Translate
London's second-busiest airport, a single-runway gateway.
Opened
1936
Location
Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom
London Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) is the United Kingdom's second-largest airport and one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world, handling over 40 million passengers annually in pre-pandemic years. Located approximately 28 miles south of central London in West Sussex, it serves as a major hub for short- and medium-haul European travel as well as long-haul routes to the Americas, Middle East, and beyond.
The airport is operated by Gatwick Airport Limited and has two terminals — the North Terminal and the South Terminal — connected by an automated shuttle service. It plays a critical role in the UK's aviation infrastructure and has been a focus of ongoing debates regarding runway expansion to increase capacity.
Terminals
Gatwick has two terminals — the North Terminal and the South Terminal — linked by a free automated inter-terminal transit shuttle.
Getting to & from
The Gatwick Express provides a non-stop rail service to London Victoria in approximately 30 minutes, with Thameslink and Southern services offering additional connections to London and beyond.
Airlines here
easyJet is the largest carrier at Gatwick, with British Airways, Norwegian, TUI Airways, and Virgin Atlantic also operating significant services.
Notable facts
- ›Gatwick is one of the world's busiest single-runway airports, managing over 900 aircraft movements per day at peak.
- ›The airport first opened as a civil aerodrome in 1936 and was substantially redeveloped in the late 1950s.
- ›A second runway has been approved in principle but faces ongoing legal, environmental, and financial challenges.
- ›The airport's two terminals are separated by the runway and connected by an automated people mover.
- ›Gatwick handled approximately 46 million passengers in 2019, its record year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.
