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Gatwick Airport
Airport Directory » United Kingdom » London » Gatwick AirportGatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) is London's 2nd biggest airport and 2nd busiest in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. In 2008, it was the world's 28th busiest airport in terms of riders and nineth busiest in terms of international riders. It is the world's busiest single-runway international airport.
Gatwick is 2.7 NM (5.0 kilometre; 3.1 mi) northward of central Crawley, West Sussex (originally Surrey), 24.7 NM (45.7 kilometre; 28.4 mi) southward of London. Gatwick is owned and functioned by BAA, which owns and functions 6 other UK airports, including Heathrow, and is itself owned by an international syndicate guided by the Spanish Ferrovial Group.
Passenger figure top out in 2007 when the airport dealt over 35 million riders for the 1st clip, even so this aggregative cut down by 2.9% in 2008 with 34,205,887 riders using Gatwick and 263,653 aircraft motilities entered.
In 2008 Gatwick observed 50 yr - Queen Elizabeth II opened the airport on nine June 1958.
Charter air hose mostly do not function from Heathrow and use Gatwick as a ground for London and the South East. For 30 yr voyages to and from the USA have also used Gatwick because of limitations on Heathrow in the 1977 Bermuda II understanding between the UK and the US. The airport is a ground for scheduled operators Aer Lingus, British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic. The airport is also a ground for charter air hose including Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways.
London Gatwick has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P528) that lets voyages for the public transport of riders or for winging direction.
On 17 September 2008, BAA stated it would sell Gatwick coming after a account by the Competition Commission into BAA's laterality, particularly in London and the South East. The airport has been rated at £1.8 billion by regulators.
History
The name "Gatwick" dates to 1241, the name of a manor house on the location of currently's airport until the 19th century. It is inferred from the Anglo-Saxon words gāt, 'caprine animals', and wīc, 'dairy farm', i.e. 'caprine animals farm'.
In 1891 a track was made beside the London-Brighton railway line, and a station included railroad siding for horse boxes. The course of instruction maintained steeplechase and flat rushes. During the First World War the course of instruction hosted the Grand National.
1920-1945
In the 1920s district adjacent to the track at Hunts Green Farm alongside Tinsley Green Lane was an airport and licenced in August 1930. Surrey Aero Club characteristic in 1930 and used the old Hunts Green farmhouse as baseball club house. Redwing Aircraft Company purchased the airport in 1932 and functioned a flying school. The airport was also used for airplane pilots winging in to speeds. In 1933, the airport was sold to an investor. The Air Ministry okayed commercial voyages from Gatwick the coming after yr, and by 1936, scheduled voyages were functioning to the Continent. A round depot named The Beehive, projected by Frank Hoar, was made with a subway system to Gatwick raceway railroad station so riders is able to move from London Victoria Station to the aircraft without stepping outside. Two fatal accidents in 1936 call into question the safety of the airport. Moreover, it was prone to fog and waterlogging. The new subway system inundated after rainfall. As a result and the take for longer districting strips, the original British Airways travel to Croydon Airport in 1937. Gatwick go back to private winging and was undertake as a Royal Air Force flying school. The airport also draw fix corporations.
Gatwick Airport was requisitioned by the RAF in September 1939 and used for aircraft upkeep. Although night-fighters, an armed forces co-operation squadron and afterward scrapper were ground at Gatwick, it was principally a doctor and care installation.
1945-1970
After the Second World War upkeep elongated and charter corporations winging war-surplus aircraft set about to use the airport. Most services were freight voyages, although the airport endured bad drain and was small used. In November 1948 the proprietors warned the airport is able to be de-requisitioned by November 1949 and turn back to private use.
Stansted Airport was favored as London's 2nd airport and Gatwick's time to come was in uncertainty. Despite resistance from local authority, in 1950 the Cabinet determined Gatwick was to be an choice to Heathrow. The authority stated in July 1952 that the airport was to be germinated, and the airport was closed for a (£7.8 million) redevelopment between 1956 and 1958. The renovation was action by Alfred McAlpine. On nine June 1958 Queen Elizabeth II winged into the new airport in a De Havilland Heron to execute the opening.
The independent wharf of what is currently the South Terminal was made during the 1956-58 building of Gatwick. In 1962, two additional wharf were added. Gatwick was the world's 1st airport with a direct railway line connect and 1 of the 1st to use an wrap pier-based depot which let riders to walk under cover to waiting area close to aircraft with only a short walk out of doors. Full extendible jet bridge were added when the wharf were reconstructed and continued in the late 1970s and early 1980s. British European Airways (BEA) set about winging from Gatwick and BEA Helicopters opened a ground. BWIA West Indies Airways and Sudan Airways were amongst the 1st scheduled abroad air hose.
