London Gatwick (LGW) has revealed its preparations for the busy summer season, which include adding 11 new routes, eight new airline partners and recently refurbished departure areas in both terminals. The airport also announced a new partnership with Stanley Robotics, making passengers the first in the UK to experience robot valet parking.
Refreshed routes and facilities
LGW’s growing route network will enable passengers to fly to over 230 destinations across 63 airlines. New scheduled routes and airlines include a new direct service to Harare (HRE) with Air Zimbabwe (UM). LGW also shared that its top short-haul destinations are Barcelona (BCN) in Spain, Dublin (DUB) in Ireland and Faro (FAO) in Portugal. Long-haul passenger favourites were cited as Cancun (CUN) in Mexico, Orlando (MCO) in Florida and Shanghai (PVG) in China. The airport’s busiest days are projected to be the first three Sundays in August, with around 900 scheduled flights.
LGW reports that it has upgraded passenger seating in both terminals, adding extra device charging points and enhancing accessibility facilities. A variety of new retail and dining options include the first airport GAIL’s Bakery (serving freshly baked breads, pastries, cakes, breakfasts, and lunches to eat-in or takeaway). The tempting Italian chocolatier and gelato maker, Venchi, has also opened its first UK airport store at LGW. Regional produce and British heritage retailer Discover London Stores is also open at LGW’s South Terminal, featuring half of an eye-catching iconic Mini Cooper car in its entrance.
Robot parking
French technology company Stanley Robotics has partnered with LGW to introduce “stress-free” airport parking, which has already become operational at Lyon Airport (LYN) from this month. Passengers would be able to drop their cars in a secure cabin, confirm their reservation and flight information on a nearby screen and take their car keys with them. A valet robot (quite visually similar to Disney Pixar character EVE from the film WALL-E) then slides underneath the car, carefully lifting it by the tyres and moving it to an allocated spot in a secure car park.
As the service is connected to live flight information, the robot will safely return the car to the cabin, ready for the passenger’s journey home. Stanley Robotics says it has a 96% customer satisfaction score and can increase car park capacity by more than 50%. LGW confirmed that the innovative service has been tested and will initially launch later this summer in one specific car park.
LGW also reminded passengers of their “top tips” for travelling, which include:
- To keep liquids up to 2 litres, lithium batteries and electronic devices in cabin bags
- To check an airline’s baggage and check-in policies before travelling
- Updated eGate rules for children aged eight and 3 ft 11 in tall are now able to use eGates with adults
- To plan journeys, stay hydrated and book special assistance at least 48 hours before travelling
Are you heading off on holiday from Gatwick this summer? Would you trust a robot to park your car for you? Let us know in the comments below.
