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Gatwick Airport ( IATA Airport Code: LGW, ICAO Airport Code: EGKK) is London's second airport and the second largest airport in the UK after Heathrow. It is located in West Sussex, approximately 40 km (25 miles) south of London, and an equal distance north of Brighton.Gatwick is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, handling over 31 million passengers annually, flying to around 200 destinations. Charter airlines are generally not allowed to operate from Heathrow and many use Gatwick instead as their base. Many flights to and from the USA also use Gatwick because of restrictions on transatlantic operations from Heathrow.
Recent proposals to build a second runway at Gatwick have led to strenuous protests because of the increased noise and pollution that this would entail, not to mention the demolition of dozens of houses. In addition an agreement with the local council has promised not to build a second runway until at least 2019. Car parking remains a constant concern with space unable to meet demand. Off airport operators say that all off airport car parks are now virtually full from July to September and it is difficult to see how the airport can continue to increase passenger levels without more land receiving planning for car parking.
1 History
The name "Gatwick" dates back to 1241, and was the name of a manor on the site of today's airport until the 19th century. In 1890, the manor was converted into a race course, which hosted the Aintree Grand National for several years during World War I.
In 1930, the Surrey Aero Club was incorporated at Gatwick, and pilots began flying their aeroplanes to the races. In 1933, the race course was purchased by an outside investor and redesigned as a full airport. The Air Ministry approved commercial flights from Gatwick the following year, and by 1936, scheduled flights were operating to several destinations on the Continent. A circular terminal called "The Beehive" was built, with a subway connecting it to Gatwick railway station so that passengers could travel from Victoria StationVictoria station is a London Underground and railway station in London, in the City of Westminster. The eastern side, comprising platforms 1 8 services Kent, and the western side comprising platforms 9 19 is the terminus for lines running from Surrey and to the aircraft without stepping into the elements.
After World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough, Gatwick was re-designated as an alternative to Heathrow Airport, and the airport was closed for an extensive (£7.8 million) renovation between 1956 and 1958. The new Gatwick was the world's first airport with a direct railway connection, and was one of the first to use a fully enclosed pier-based terminal design with covered jetbridges connecting waiting areas directly to aircraft.
In 1969For other uses, see Number 1969. For the movie, see 1969 (movie). Events January January 1 Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch purchases the largest selling British Sunday newspaper The News Of The World January 5 The Derry Riots leave over 100 people i, Ariana Flight 701 , a Boeing 727The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet-liner in the world. The 727 first took the skies during the 1960s, much earlier than its bigger and more famous sister the Boeing 747. The 727 design arose as a compromise between United Airli of Ariana Afghan AirlinesAriana Afghan Airlines is the national airline of Afghanistan. History Ariana during the 1970s was considered a top notch airline by many travel experts. The airline at that time had such equipment as DC-10s flying for them. Times looked bright for the ai was arriving at Gatwick from Frankfurt International AirportFrankfurt International Airport ( German: Flughafen Frankfurt am Main is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is the largest airport in Germany and the second or third-largest in Europe (depending which data are used), serving as an important hub for in Frankfurt am Main, Germany when it crashed into a house, killing 50 of the 66 persons aboard. Two people died on the ground.
