Gatwick International Airport (LGW)

Introduction

Gatwick International Airport is London’s second airport. Over 32.6 million passengers are handled by Gatwick International Airport every year. Located in Crawley, West Sussex, 28 miles south of London, and 25 miles north of Brighton, Gatwick International Airport is also the UK’s second largest airport.

Facilities and Services

Gatwick International Airport can offer its passengers flights to many scheduled and seasonal chartered holiday destinations all around the world.
Gatwick International Airport has two terminals that provide passengers with departure lounges containing an extensive range of retail and catering outlets. Gatwick International Airport also has currency exchange facilities; car hire representatives and information desks to meet arriving passengers needs.
Gatwick International Airport has several executive business lounges within its departure lounges. Passengers can enjoy business facilities such as fax; e-mail; and Internet access as well as complimentary drinks and snacks in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.

Getting To The Airport

Gatwick International Airport is directly linked to the M23 at Junction 9 and to the A23 London-Brighton road. For drivers using a satellite navigation system, the following post codes may be useful, South Terminal: RH6 0RN; North Terminal: RH6 0PJ.
Gatwick Express offers a dedicated, high-speed (just 30 –35 minutes) service between central London and Gatwick International Airport. The railway station is directly linked to Gatwick's South Terminal and is just a few minutes from North Terminal via a free transit train link. There are regular services that run south to Brighton or north to to East Croydon, central London (King's Cross Thameslink), Luton and Bedford.
Local bus services run direct to and from both Gatwick terminals into Crawley, Horley and Redhill, as well as other local destinations. Follow signs for ‘Local Buses’ to the relevant bus stop.
Gatwick is connected to over 400 towns and cities across the UK by a variety of frequent, daily coach services. Most airport services are in air conditioned vehicles.
National Express operate from the upper terminal forecourt (South Terminal). Most of their services also call at the North Terminal (on the lower level outside International Arrivals). The Heathrow-Gatwick National Express service drops passengers off right outside Departures at the North Terminal.
Tickets can be bought at National Express ticket desks in Arrivals in both the North and South and terminals. There is also a ticket desk and covered waiting area in the South Terminal coach station.

Parking at the Airport

Short stay airport parking at Gatwick International Airport is located right next to the airport terminals and can be used for meeting friends and family or for short breaks.
There are several long stay airport parking options at Gatwick International Airport. Drop off your car at the car park. A frequent courtesy bus will take you to the terminal. An ideal parking solution for longer trips and family holidays.
Valet parking at Gatwick offers the greatest convenience – your car will be parked for you when you arrive at the airport and delivered back to you when you return.
In order to make a booking to secure a space at any of these pre-bookable car parks at Gatwick International Airport via carparkinguk.co.uk.

History of Gatwick International Airport

In 1934, Gatwick received its first public licence, which allowed the airport to be used by commercial aircraft. Hillman’s Airways was the first airline to operate out of Gatwick with flights to Paris and Belfast in 1935. Also in 1935 a new railway station was opened at Gatwick and offered two Southern Railway trains each hour, on to the Victoria to Brighton line. The following year the airport had expanded to enable passengers to fly to Malmo via Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen and the Isle of Wight.

On 17th May 1936 the first scheduled flight from Gatwick to Paris was made. The Beehive was also opened in 1936, the first circular terminal which offered several additional features such as a 130-yard-long-subway to the train station so that passengers could remain under cover until it was time for them to board the aircraft.

In 1952 the Government gave approval for the proposed development of Gatwick with a view to providing a viable alternative to Heathrow. Consequently, Gatwick closed in March 1956 and building began on what was commonly known as ‘the new London Airport’. Gatwick cost approximately £7.8 million and took almost three years to build but on 9th June 1958, the Queen officially opened the new Gatwick Airport was opened by the Queen.

Demands on Gatwick grew and in 1962 work began on enlarging the airport, doubling the terminal in size and providing two more piers. By 1967 passenger figures exceeded 2 million and it was soon felt necessary to build a second terminal at Gatwick. The North Terminal turned out to be the largest, single construction project south of London in the 1980s and the main building is around six times the size of the Royal Albert Hall.

Development of this major international airport is ongoing and there have been numerous expansions and improvements to the site which have resulted in making it not only London’s second airport but also the second largest airport in the UK.