London Gatwick appoints new Head of Aviation Development
London Gatwick has announced the appointment of Jonny Macneal as its new Head of Aviation Development, effective 5 January 2026.
Jonny joins London Gatwick from Edinburgh Airport, also part of the VINCI Airports and GIP network, where he has served as Head of Aviation since 2022. During his tenure, he led a highly successful post-pandemic recovery in passenger growth and worked closely with airline partners to expand the airport’s route portfolio and network.
Jonny Macneal, incoming Head of Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “I’m thrilled to be joining London Gatwick and working with such a respected and experienced Commercial team. This opportunity comes at a pivotal time, following the approval of the Northern Runway and I’m eager to contribute to one of the most dynamic aviation markets in the UK.
“I’ve loved every moment at Edinburgh Airport and will always be grateful to the senior leadership team for their trust and support in my development. It’s been a privilege to work alongside such talented colleagues who are committed to driving growth for Scotland. I’ll miss the team, but I know they’ll continue to deliver outstanding results. I look forward to reconnecting with airline partners from my time in Edinburgh and building new relationships to further grow London Gatwick’s strong network of routes and carriers.”
Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jonny to London Gatwick at such an exciting time for the airport. His experience and energy will be invaluable as we continue to grow our route network and strengthen relationships with airlines. With our Northern Runway plans approved, we’re entering a new phase of opportunity that will enhance choice for passengers, boost the economy and bring enhanced capacity for vital long-haul services.”
Jonny began his aviation career at Edinburgh Airport in 2017 as a Business Development Manager. Prior to that, he spent six years at Brewin Dolphin managing investments for private clients, charities and trusts, before moving into a business development role at Insignia Technologies, supporting innovation in food service packaging.
Almost 60 airlines fly from London Gatwick to more than 220 destinations, including over 50 long-haul routes. Last month Norse Atlantic added to London Gatwick’s long-haul network with a 4x weekly service to Bangkok. Passengers can now benefit from 61 weekly services to Asia, including key destinations such as Singapore, Shanghai and Baku. October also saw Air Peace introduce Abuja, Nigeria to their destinations from London Gatwick, meaning passengers can connect directly to 21 African destinations from the airport.
With 43m 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 £5.5bn 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 (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%.
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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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 expertise, 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.
