Gatwick reports a return to profit after pandemic
The West Sussex airport reported profit after tax of £196.5 million for last year, against total losses of more than £830 million during 2020 and 2021.
Last updated 16th Mar 2023
Gatwick finally returned to profit in 2022 following a turbulent two years as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The airport in Crawley, West Sussex, reported profit after tax of £196.5 million for last year, against total losses of more than £830 million during 2020 and 2021.
Gatwick was used by 32.8 million passengers in 2022, up from 6.3 million during the previous 12 months – although bosses said there is still ‘some way to go to reach a full recovery’.
The total for last year was 70.4 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
It is claimed ‘early and decisive action’ was taken as the UK’s aviation sector struggled to cope with staff shortages between April and June 2022.
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: "The decisive actions we took early last year allowed us to offer good levels of service to passengers who travelled through Gatwick.
"Thank you to all colleagues across our airport who supported the operation last year as travel restrictions eased and passengers started to travel.
"This year we will have even more choice of airlines and destinations for travellers, whether flying for business or leisure.
"While we still have some way to go to reach a full recovery, we know long-term sustainable investment is critical to the future of our airport and provides a significant boost to the regional and national economy.
"This year we are pushing forward with a number of projects to improve resilience and the overall passenger experience, including preparing our planning application to bring the existing northern runway into routine use."