Gatwick passenger numbers soar as strikes hit flight punctuality

Passenger numbers at Gatwick airport soared to 19m during the first six months of the year, according to its operator, although air traffic control strikes across Europe contributed to an increase in delayed departures and landings. Demand for travel resulted in 41% more passengers travelling through the airport between January and June compared with 2022 – when Covid restrictions were still in place – Gatwick said as it released half-year results. The airport reported a net profit of GBP79m for the first six months of the year, a 56% increase compared with the same period in 2022. However, the results, which do not include the impact from the failure of the UK’s air traffic control system on Monday, show flights remained at 86% of their pre-pandemic level. Gatwick said the number and punctuality had been affected by strike action at airports across Europe. Strikes by air traffic control managers have also restricted routes and forced airlines to divert to longer flight paths, with France particularly affected. Gatwick’s biggest airline, easyJet, cancelled 1,700 summer flights primarily from the Sussex airport in an attempt to try to limit the disruption from strikes.<br/>