Winter-ready: London Gatwick boosts resilience with upgraded fleet and specialist training

London Gatwick is ready for winter, whatever the weather brings.  

Backed by months of planning, training and an upgraded vehicle fleet - part of its £17m six‑year winter resilience investment - the airport is well‑equipped to keep flights running safely and on time this winter season. 

Behind the scenes, teams on the airfield have rehearsed detailed operational plans, including live exercises and runway clearance drills, to strengthen team coordination and manage de-icing and snow removal of the runway, taxiways and aircraft stands. 

This year, colleagues have completed more than 5000 hours of winter operations training, combining four days of classroom learning and practical equipment training, alongside refresher courses. This ensures teams are fully prepared to keep the airfield running efficiently, in the event of snow, ice or fog. 

More than 450 colleagues support London Gatwick’s winter operations across airfield, engineering and fire service teams. This includes 180 “Polar Bears”, who are volunteers trained to operate snow-clearance vehicles and 50 landside “Yetis”, responsible for gritting and clearing 27 miles of airport roads, car parks and transport routes, keeping passengers safe. 

As the world’s most efficient single‑runway airport, London Gatwick operates 75 dedicated airside winter vehicles, including snow ploughs, sweepers,  multihogs, tractors and de-icers, supported by a full fleet of landside gritters and clearance machinery.  

The airport has further strengthened its resilience with six new Compact Jet Sweepers and two electric de‑icers, delivering faster clearance, greater manoeuvrability and advanced ploughing technology that leaves runway surfaces drier. 

Mark Johnston, Chief Operating Officer at London Gatwick said: “Winter can bring unpredictable challenges for the aviation industry and our top priority remains on keeping our airfield operating safely and efficiently. By planning ahead and equipping our teams with the right training and tools, alongside the work of our airline partners and ground handling agents, we ensure passengers can travel with confidence, even in the busiest and most challenging conditions of the season. From our dedicated snow‑clearance teams to the upgraded fleet of vehicles, every measure is designed to minimise disruption and keep flights moving through the colder months ahead.” 

London Gatwick manages its winter readiness programme in‑house, ensuring rapid response and full operational control. Working with the Met Office, the airport activates a dedicated “on‑call” team, with approximately 200 colleagues on stand-by whenever snow or severe weather is forecast, guided by detailed protocols in its adverse weather plan. 

This winter, passengers can choose from more than 220 destinations served by 60 airlines, including popular ski routes, Christmas market city breaks and winter-sun destinations.