Gatwick Airport introduces new COVID-19 measures and guidance

Credit: London Gatwick Airport

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) has announced that it has introduced a range of measures to protect the well-being and safety of both passengers and staff, with those travelling through the airport encouraged to check new guidance before leaving home, as the airport prepares to re-open its North Terminal on 15 June 2020.

The well-being and safety of passengers and staff remains Gatwick Airport’s top priority, and extensive measures have been put in place throughout the airport, including:

• Passengers are now required to wear a face covering within the airport, with Gatwick Airport staff mandated to wear face coverings in passenger-facing areas of the terminals. Face mask vending machines will also be made available at the airport
• Encouraging good hand hygiene with ample, well signposted hand washing facilities and numerous hand sanitising stations – including touch-free models – throughout the airport
• Frequent, enhanced deep-cleaning of common-use surfaces throughout the airport, with dedicated teams visible to respond to any passenger concerns on cleanliness
• Social distancing procedures have been put in place at check-in, security, gate rooms, seating in departure halls and in restaurants, bars and shops
• Installation of Perspex screens throughout the terminals, including at check-in desks, and gate rooms.

In addition to passenger guidance that is available online, digital and physical signage advising passengers of the new health measures is being displayed throughout Gatwick Airport, and a new film has been released that informs passengers of the new guidance and what to expect when travelling through the airport.

Gatwick Airport’s airlines have also introduced a range of health measures so that everyone can begin to enjoy the benefits of international travel again. The airport’s North Terminal is scheduled to re-open on 15 June 2020, following the announcement in March 2020 that it was to temporarily close due to the severe impact COVID-19 was having on the number flights operating to and from the airport. 

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, said: “Having remained open throughout this pandemic, the well-being and safety of our passengers and everyone that works at the airport remains our top priority. We have introduced a range of new social distancing and hygiene solutions to help this happen so that we can all help to protect each other when travelling through the airport. We want people to understand that airports and air travel is a safe environment in this COVID-19 travelling world.”

He continued: “We are pleased to be in a position to re-open the North Terminal and we look forward to welcoming back easyJet as they restart flights alongside our other airlines. The recent government announcement regarding the 14-day quarantine period for passengers arriving into the UK is, in our opinion, already having an impact on the start of air travel recovery. We accept that the government’s absolute priority is the protection of public health, but we continue to push for regular, country by country reviews of quarantine regulations, based on medical evidence.”