Gatwick planning to implement major refurbishment

News at Heathrow 11/10/2010

BA New York flight makes emergency landing at Heathrow : 2010 : Heathrow hits September travel record

Investment of £1 billion seen as offering the chance to challenge Heathrow’s dominance.

Gatwick Airport is hoping an upcoming billion-pound refurbishment programme will let it challenge the West London’s Heathrow airport. Located south of London in East Sussex, Gatwick Airport is hoping that the planned upgrades to facilities as well as transport links will enable it to attract more long-haul carriers. Gatwick is also hoping it can attract more budget airlines.

Admitting that Heathrow will probably continue as the primary airport for the UK, Nick Dunn, Gatwick Airport finance director, said he expects that refurbishment at Gatwick will drive passenger numbers to roughly 45 million by 2013. Gatwick is expecting to see 32 million travellers this year.

Included in the upgrade plans is the hope that Gatwick can perform the targeted refurbishment at under the £1 billion budget currently proposed. If this is done, the Civil Aviation Authority, which controls airport fee levels, could possible let Gatwick charge lower fees to airlines. This would in turn further support Gatwick’s aim to being more attractive to airlines than Stansted and Heathrow.

Mr Dunn also said he hopes competition has increased between airports in Britain. Gatwick’s owners BAA were in 2009 forced by the Competition Commission to sell the airport because they were in control of too many airports in the UK.

BA New York flight makes emergency landing at Heathrow : 2010 : Heathrow hits September travel record

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