminal from London Victoria and London Bridge, but from July these will be combined under a new Govia Thameslink “super-franchise”, known as TSGN, that also encompasses Gatwick Express and will run 24 hours. By 2019 there will be a train leaving Gatwick for central London once every two and a half minutes. Gatwick is also very eager to expand and has gone head-to- head with Heathrow in bidding for an additional runway to increase passenger volumes from 38 million to 95 million a year by 2025 and boost overall UK airport capacity. Gatwick by Jenny Southan n
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 31
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