Gatwick Airport has said it is back to “business as usual” and will not have to extend its capacity constraints beyond the end of the month.
The company said normal operations have resumed after months of strain at Europe’s airports and airlines.
The airport, which is London’s second busiest, said in June it was moderating growth in flight numbers after major disruption over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday.
Without summer restrictions, passengers would have experienced poor service standards. Queues would have been long and many flights would have been delayed or canceled at the last minute.
But with the school holidays coming to an end, the worst is over.
Chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “Unprecedented traffic growth led to short-term operational problems in June; however, our decisive and early action to limit airport capacity in the crucial school holiday period of July and August has ensured that passengers have experienced reliable flight schedules during the summer months.
“We are now business as usual and see no reason to extend the capacity statement.”
We welcomed 13 million passengers in the first six months of 2022 as strong travel demand drives our recovery.
With over 400 more employees at the airport and a return to normal business operations, there is no need for further controls over flight schedules.
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— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) August 23, 2022
He said booming demand for overseas travel has helped the airport recover from the pandemic.
In the second quarter of the year, demand was 74% of pre-pandemic levels, Gatwick said.
More than 13 million passengers traveled through the airport in the six months to the end of June. It now expects £32.8m to use the airport this year.
But that prediction could be hit by runaway inflation, which is driving up costs and causing people to cut back on luxuries.
Revenue reached £291.5m in the six months, while profit after tax came in at £50.6m.
“We still have a considerable way to go, but strong demand has accelerated Gatwick’s recovery from the pandemic, particularly in the last quarter since all UK travel restrictions were lifted,” Wingate said.
“Air traffic volumes have reflected this strong passenger demand and have recovered to around 75% of pre-Covid levels.
“Despite widespread economic uncertainty, we also look forward to a successful second half of the year, with new airlines and routes in operation and continued improvement in the high standards of service for which Gatwick is renowned.”
