Gatwick invests in new dedicated domestic arrivals route
London Gatwick has this week opened a new arrivals facility for domestic travellers from other parts of the UK and Republic of Ireland, providing a faster and more convenient exit from the aircraft through a new dedicated arrivals route.
The £24 million investment means that passengers arriving from the UK and Republic of Ireland, will now be able to disembark their aircraft from a jetty, or via aircraft steps and straight into the terminal building. A new dedicated baggage reclaim belt has also been installed providing fast and convenient collection of luggage on the arrivals journey and freeing up capacity for international passengers.
The investment is part of Gatwick’s £1.11 billion Capital Investment Programme and VINCI Airports’ global commitment to seek out the most innovative ways to optimise the infrastructure of airports, as well as how passengers move through them, to ensure the best experience.
New South Terminal arrivals route ensures
faster journey times through the airport
Investment in technology enables automated
biometric processing at the departure gate
Previously, arrivals from parts of the UK (including the Channel Islands) and the Republic of Ireland, had to be coached from their aircraft to a special baggage reclaim area to ensure segregation from international passengers, in line with immigration policies. While a small number of flights might occasionally be coached during peak periods, 95 per cent will now be able to disembark via a jetty or steps.
For departing UK and Republic of Ireland passengers, additional investment in e-gates and biometric technology has transformed the gate room process by using more efficient self-service. Iris recognition and reconciliation ensures the airport distinguishes UK and Republic of Ireland passengers from international travellers on the departure journey.
Gatwick’s Head of Terminal Operations, Andy Pule, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve the experience of passengers who travel through Gatwick, and this is a great example of how we invest in existing infrastructure to facilitate growth while also improving service for all. UK and Republic of Ireland passengers are frequent visitors to Gatwick and use the airport as a transit point into London, or to connect with the rest of the world.”
This investment is set to benefit passengers arriving with Aurigny from Guernsey; British Airways from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Jersey; Aer Lingus from Dublin and Knock and Ryanair from Cork, Shannon and Dublin.
Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport. It serves more than 230 destinations in 74 countries for 46 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. Gatwick is also a major economic driver and generates around 85,000 jobs nationally, with 24,000 of these located on the airport.
Since May 2019, a new long-term partnership was formed with VINCI Airports who purchased a 50.01% stake in the airport. This partnership sees Gatwick Airport integrate into the network of VINCI Airports, the leading private airport operator in the world, which manages the development and operation of 46 airports across the globe. Served by around 250 airlines, VINCI Airports' network handled 240 million passengers in 2018 - including traffic at London Gatwick. VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and operates airports, leveraging its investment capability, international network and know-how to optimise performance of existing airport infrastructure, facility extensions and new-build construction projects.
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which manages the remaining 49.99% interest in Gatwick, is an independent infrastructure investor that makes equity investments in high quality infrastructure assets in the energy, transport and water/waste sectors. GIP has US$56 billion of Assets under Management. Its 18 portfolio companies operate in over 50 countries with circa 54,000 employees and generate annual revenues of circa US$50 billion.
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