Gatwick Airport reopened its South Terminal earlier this week and the airport saw its daily flight departures almost double.
Just two days after its reopening on Sunday and the terminal was already handling 177 daily flights. Wednesday, the following day, it dealt with a massive 185 flights and over 27,000 travellers. By Easter, London’s second busiest airport expects to see around 260 flights per day.
British Airways returns
The terminal saw its first British Airways departure on Wednesday at 06:25, headed for Cyprus.
The UK’s flag carrier had at one point announced it had no intention of resuming short-haul flights from Gatwick, citing stiff competition from rival easyJet. Resulting negotiations at the airline saw the launch of a new dedicated low-cost service set to operate from the East Sussex airport.
Which other airlines are returning to Gatwick’s South Terminal? See the full list below.
- Aer Lingus
- Air Arabia Maroc
- Air Baltic
- Air Europa
- Air Malta
- Aurigny Air Services
- BH Air
- British Airways
- Corendon Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Eastern Airways
- easyJet (will continue to operate from the North Terminal as well)
- Enter Air
- Iberia Express
- Jet2
- Norwegian
Revamped facilities
Gatwick Airport’s boss, Stewart Wingate, commented on the terminal’s reopening:
“After a difficult two years, we know there is significant pent-up demand for international travel, so I advise passengers to book early to make sure they secure the flights they want this summer.”
Users of the reopened terminal can look forward to recently refurbished facilities undertaken over the course of the pandemic. According to the airport, shops, restaurants and more are among the facilities that have been refurbished, updated and cleaned.
A senior passenger operations executive at the airport, Pete Coombes, expressed his enthusiasm over the terminal’s reopening, saying staff “live for coming in and it being busy and alive,” going on to add he “just can’t wait” to witness the terminal filling up in the run-up to summer.
Passengers are being strongly advised to double-check the departure terminal of their flight before heading to the airport to avoid any mix-ups.
Will you be flying from Gatwick’s South Terminal this summer? Let us know in the comments below.
