Skip down to main content.
Don't forget the passenger!
11 March 2013
February 2013 traffic performance summary
Note: Origins and destinations are classified according to ultimate origin or destination of aircraft in the case of multi-sector flights.More than 2.1 million passengers passed through Gatwick in February 2013, marginally down on the prior year. The (0.7)% decline in passenger numbers was due to last year being a leap year. When compared on a like-for-like basis, 2.2% (or 47,800) more passengers passed through Gatwick in February.
Gatwick’s load factors, showing how full the average flight was, reached a record for the month at 80.7%. This was 2.9 percentage points higher than the prior year.
Across the month, Gatwick saw a 2.4% growth in domestic markets with 6,400 more passengers flying to UK and Channel Islands destinations. There was also a 1.9% rise in the number of passengers (7,200 more passengers) flying to long-haul markets outside the US, including Asia, Africa. the Middle East and the Caribbean.
However, there was a decline in European scheduled (0.7)% and chartered (3.4)% flights as the challenging economic conditions continue in Europe.
February was a good month for route development activity. Garuda Indonesia confirmed that they will be launching direct flights to Jakarta later this year, making Gatwick the only UK airport to connect passengers directly to the largest economy in South East Asia.
Iraqi Airways also announced it would resume flights to Baghdad and Sulaymaniyah commencing March 2013. The resumption of this service marks the establishment of the first regular scheduled flights between the two countries for 23 years.
Gatwick Airport’s Chief Financial Officer, Nick Dunn, said:
“While economic conditions continue to be challenging in Europe, it is positive that Gatwick is succeeding in developing direct air links to the world’s fastest growing economies, which are vital to the success of the UK economy. Therefore we welcomed the news in February that Garuda Indonesia had chosen Gatwick to connect London directly to Jakarta. Gatwick is playing an increasingly important role in opening new routes to growing economies such as China, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam and now Indonesia.”
For media relations information, please contact:
Sarah Baranowski, 01293 505000 / sarah.baranowski@gatwickairport.com
For investor relations information, please contact:
Jeff Naested, 01293 502597 / jeff.naested@gatwickairport.com
t: + 44 (0) 1293 505000 e: gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com
About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 180 destinations in 90 countries for around 34.2 million passengers a year on short- and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the South-East region, generating around 23,000 on-airport jobs and a further 13,000 jobs through related activities. The airport is 28 miles south of London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport
Media Centre by Glide Newsroom