Gatwick submits £2.2bn expansion plan as CEO hails airport competition
Gatwick Airport has submitted an application for a £2.2bn second runway that could see passenger traffic double to 75 million.
The west Sussex hub announced this afternoon that it had presented proposals to the government’s planning inspectorate, which aim to bring its emergency runway into routine use.
Speaking to Morning Wire ahead of the news, Chief Executive Stewart Wingate said that the airport relished the chance to compete with its London rivals, namely Heathrow, and bring in new long-haul and short-haul carriers.
“We fundamentally believe if we can get that choice and that competition, ultimately, the personal benefit is to the consumer,” he said.
The £2.2bn project would see the northern runway’s centre-line move 12 metres to the north, allowing carriers to take off while others land on the existing stretch.
Gatwick estimates it would help create 14,000 new jobs and pump £1bn into the region’s economy.
Under the proposals, construction would begin in 2025, with the runway coming into use at the end of the decade.
Wingate said: “The northern runway plan will help secure the long-term future of the airport and economic prosperity for thousands of families, businesses, and future generations across the region.”
“If approved, our plan will also improve airport resilience, meet future passenger demand,
and increase competition in the London airport market, by providing vital new international
connections to support ‘Global Britain’.”
The airport’s boss told journalists this afternoon that the expansion would bring passenger traffic to 75 million by late 2030, with the airport operating 386,000 flights per year.
Long-haul routes would “definitely” increase as a result, he explained, with Gatwick diversifying “the route network we serve” and the “number of airlines we have.”
Pre-pandemic, the airport operated around 67 long-haul destinations, with its larger west London rival Heathrow providing 80.
“There’s no reason why we wouldn’t be having a similar level of long-haul activity to Heathrow,” Wingate added.
As part of its submission Gatwick said it had made some “legally binding commitments,” which would help to reduce noise levels and carbon emissions.
A decision on the application is expected in 2024.