Gatwick Airport breaks passenger record numbers for financial 2017

(Source: Breaking Travel News)

Gatwick Airport today published its results for the year ended March 31st, 2017, with a record 44.1 million passengers passing through the airport over the past 12 months.

This is an increase of 3.2 million passengers or 7.7 per cent on the previous year.

Revenue at the airport was also up 7.7 per cent, to £725 million.

This, combined with carefully controlled cost management, resulted in EBITDA rising 12.9 per cent to £373.6 million and a profit before tax of £132 million.

Long-haul continues to be a success story with routes growing 13.6 per cent and now represent one in five of Gatwick’s passengers.

As capacity issues become a challenge, Gatwick will continue to see considerable growth in passenger numbers as airlines swap short haul for long haul services.

Norwegian’s new route to Buenos Aires using a B787 Dreamliner, for instance, will replace a short haul European service in Gatwick’s schedule.

Gatwick is due to welcome the world’s longest low-cost long-haul route - to Singapore - this September.

North Atlantic routes were up 38.7 per cent, with the two new routes launched by Norwegian in the year, Las Vegas and Oakland, San Francisco, contributing to this growth.

Stewart Wingate, chief executive, Gatwick Airport, said: “It has been another record-breaking year and another chapter in the transformation of Gatwick.

“Our continued growth and success is a testament to record investment, increased competition, and our renewed focus on efficiency and service.

“Our world record passenger numbers and increased long haul connectivity has been matched by a transformed airport experience which our passengers have recognised by giving us all-time high service quality results.”