Gatwick breaks 35m barrier

Gatwick Airport has announced that in the 12 months to the end of November 2007, it handled over 35 million passengers for the first time.

In November Gatwick saw a passenger increase of 6.2 per cent compared to the same month in 2006.

There was an increase of 15 per cent in the number of people travelling to and from the Republic of Ireland and a rise of 12 per cent in long-haul travellers outside the North Atlantic.

The entire BAA group of seven UK airports saw a year-on-year increase of 1.5 per cent in passenger traffic in November.

Andy Flower, managing director of Gatwick Airport, said: "Gatwick's continued steady growth shows the popularity of the airport with our airlines and with our passengers.

"Our passengers have an ever increasing choice of routes as well as enjoying our excellent and improving facilities and superb transport links to central London and the rest of southern England."

In total, more than 2.15 million people travelled through Gatwick in November 2007.