Press Release

May 2011 traffic performance summary

10 May 2011

  • 185,700 more passengers took to the skies this May
  • Average load factors reached record high for May

Passenger numbers at Gatwick rise by 6.8%

 

May-11

May-10

Growth
(%)

Jun-10 May-11

Jun-09 May-10

Growth
(%)
Total terminal passengers (000s)

2,916.5

2,730.8

6.8

32,535.4

31,760.1

2.4
Market comparison:            
UK + Channel Islands

316.0

301.4

4.8

3,614.3

 3,584.7

0.8
Ireland

111.3

97.3

14.4

1,271.7

1,324.7

-4.0
European scheduled

1,549.7

1,360.1

13.9

16,302.5

15,280.3

6.7
European charter

418.5

435.0

-3.8

4,734.8

4,994.8

-5.2
North Atlantic

194.2

187.6

3.5

1,923.7

1,994.7

-3.6

Other long haul

326.8

349.4

-6.5

4,688.4

4,580.9

2.3
Air transport movements

21,894

20,859

5.0

241,135

239,860

0.5
Cargo (metric tonnes)

7,633

9,764

-21.1

98,587

88,283

11.7

Note: Origins and destinations are classified according to ultimate origin or destination of aircraft in the case of multi-sector flights
Note: Figures for the market sectors have been rounded. Totals as per traffic summary.

Key Points:  

  • Passenger numbers increased by 185,700 in May 2011, 12 months on from disruption caused by the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland.
    • Passenger numbers were impacted in May 2010 due to sporadic closures to airspace above Gatwick and elsewhere in the UK and Europe
    • The impact of the eruption of Grimsvötn in Iceland in May 2011 was much lower than in the prior year. Airspace above Gatwick was not closed and disruption was limited to airports in Northern parts of the UK.
    • Passenger numbers also increased as holidaymakers took advantage of the Bank holidays and the start of the Summer half-term. An additional 21,000 passengers travelled through Gatwick over the second May Bank holiday period (26 – 30 May 2011) – up by 3.9% on the comparable period last year.
    • Average load factors reached a record high for May, increasing 0.6 percentage points from 76.7% in May 2010 to 77.3%.  
       
  • New long haul carrier – Sun Country – commenced services between Gatwick and Minneapolis on 28 May. The weekly service is London’s only direct link to the largest city in the US state of Minnesota.
  • In May, Gatwick announced that Air Nigeria – the national flag carrier of Nigeria – is to launch its first international route outside Africa with a daily service between London and Lagos. Launching in September this year, Air Nigeria brings further long haul volume to Gatwick as it competes to grow and become London’s airport of choice.

For media relations information please contact:

Gatwick Airport press office
Tel: +44 (0)1293 505000
Email: gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com

For investor relations information please contact:

Ben Nolan
Tel: +44 (0)1293 502589
Email: ben.nolan@gatwickairport.com

 

 

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