Improved security process and new routes: What passengers can expect travelling through London Gatwick this Easter
- London Gatwick saw a 1.2% increase in passengers in the first three months of 2025 compared to Q1 2024
- Passengers no longer need to remove electrical items or liquids from hand luggage at security
- London Gatwick offers passengers a choice of around 220 destinations this Easter, including new routes to Bahrain, Rimini (Italy) and Alesund (Norway)
London Gatwick welcomed 8.4m passengers across the first quarter of 2025, with travellers looking to take advantage of new and increased services to destinations including Bangkok, Rimini and Singapore.
The airport is expecting a busy Easter period with the most popular destinations being Malaga, Barcelona and Dubai. The busiest day is expected to be Friday 18 April with 764 flights.
Passengers travelling through London Gatwick this Easter will also experience a state-of-the-art, simpler and more efficient security process, following the roll-out of new Next Generation scanners at the airport.
The new technology means passengers no longer need to remove electrical items from their hand luggage, or place liquids in separate plastic bags. Between January and the end of March, 98% of passengers passed through security in less than five minutes.
Nick Williams, Head of Passenger Operations, London Gatwick said: “2025 has got off to a strong start at London Gatwick, with the introduction of exciting new routes and increased services to popular destinations.
“As we continue to grow, we are looking forward to a busy Easter period, offering passengers a choice of 220 destinations from 55 airlines, including a new long-haul service to Bahrain with Gulf Air, an increase in Singapore Airlines’ service to a daily operation, and the start of short-haul routes to Rimini (Italy), Dusseldorf (Germany) and Alesund (Norway).”
Top tips for passengers travelling over the Easter break:
- Plan your journey to the airport in advance: Check roadworks and rail services before you travel
- If driving, book in advance with Official London Gatwick Parking
- Liquids and electronics no longer need to be removed from hand luggage when passing through security. Liquids must still be no larger than 100ml. Passengers should still place personal items from pockets into security trays
- Book special assistance at least 48 hours in advance: More information is available on the London Gatwick website
- Arrive on time: Make sure you arrive when check-in opens. Typically, this is three hours before a long-haul flight and two hours before a short-haul flight
With 43 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 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 (15 million people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2 billion 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%.
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.
For more information:
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes 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.
GIP has approximately $170 billion in assets under management. GIP believes that its focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with its deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables it to be responsible stewards of investor capital and to create positive economic impact for communities.
Linked news
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London, UK, 1 April 2025
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