Because London Gatwick is the second busiest airport in the UK and a business that recording some impressive growth figures in 2013/14, not to mention the busiest single runway gateway in the country, the idea of adding a new runway has a lot of potential. They are clearly a business on the rise again and are an airport could truly benefit from further expansion. Currently, the airport has only been short-listed for this development by the Airports Commission; however those in charge at Gatwick are convinced that they are the best choice because of their current success, the growing demand for flights from increasing numbers of passengers and other recent, successful developments.
A new runway could help to meet the needs of London Gatwick's many passengers and elevate the airport to a new status.
Understandably, officials at Gatwick are thrilled by the proposal and they wholeheartedly believe that the airport really is the best choice, both environmentally and economically. More people are choosing Gatwick as their preferred London airport, with passenger numbers growing at an impressive rate, so giving these travellers this extra runway to accommodate their flights really does seem like the best option to them. The airport has seen an impressive turnaround in the last year; in 2012/13 they made a loss of £29.1 million but in 2013/14 they saw a profit of £57.5 million as well as high growth in arrivals and departures and an increased share of traffic in the London market. The airport seems to be succeeding in many different areas and is branching out, with established relationship with airlines continuing at the same time that new carriers are being brought in, but the biggest achievement has to be the record growth in passenger numbers: Gatwick welcomed around 36 million passengers in 2013/14, a rise of 4.8%.
If London Gatwick is successful in this bid for a new runway, it will surely be the crowning achievement to their already impressive expansion plan. Work is already underway to improve the airport further to enhance the passenger experience, such as the £201 million investment for the South Terminal departure lounge – where twenty stores were either created or refurbished – and other proposals for 2014/15 like the plan to rebuild pier 1 with a new baggage system. A second runway for Gatwick would be that extra step further, a development that would take them from simply being an improved airport to becoming a world-class one that would put them on an even better footing against their European competitors. That has to be the main reason that this potential runway is desired so much.