Airports Gatwick Airport celebrates 60th anniversary

Initially, the airport was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on June 9, 1958. Back then, the airport became the first airport in the world to combine train travel, road travel and air travel in one single unit. Furthermore, the Gatwick airport became the first airport in the world to have a direct railway link, which enabled passengers to connect seamlessly on their journey.

A construction project valued at £7.8 million helped Gatwick airport to transform the airport into a global travel hub. Since then, the airport opened a second terminal, launched Gatwick Express and built a new tower and the iconic passenger bridge.

Andy Pule, Head of Terminal Operations at Gatwick, said: “Throughout its history, Gatwick has remained at the forefront of innovation, investing billions over the years to ensure that we are constantly pushing the boundaries and delivering the best possible experience for our passengers [...] It’s been an unbelievable 60 years at Gatwick and we have had a magnificent impact in making air travel accessible to millions of people."

Overall, the airport experienced three runway extensions due to rising air travel demand between the 1960s and 1970s. However, Gatwick airport still operates with one single runway today and is known as the world´s busiest single-runway airport.

Today, Gatwick airport is the UK´s second largest airport. It serves more than 74 countries on 228 destinations and handled over 45 million passengers a year. Especially low-cost airlines have strengthened their activities at the airport in the last years. Norwegian for example opened a base at Gatwick and Primera Air recently started direct flights to the US, using modern Airbus A321neo aircraft. Most airlines offer short and long-haul point-to-point services.

“Now, as we move into our seventh decade, we look ahead to continuing our success story, with more global connections regularly being added to our thriving route network, and more pioneering solutions being provided to enhance the passenger experience,” Pule added.