From the late 1950s a figure of Britain's private air hose constituted themselves at Gatwick. The 1st was Morton Air Services, which changed over its functioning to the airport when its ground at Croydon closed. It was come after by Airwork, Hunting-Clan and Transair. In July 1960 these united to characteristic British United Airways (BUA). Throughout the 1960s BUA was Britain's biggest independent air hose. During that decennium it went Gatwick's biggest inhabitant air hose. By the finish of the decennium it also turned the airport's direct scheduled operator, with a 71,000 kilometre (43,217 land mile) web of short, medium and long-haul paths across Europe, Africa and South America. These were assisted with coeval BAC One-Eleven and Vickers VC-10 jet plane.
1970 to date
In late November 1970 BUA was get by the Scottish charter airline Caledonian Airways. The new air hose was known as Caledonian/BUA before following the British Caledonian name in September 1971. BUA's coup by Caledonian enabled the latter to transform itself into a scheduled air hose. In addition to scheduled paths inherited from BUA, it launched scheduled services to Europe, North and West Africa, North America as good as the Middle and Far East during the 1970s and '80s. This included the 1st scheduled service by a all private UK air hose since the 1930s between London and Paris, in November 1971, as good as the 1st transatlantic scheduled services by a private UK air hose to New York and Los Angeles, in April 1973. It also included the set up of the UK's 1st private scheduled air service to Hong Kong (via Dubai) in August 1980.
In November 1972 Laker Airways got the 1st operator of wide-body aircraft at Gatwick, coming after the unveiling of 2 McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 10 series widebodied trijets.
Laker's DC-10 fleet spread out throughout the 1970s and early '80s with longer-range series 30 aircraft. This enabled the set up of Gatwick's 1st daily long-haul, no trumperies voyages to New York JFK on one September 1977.
British Caledonian was also a Gatwick operator of the DC-10-30 widebody, having presented its 1st brace in March and May 1977, severally. The air hose finally functioned a little fleet of Boeing 747-200s as good, having get its 1st jumbo jet plane in 1982.
Other independent air hose including Dan-Air and Air Europe played a part in the development of the airport and its scheduled path web during the 1970s, '80s and early '90s.
As rider figure turned, a round artificial satellite wharf was added to the depot construction in 1983, link up to the independent depot by the UK's 1st automatised mortals mover system (currently replaced with a walk and travelators). The new air traffic control tower opened in 1984. The same yr, the non-stop Gatwick Express rail service to London Victoria established. There was demand for more capacity and a 2nd depot was be after.
Construction set about on the North Terminal in 1983 and was the biggest building labor southward of London in the 1980s. It cost £200 million. The depot was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 and spread out in 1991 with a 2nd aircraft wharf. In 1994, the North Terminal international departure lounge opened. Gatwick's 2 depots are linked by an automated rapid landing track theodolite system. An extension to North Terminal departure lounge was finished in 2001, and in 2005 a £110 million additional aircraft wharf (Pier six) opened, adding an duplicate 11 pier-served aircraft stand up. Linked by the world's biggest air rider span to the independent depot construction, it traverses a taxi strip, giving coming and going away riders positions of the airport and cabbing aircraft.
In 2000, a major extension to the South Terminal departure lounge was finished, and in 2005 an extension and restoration was also finished to the luggage repossess hallway, duplicate it in size. In May 2008, another extension was finished to the South Terminal departure lounge. In addition, a second-floor security hunt area opened. The South Terminal is chiefly used by low-cost air hose. Many former users have travel to the newer North Terminal.
Incidents and accidents
- 17 February 1959 - a Turkish Airlines Vickers Viscount on an international charter voyage crashed in heavy fog near Horley whilst draw close to bring down at Gatwick. The aeroplane hit some trees. Fourteen of 24 on board expired. Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was among the subsisters.
- Five January 1969 - a Boeing 727-113C functioning voyage 701 of Ariana Afghan Airlines getting from Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport, Germany, crashed into a house in low visibleness . The rolls were not continued to back up voyage at final draw close velocity. Fifty of the 66 on board pop off as good as 2 on the dry land.
- 20 July 1975 – a British Island Airways (BIA) Handley Page Dart Herald was regarded in a landing track accident while going away on a scheduled voyage to Guernsey. The aircraft take off from landing track 26 after a dry land run of 760 m and looked airborne for 125m with its districting pitch forswearing before the rear bottom of the fuselage settle down dorsum on to the landing track. None of the 45 inhabitants were hurt.
Gatwick currently
Facilities
Gatwick Airport has 2 depots, North and South. Both have stores and eating house landside and airside. Disabled riders is able to move through all area . There are installations for infant modifying and feeding, and play area and computer games for minors. Business traveler have lounges offering business organisation installations. There is a league and business organisation center. The airport and area has hotels from executive director to a capsule hotel. The airport has Anglican, Catholic and Free Church Chaplains. There is a multi-faith supplication appartment and advocate appartment in each depot. A daily service is directed by 1 of the chaplains. The supplication appartment is open to all religious belief.
Original article.