London Gatwick ready to deliver smoother journeys and faster security ahead of peak summer season
- Passengers no longer need to remove laptops and liquids from bags at London Gatwick security
- The airport gears up for 900 flights a day during peak August weekends
- Newly refurbished South Terminal lounge offers more seating, quiet zones and improved facilities
London Gatwick is preparing to welcome millions of passengers over the school summer holidays, with smoother journeys now made even easier thanks to new security technology.
Passengers can keep liquids up to 100ml and electronic devices in their bags when passing through security, helping more than 95% of passengers clear security in under five minutes.
The airport’s busiest days are expected to be Sunday 3 August and Sunday 10 August with 900 flights scheduled each day. Passenger numbers are set to peak on Sunday 17 August.
This summer, London Gatwick will serve 224 destinations via 59 airlines, including 160 short-haul flights with Malaga, Barcelona and Palma De Mallorca the most popular. Passengers can also choose from 54 long-haul services, with Dubai, Shanghai and Orlando receiving the most bookings.
Passengers flying from the South Terminal will also benefit from a £7m newly refurbished departure lounge, with upgraded lighting, expanded seating, quiet zones and an improved Special Assistance Lounge, which has been moved to a more accessible location and benefits from new seating, flooring, planting and perimeter screens.
The busy summer follows a strong second quarter, with almost 11.6m passengers travelling through the airport between April and June 2025.
Passengers travelling through London Gatwick this summer will be able to take part in the airport’s ‘You Deserve the World’ campaign activity, with participating shops and restaurants offering a range of freebies and discounts.
Nick Williams, Head of Passenger Operations and Service, London Gatwick said: “Everyone at London Gatwick is fully prepared to give passengers a seamless and positive start to their holidays from the moment they arrive at the airport. We have been working hard, along with our airport partners, to plan for our busiest period and keep the operation running as smoothly as possible.
“As the airport continues to grow, the summer will be very busy and we encourage passengers to read our top tips ahead of visiting the airport so they are prepared and know what to expect when they get here.”
Top tips for passengers travelling through London Gatwick over the summer holidays:
- Plan your journey to the airport in advance. Check roadworks and rail services before you travel
- If driving, book parking in advance with Official London Gatwick Parking
- Prepare for security by keeping all liquids up to 100ml and electronics inside your bag.
- 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
- If shopping, enjoy 10% off when you use World Duty Free’s Reserve & Collect service: Browse products online, reserve them up to 30 days before you travel, then collect and pay in-store. T&Cs apply
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. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition.
GIP’s scaled platform has over $170 billion 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.
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London, UK, 3 July 2025
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