Gatwick and Heathrow achieve record for passengers in August
Rival airports Heathrow and Gatwick yesterday announced record passenger numbers for August, as they staked their claims for UK airport expansion plans.
Gatwick said passenger numbers using its airport rose to 4.36m in August, up 8.2 per cent on last year, and representing the busiest month in Gatwick’s history.
Gatwick also revealed it had handled the take off and landing of 906 planes in a single day on 29 August, the highest ever for a single runway airport in the world.
Meanwhile, Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, revealed it had surpassed 7m passengers using the airport in a month for first time, as August passenger numbers rose 1.3 per cent on last year to a record high of 7.05m.
On 17 August, Heathrow also saw 241,412 passengers use the airport, its busiest day ever.
The two London airports are in a close fight for planned UK airport expansion after being shortlisted by Sir Howard Davies’ Airports Commission, with London Mayor Boris Johnson’s Thames Estuary proposal rejected last week.