Gatwick’s £200m investment boost welcomed by Mayor of London

Gatwick Airport has announced an additional £200 million of investment at the airport during a visit by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has welcomed Gatwick Airport’s announcement that it will boost its investment in the airport by an additional £200 million.

Sadiq Khan also underlined his support for the construction of a second runway at the airport. He called on the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, to support the capital’s economy by making a final decision on airport expansion in the South East a top priority, and he urged that decision to be in favour of Gatwick.

Mayor of London underlines support for a second runway at Gatwick

The additional investment will be spent transforming, revitalising and improving the existing airport – and will bring the total investment over the coming five years to £1.2 billion.

Projects announced today in its new Capital Investment Programme (2016 to 2021) include:

• Expansion of both the North Terminal and South Terminal departure lounges
• Upgrading shopping facilities
• Expansion of the North Terminal and South Terminal immigration halls
• Additional aircraft parking stands and optimisation of taxiways

The airport has also identified some new projects which will provide the additional capacity for future passengers while a decision on expansion is awaited.

Comment at the event, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:  “Gatwick is the front door to London for millions of visitors to our city and I salute their decision to spend another £200m on improvements to the airport. They have put together a formidable plan that is a fantastic display of their confidence in London.

“The new Prime Minister has a very important decision to make regarding new airport capacity, and I urge her to rule as swiftly as possible in favour of a second runway at Gatwick, which would bring substantial economic benefits.”

Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Development Director Ray Melee

Gatwick Airport CEO Stewart Wingate said: “As Gatwick rapidly approaches full capacity, this increased investment paves the way for our second runway project. As we enter a new era for Britain, we must be agile and decisive as a country to show the world that we are open for business.

“It is now clear that only Gatwick can deliver the runway Britain needs to boost international competitiveness and trading links at a time when it is most needed, and we can do that before 2025.

“This investment will also make sure that we can continue Gatwick’s record growth and transformation. Our total investment since coming into private ownership now stands at £2.5 billion as we operate the World’s most efficient single runway airport.”