A record-breaking 2.9m passengers will travel through Gatwick across the festive period. The busiest days are expected to be:
Sunday 23 December for departures (73,000 passengers)
Sunday 6 January for arrivals (71,000 passengers)
Sunday 30 December for departures and arrivals combined (142,000 passengers)
Christmas in Vietnam appears to be an increasingly appealing prospect for Gatwick passengers, as the Vietnamese island of Phรบ Quแปc – where the average December temperature is 30°C – will be the long-haul route with the highest growth, up +79.2% year-on-year.
Thousands of passengers have also opted for a Florida Christmas this year, with long-haul routes to Tampa and Fort Lauderdale growing by +69.1% and +54.2% respectively. Holiday favourite Orlando is on the up too, +28.1% year-on-year.
For those passengers planning to spend Christmas slightly closer to home, Dalaman’s popularity is soaring once more, with +153% more passengers spending Christmas there compared with 2017.
Elsewhere, Kuusamo in Lapland will be the short-haul route with the second-highest year-on-year growth, +76.6%. Gatwick recently announced that it will offer more flights to Lapland – the home of Father Christmas – than any other UK airport this winter.
Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations, Gatwick Airport said: “We’re excited to be welcoming 2.9 million passengers to Gatwick over the festive period. It’s going to be the busiest Christmas in the airport’s history, and our friendly staff will be on hand throughout the season to ensure the passenger experience is as seamless and enjoyable as ever.
“Whether they’re jetting off for a sunshine break in Phรบ Quแปc or Tampa, or spending the holidays in Europe, we wish all of our passengers an unforgettable Christmas trip. It’s been a fantastic year for Gatwick and we’re really looking forward to building on that success and continuing to deliver for our passengers in 2019.”
