Virgin Atlantic's check-in area at London Heathrow's Terminal 3
Heathrow’s owner, BAA, says around £100million is currently being spent every month on upgrading and improving facilities, totalling over £1billion a year for the next five years. The airport owner and operator sold Gatwick Airport to Global Infrastructure Partners in December last year after the Competition Commission ruled BAA’s near monopoly on London and Scottish airports was not good for either airlines or passengers – London Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airport are also due to be sold off by BAA following the ruling. Since taking over at Gatwick, GIP has
completed a £45million overhaul of the monorail system that connects its North and South terminals and £43million has been spent on making the airport A380-ready. “We are pouring £1billion into Gatwick to improve infrastructure, modernise the airport facilities, improve customer service, bolster the rail links and drive competitive rates for airlines to encourage more passengers and airlines to the airport,” says the airport’s new ceo, Stewart Wingate. The North Terminal is set to receive a multi- million pound extension, and the South Terminal’s departure lounge, entrance forecourts,
immigration halls and baggage system are all to be upgraded. Under its new owners, the airport is targeting at least 40 million passengers a year by 2018, an increase of 20 per cent on its current passenger numbers of 32.5 million. A second runway at the airport and a third terminal have both been considered in the past, but new chairman Sir David Rowlands has ruled out an additional runway in the foreseeable future, instead focussing on the operation of larger aircraft. On the other side of London, Stansted Airport –
the UK’s third busiest airport – has also been ➔
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