Gatwick Airport has reported a notable 7.7% rise in passenger numbers for the first half of 2024, largely attributed to a surge in short-haul travel.
- While revenues increased by 15.3% to £488 million, long-haul travel continues to lag, dropping by 30% from pre-pandemic levels.
- The airport’s Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate, remains optimistic about the future recovery of long-haul travel with potential expansion plans in the pipeline.
- Short-haul passenger volumes are edging closer to pre-pandemic levels, with expectations to surpass 2019 figures later this year.
- Future growth at Gatwick is contingent upon the government’s decision regarding the use of its emergency northern runway.
Gatwick Airport has seen a 7.7% rise in passenger numbers in the first half of 2024, a development driven largely by a resurgence in short-haul travel. Despite this positive trend, longer-haul flights are still struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels, showing a 30% decrease. Revenues, however, reflected growth with a 15.3% increase, reaching £488 million. Similarly, pre-tax profits soared by 36% to £136.3 million.
The Chief Executive of Gatwick, Stewart Wingate, acknowledged the temporary reallocation of some long-haul flight slots to shorter routes. He expressed hope that as the airport continues its network expansion, particularly with airlines from India, China, and other Asian countries, these slots would revert to long-haul routes. This optimism is driven by the robust short-haul network, which recorded 16.9 million passengers in the first six months—just 5.6% below pre-pandemic figures.
Wingate projects that short-haul passenger volumes for the remaining part of the year may exceed those observed in 2019. In line with this, Gatwick is awaiting government approval to transition its emergency northern runway into regular use, a pivotal aspect of its £2.2 billion expansion plan. Success in this venture could enable the airport to manage up to 75 million passengers annually by the late 2030s, significantly increasing its current capacity of 40.9 million passengers last year.
Gatwick’s future growth appears promising, pending governmental decisions on infrastructural expansions.
