London Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport is the busiest single runway airport in the worlds and the second busiest airport in the UK after Heathrow. Gatwick is also one on the top ten busiest airports in the world. Nearly a hundred airlines operate from Gatwick’s two terminals travelling to over two hundred worldwide destinations. Gatwick handles over thirty two million passengers per year, the majority of which are scheduled  (70%) as against charter flights (30%). This number is expected to rise dramatically over the next ten years.
Gatwick has two terminals, the North Terminal and the South Terminal. The South Terminal opened in 1958 and was followed by the North Terminal thirty years later in 1988. Gatwick Airport is owned by BAA who also own London Heathrow and London Stansted Airports. Gatwick is altering its runway to make it wider to accommodate the new massive A380 Airbus airline, which can carry a significantly larger number of passengers than any other aircraft.

Gatwick Airport has a free automatic train service operating every three minutes to transfer passengers from the North Terminal to the South Terminal and vice versa.

For business travellers there are business facilities available including pre-bookable lounges with internet access, telephones and fax facilities. Within the lounge you will also receive complimentary drinks and snacks. There is also a television and a selection of the days newspapers and magazines. There are no children allowed in the lounge and you will not find people collapsed over their case trying to get a few hours sleep before they catch their next flight. There is a smart casual dress code in the lounges and shorts are not permitted. Normally lounge access is available for three hours and can definitely help you relax before your flight. To avoid overcrowding in the lounges, numbers are strictly limited. Therefore it is advisable to book in advance and you can do this online.

There are meeting rooms available in the airport for hire. There are seventeen meeting rooms (maximum capacity is sixty five – theatre style) All meeting rooms have broadband, phones, faxes, and full secretarial support.

If you wish to surf the internet and don’t want to go to an airport lounge there are coffee shops that provide free wifi internet access.

If you are planning on renting a vehicle there are rental desks at both the terminals. You can of course book in advance to make sure you can get the car you want and any special requirements you may have. In the event of bad weather or excessively busy periods car hire companies can run out of vehicles or certainly the cheaper grades. You are advised to book online so your car is ready and waiting for you, this will save time and also make sure that you get the car of you choice.