£3Bn investment for London-Gatwick

® JMilstein

A five-year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) has been confirmed for London-Gatwick Airport.

Artist’s impression of Gatwick’s Pier 6  shows the proposed new extension to the west of the pier, more than doubling its size compared to today, and also highlighting other aspects of the project including the position of the new A380 stand on Pier 5, and the widened taxiway which will enable the A380 to move between the pier and the runway.

Speaking at the British-Irish Airports Expo in London, Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate announced the plans, which will see some £1.1Bn invested over the next five years, with £266M of investment already planned for 2018/19.

With airport numbers expected to increase upwards of 53M through long-haul passengers and general growth, Gatwick is exploring how it can grow sustainably and make best use of its existing infrastructure. Gatwick is looking to provide additional capacity, improve resilience and harness new technology to support its growth, whilst also supporting the local and national economy and enhance the passenger experience.

Since the airport changed ownership in December 2009 the total investment figure, combined with this new five-year plan rises to £3.14Bn.

A number of projects have been identified as significant parts of the expansion plan, with a number of developments expected to get underway this year.

First off will be the Pier 6 Western Extension, where Phase I will kick off with enabling works to Pier . This will allow it to handle the A380 aircraft, so that it can move from its current home on Pier 6. Work involves the widening and reconfiguration of a taxiway to accommodate the 80m wingspan of the A380.

A new domestic arrivals facility, including a new baggage reclaim in South Terminal will be constructed, while a  new mezzanine level extension in the North Terminal departure lounge will accommodate new restaurants.

Externally, the new road system and taxiway entrance to the new Boeing aircraft hangar will be completed, connecting the airfield with the new facility. The new hangar opens next year and will service the growing number of long-haul aircraft operating from Gatwick.

Works to the South Terminal will see a reconfiguration of the hotel capacity, with the long stay car park benefitting from an extra deck and 1,200 new car parking spaces for summer 2018.

Meanwhile, enabling works will be carried out to Gatwick Station precipitating a Network Rail upgrade, and a new reception area will be developed for passengers with reduced mobility in the North Terminal.

Further projects to improve security, and support the use of Electric Vehicles are also underway.

Gatwick’s Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate, said: “Gatwick is a major piece of national infrastructure, and our continued growth and ability to attract long-haul airlines is vital for the health of the UK economy, particularly in a post-Brexit world. We are exploring ways to grow our capacity, including developing new systems and processes to handle more passengers, and considering how we use all our existing infrastructure in the future.

“By committing to spend another £1.11Bn, Gatwick can continue to grow sustainably, attract new airlines and offer more global connections, while providing an excellent service to passengers.

“This year we will welcome new quieter aircraft with the introduction of A321s by easyJet and we are developing our infrastructure now, by reconfiguring airfield stands and planning for the construction of a major extension to our Pier 6 facility. These initiatives will support this next phase of growth.

“Looking beyond this capital investment programme, we welcome the Government’s support for airports making best use of their existing runways and we will plan for our longer term future by developing a Masterplan later this year”.

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