Gatwick short haul traffic declines

The airport’s pre-tax profits were down 7.3% year on year to £422.9 million.

It said this was down to reduced short haul passenger numbers due to ‘temporary issues related to aircraft availability.’

Some of its major customers were unable to get aircraft delivered to boost capacity as planned.

Nearly 43 million passengers were handled at Gatwick last year, which is a slight 1.1% year on year decline.

Still, it noted strong growth in long-haul markets to Africa and the Far East which were both up by more than 20%.

Flights to the Middle East and Central Asia grew by 17% in 2025.

“Our focus on excellent passenger service is unwavering. During the year we opened our newly refurbished assisted travel lounge,” said CEO Pierre-Hugues Schmit.

“Looking ahead, the development plans for the Northern Runway detail how we intend to unlock further growth for the airport.”