Record breaking April as Gatwick adds 500,000 passengers
Posted: 11 May 2017 | International Airport Review | No comments yet
Gatwick Airport welcomes 3.8 million passengers travelling through the airport this April, +15% on 2016, and marking 50 months of consecutive growth.
- 3.8 million passengers travelled through the airport in April, +15% on April 2016
- Long-haul growth +23% consequently driving impressive cargo growth of +27.2%
- To celebrate the busiest-ever April in Gatwick’s history, today a video has been released showing a day in the life of the World’s busiest runway
The airport benefitted from the whole of the Easter school holiday falling in April, with an additional 496,200 passengers passing through the airport.
Long-haul routes continue their booming growth at Gatwick, +23% on April 2016 and driving a +27.2% cargo increase – once again demonstrating Gatwick’s key role connecting Britain to important growth markets when these links have never been more crucial.
North Atlantic routes performed particularly well +35.2% with New York +70%, Los Angeles +56% and Fort Lauderdale +53%.
Join us live: Shaping the Next Generation of Hold Baggage and Air Cargo Screening
Join us live for an insightful webinar on 11th December at 14:00 GMT, in collaboration with Smiths Detection, as we explore the strategic balance of operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainability in high-volume security environments.
This session offers a focused look into future-proofing your security strategy.
Key learning points
- Cost Reduction: Strategies to minimize bag travel time while simultaneously reducing operational costs.
- Regulatory Roadmap: Insights into the next wave of regulatory changes and their impact on future investment decisions.
- Sustainable Systems: Practical approaches to building sustainability into security systems and lowering the total cost of ownership (TCO).
- Scalable Solutions: Real-world examples of scalable systems supporting current airport growth and preparing for tomorrow.
Register now for expert insights, case studies, and actionable strategies on operational efficiency!
As well as the airport’s long-haul growth, Gatwick’s connections throughout the UK and Channel Islands performed strongly in April +10.7% on 2016, with Belfast +27%, Jersey +10% and Edinburgh +9%.
Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said:
“Gatwick’s vital role for Britain shines through our latest traffic figures as the airport continues to go from strength to strength as we gear up for our biggest Summer yet.
“Confidence in Gatwick is unrelenting as our existing carriers increase frequencies, Cathay Pacific will be providing a daily connection Gatwick to Hong Kong from June, and new routes are announced.
“We continue our trailblazing low-cost long-haul revolution, bringing more parts of the Globe within reach of more Britons, with the World’s furthest low-cost long-haul connection just announced between Gatwick and Singapore, from Norwegian.
“Our booming long-haul routes have driven a huge cargo increase and at this crucial time for the country and the economy, Gatwick continues to stand ready and offers the UK Government a credible and deliverable option for runway expansion.”
- This April, long-haul growth continues to rocket, +23.0% on last year
- This long-haul growth has driven a cargo increase of +27.2%
- North Atlantic routes drove this long-haul growth +35.2% on this time last year
- UK and Channel Islands routes grew +10.7%
Month |
| Moving Annual Total | |||||
Growth | May-16 | May-15 | Growth | ||||
| Apr-17 | Apr-16 | (%) |
| Apr-17 | Apr-16 | (%) |
|
|
|
| ||||
Total terminal passengers (000s) | 3,795.2 | 3,299.0 | 15.0% | 44,465.5 | 40,914.2 | 8.7% | |
Market Analysis: | |||||||
UK + Channel Islands | 361.5 | 326.7 | 10.7% | 4,027.3 | 3,646.8 | 10.4% | |
Ireland | 137.0 | 126.5 | 8.3% | 1,675.5 | 1,454.3 | 15.2% | |
European scheduled | 2,428.6 | 2,123.9 | 14.3% | 28,844.7 | 27,200.5 | 6.0% | |
European charter | 288.5 | 250.8 | 15.1% | 3,081.0 | 3,032.2 | 1.6% | |
North Atlantic | 246.1 | 182.0 | 35.2% | 2,933.8 | 1,977.2 | 48.4% | |
Other long haul | 333.5 | 289.1 | 15.4% | 3,903.3 | 3,603.1 | 8.3% | |
Air transport movements | 23,715 | 22,497 | 5.4% | 284,312 | 271,723 | 4.6% | |
Cargo (metric tonnes) | 7,142 | 5,615 | 27.2% | 82,666 | 68,891 | 20.0% | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The International Airport Summit is open for registration!
Date: 19 – 20 November 2025
Location: JW Marriott Hotel Berlin
At our flagship event of the year, we will dive into the future of airport operations, with expert-led sessions on passenger experience, innovative smart technologies, baggage handling, airside operations, data, security, and sustainability.
This is where global airport leaders come together to share insights, challenges, and real-world solutions.
Limited complimentary passes are available for eligible professionals – first come, first served!
Related topics
Aeronautical revenue, Economy, Non-aeronautical revenue, Passenger volumes
Chief Executive Officer
CEO
Chief Operating Officer
Head of Operations, Safety and Emergency
Chief Strategy Development Officer
Head of Operations
Airport General Manager
CEO
Chief Executive Officer