Long-haul growth for Gatwick in October

Gatwick Airport saw year-on-year growth of 13.1 per cent in long-haul passenger numbers in October, the latest figures released by the hub have shown.

North American traffic was one of the most substantial contributors to overall expansion from Gatwick, with an 11.3 per cent rise in passengers last month, while the European scheduled market saw a 9.6 per cent increase in activity.

Overall, Gatwick Airport handled more than three million passengers in October, which is an increase of 4.9 per cent on the same month in 2006.

This exceeded the total year-on-year increase of 3.5 per cent that was recorded across BAA's seven UK airports and contributed to combined total passenger numbers of 13.2 million.

Managing director Andy Flower said: "I am delighted that Gatwick Airport is enjoying such positive growth in the North American and long-haul markets.

"The diverse range of flights has stimulated the growth in Gatwick's passenger numbers, which will reach 35 million a year by the end of 2007."