Snow hits passenger numbers at Gatwick

News at Gatwick 18/01/2011

Aer Lingus launches new Gatwick route : January 2011 : Gatwick wins innovation award

Snow and ice have been blamed for lower passenger numbers at Gatwick Airport.

Passenger numbers at Gatwick Airport fell by almost 11 per cent in December last year. The big drop in the number of travellers is being blamed on the snow and ice that forced the airport’s closure on a number of occasions.

The weather in December, at times called ‘unprecedented’ and on several times, the Arctic conditions forced the West Sussex airport to shut. As a result, the airport handled 1.89 million fewer passengers in December of 2010 than it did in the same month a year before.

Despite the 10.9 per cent drop caused by the miserable weather, Gatwick said the underlying trend was positive. The airport said adjusted growth for the month rose by around 2.6 per cent.

The biggest drop in travellers – 23.7% - was on flights between Gatwick and Ireland. Gatwick was forced to close on 17 and 18 December after heavy snowfall, accompanied by freezing temperatures, made the airport unusable.

Thousands of passengers were stranded during the closure. Gatwick re-opened but was then forced to close again on 20 and 21 December as more heavy weather disrupted operations.

Aer Lingus launches new Gatwick route : January 2011 : Gatwick wins innovation award

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