Gatwick sets new global passenger record for single runway airport
In December 2.7 million passengers travelled through Gatwick - up +4.7% on the same period of the previous year.
Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate said: “Two thousand and fifteen was a record-breaking year for Gatwick as the airport continued to break new ground. We served 40.3 million passengers - the most from any single runway anywhere in the world.”
Long-haul routes performed particularly strongly +7.6% year on year with North Atlantic routes driving this growth +14.7% on December 2014. Destinations contributing to this significant North Atlantic growth include Las Vegas +53.0%, Los Angeles +49.9% Toronto +22.8%.
Strong growth was also seen from winter sun destinations with Goa +25.6%, Jamaica +7.7%, Dubai +12.1% and Barbados +11.3%.
An additional 120,578 passengers travelled through London Gatwick in December compared to the same month in 2014. Passenger growth is the result of more air traffic movements per hour and larger aircraft being used by airlines. Average load factors were 78.5%.