Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone sending largest ever delegation to major UK investment and infrastructure forum
- London Gatwick Region’s 60-strong delegation will attend UKREiiF this week
- Under the banner “Invest Gatwick Region”, representatives from across six local authority areas will showcase the work of the Airport Economic Zone and launch a new digital investment prospectus
- The delegation will be led by London Gatwick Chair Baroness Ford
A delegation of business, local government and academic leaders, led by London Gatwick, will be showcasing the airport’s innovative work supporting regional economic development at one of the UK’s premier investment forums this week.
More than 60 delegates from across the Gatwick Region - which encompasses West Sussex, East Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Croydon, Kent and Surrey - will attend the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds from 19 to 21 May.
Under the banner “Invest Gatwick Region”, the delegation will showcase the unique work being done across six local authority areas neighbouring the airport, with the aim of attracting further investment into the region to support growth and create jobs. This includes launching a digital investment prospectus with 28 ready-to-invest or development-ready opportunity sites valued at over £1.4bn.
This work forms part of the Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone which is the first business-led partnership designed to actively promote the region surrounding the airport as a globally connected gateway for inward investment, international trade and the visitor economy.
At the three-day UKREiiF forum, the team will be hosting and presenting at a range of events including a discussion on Airport Economic Zones and a networking breakfast in partnership with Gatwick Diamond Business – as well as having a dedicated stand in the exhibition hall where attendees can find out more about the initiative.
The Invest Gatwick Region UKREiiF delegation will be led by London Gatwick Board Chair, Baroness Margaret Ford, who said: “The Airport Economic Zone is a powerful vehicle to promote a region that delivers 7% of UK GVA (£165bn in economic value).
“I am delighted to be joining such a dynamic and diverse group of regional leaders at UKREiiF - from world-class technology companies working at the forefront of quantum computing to some of our finest wine producers - to help raise awareness of the investment opportunities of the Gatwick Region and further strengthen regional collaboration.”
Brett North, Executive Director, Gatwick Diamond Business said: “UKREiiF represents an important moment for the Gatwick Region as the largest and most ambitious delegation collectively assembled for the event comes together under the Invest Gatwick Region banner.
“Gatwick Diamond Business is proud to play a central role in bringing together business, local authority, education and investment partners to showcase one of the UK’s most globally connected and commercially significant economic regions.
“Backed by London Gatwick and the wider Airport Economic Zone vision, this is about demonstrating the scale of opportunity across the region, from investment and development to innovation, international trade and long-term economic growth.”
Launched by London Gatwick in 2025, the Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone (AEZ) is the UK’s first ‘aviation-powered economic zone’.
The AEZ aims to drive sustainable long-term growth for communities across the region through private and public sector collaboration.
Representation within the AEZ delegation includes local authorities and combined authorities from across these areas, reflecting the region’s shared economic geography and collective ambition.
UKREiiF is the UK’s leading forum for real estate, investment and infrastructure, bringing together property professionals, investors, developers and senior decision-makers from across the UK.
More than 16,000 delegates – including over 4,000 investors and developers - are expected to attend this year’s event which will focus on airports and ports, coastal regeneration, rural placemaking, affordable housing, hospitality and cultural destinations, whilst maintaining attention on the wider real estate landscape.
Follow Gatwick Region at UKREiiF on LinkedIn for updates from the event.
An image of Baroness Ford is available on request via pressoffice@gatwickairport.com
With around 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). More than 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 160 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared maximum capacity of 57 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
London Gatwick’s Northern Runway plans include an enhanced community fund for Sussex, Surrey and Kent and a comprehensive Employment Skills and Business Strategy designed to further enhance the economic, social and business benefits of the airport’s growth. A critical part of this strategy is the Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone (AEZ), an initiative that launched in 2025 as a framework to promote investment to the Gatwick Region.
Underpinned by London Gatwick’s connectivity, the AEZ brings together public and private sector partners alongside national government representatives and is designed to attract further inward investment and help drive long term sustained economic development in a region encompassing five million people across Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Brighton & Hove, and Croydon.
While the full funding for the AEZ is not unlocked until work formally commences on the Northern Runway an AEZ taskforce made up of representatives from local authorities and key business stakeholders, has worked to develop a brand identity, shape the zone’s geography and direction, and agree priorities (focused around three key themes of inward investment, international trade and the visitor economy). “Invest Gatwick Region” is a sub-brand of the AEZ to deliver activities to support inward investment and the UKREiiF delegation is a pilot activity to support its plans.
Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone was formally launched at UKREiiF in 2025 and in 2026, the Gatwick Region AEZ delegation will return to UKREiiF with 28 partners, including for the first time universities and further education institutions promoting the region’s knowledge economy strengths. At UKREiiF this year, “Invest Gatwick Region” will also unveil the region’s first digital investment prospectus, showcasing 28 ready-to-invest or development-ready opportunity sites with a combined value exceeding £1.4bn.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specialises in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition. GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com .
