Gatwick Airport History

From its earliest days Gatwick was an airport ahead of its time. Its first innovation was a direct link for passengers between the airport and the nearby rail station. Its second, 20 years later, was to build a covered pier from the terminal to aircraft stands, which became a standard feature of airport design.

For all its bright ideas Gatwick could boast no instant success in the pioneering era of civil aviation that was the 1930s.

Gatwick Airport started life modestly in 1931 as a private airfield owned by Home Counties Aviation Services. After a few years, development was carried out by Airports Limited which led to the building of the first terminal along with taxiways and aprons. Gatwick Airport at this time boasted that passengers arriving by train could walk into the airport through subways and covered walkways.

Like many pre-war airfields Gatwick lacked a paved runway and was eventually abandoned by its principal airline operator in 1938. During the 2nd World War, Gatwick became a Royal Air Force base.

After the war, aircraft maintenance and a limited number of charter flights along with the British European Airways helicopter company kept the airport in business.

The growth of the airport really began in 1953 when the Government decreed Gatwick as London's second airport and promptly invested in major development including opening a new 2000 foot runway.

Charter traffic became big business at Gatwick Airport in the 1980s. Despite this upturn Gatwick still ranked only fourth busiest of the UK airports.

Gatwick Airport always had ambitions beyond the charter market and these were finally realised in 1978 when it became a new transatlantic gateway. By the time Delta, Braniff and British Caledonian, BUA's successor, started up their routes to the USA the airport had already extended its runway to handle the long haul jets and had further improved the terminal.

Gatwick passenger traffic hit the 10 million mark in the 1980s and has continued to grow at a phenomenal rate, reaching over 32 million in 2000.

As air traffic continues on its upward path Gatwick Airport is anxious to build a second runway to meet increasing demand. The government is soon to publish a transport white paper which may well herald the next chapter in the development of London Gatwick Airport.

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