Gatwick long-haul growth drives August cargo surge
London Gatwicks cargo traffic soared in August, +22.3% year-on-year, as long-haul routes continued to drive growth at the airport. Gatwicks long-haul network grew by +18% compared with the same month last year.
In what was the airport’s busiest August on record, overall passenger numbers were up +0.4% and the announcement of a new connection to Shanghai with China Eastern – set to provide over 3,700 extra tonnes of cargo capacity – brought Gatwick’s long-haul network to a total of 64 routes.
The airport now serves 241 destinations across the globe, with several US cities seeing some of the highest year-on-year growth in August. Boston was up +74.2%, while Los Angeles and New York grew by +36.8% and +33.9% respectively.
Closer to home, Vienna and Hamburg also saw high passenger growth rates. Services to Vienna were bolstered by Gatwick’s new Level route, +137.3% year-on-year, while flights to Hamburg - one of northern Europe’s main business hubs – were up +60%.
Due to the introduction of a number of vital long-haul routes, the volume of cargo handled by Gatwick has grown by more than +10% year-on-year in each of the last 12 months.
Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport said: “As we reach the end of Gatwick’s busiest summer to date, August’s traffic figures are extremely encouraging, particularly within our long-haul network. Our ongoing cargo success story is being driven by the soaring long-haul growth, and highlights the crucial role we play for our local and national economies.
“This will be critical in supporting the country post-Brexit, and we’re continuing to explore the best and most sustainable ways that Gatwick can grow so that the UK can reap the benefits of greater global connectivity.”