At the British-Irish Airports Expo in London, London Gatwick Airport’s Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate, announced a new five-year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for Gatwick Airport which will see an investment of £1.1bn over a five-year period, with £266m already earmarked for 2018/2019 alone.

Gatwick sees continued growth in the long-haul market, predicting passenger numbers increasing to 53 million by 2023 and is concentrating on improving facilities and transforming passenger services.

Since the airport came under the ownership of Gatwick Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivy Holdco Limited, in 2009 and including this latest announced investment, the total investment figure will increase to £3.14bn.

Projects identified for part of the development plan include, but are not limited to:
• Pier 6 Western Extension
• A new domestic arrivals facility, including a new baggage reclaim in South Terminal.
• A new mezzanine level extension in the North Terminal departure lounge to accommodate new restaurants.
• Completion of the road system and taxiway entrance to the new Boeing aircraft hangar
• Trial of biometric auto-boarding technology in the North Terminal
• Re-development of South Terminal hotel capacity
• Completion of the South Terminal long stay car park decking project
• Support for greater use of electric vehicles
• Enabling works for Network Rail’s planned upgrade to the Gatwick station
• Investment in joint equipment for ground handlers
• New reception centre for passengers with reduced mobility in the North Terminal.

Stewart Wingate commented that: “Gatwick is a major piece of national infrastructure, and our continued growth and ability to attract long-haul airlines is vital for the health of the UK economy, particularly in a post-Brexit world. We are exploring ways to grow our capacity, including developing new systems and processes to handle more passengers, and considering how we use all our existing infrastructure in the future.”

“By committing to spend another £1.11 billion, Gatwick can continue to grow sustainably, attract new airlines and offer more global connections, while providing an excellent service to passengers. Gatwick is a hub for British Airways, and a focus city for easyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways.”

(£1.00 = US$1.33 at time of publication.)