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Gatwick passed the 44 million passengers a year mark for the first time this weekend – a world record for a single runway airport.
The airport also announced that it has secured 49 consecutive months of growth.
Driven by growth in long haul routes, the airport has reported its busiest ever March, with over 3.3 million passengers passing through – up 8.4 per cent on the same month in 2016.
With new routes to Denver and Seattle just announced, long haul traffic to North America grew particularly strongly, up 37 per cent in March, with services to LA, Boston and Toronto growing most.
Cape Town, Hong Kong and Costa Rica were top long haul destinations to other parts of the world and contributed to a 34 per cent growth in the volume cargo compared to the same month in 2016.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick chief executive, said: “Gatwick is booming.
“We have just hit 44 million passengers a year – a world record for a single runway airport – and a mark that some predicted we would not hit until 2035, in 18 years’ time!”
He added: “Our passengers continue to show confidence in foreign travel, particularly to the growing number of long haul destinations that Gatwick now serves.
“We launched 20 new long haul routes last year alone and even more will start this summer, including to Seattle, Denver and Xi’an – our third destination in China – with our Hong Kong service also going daily.
“This long haul growth is also driving up the amount of cargo flown out from Gatwick.
“We’ve seen a 34 per cent increase in cargo this month alone, which is important as the UK readjusts and focusses attention on global destinations further afield.
In year to March 2017, Gatwick recorded 283,094 air traffic movements.
Sоurсе: breakingtravelnews.com