Gatwick’s airlines are swapping terminals: Here’s where easyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will be flying from
Those heading to Gatwick Airport in the near future will want to double check which terminal they need.
A mass airline merry-go-round is taking place this month, affecting thousands of passengers.
EasyJet will move to the North Terminal from 24 January, while British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are swapping terminals – BA will move to the South Terminal and Virgin to the North – from 25 January.
The moves are being staggered over a 72-hour period – and all three airlines are operating a reduced flying programme to make the process easier. The airport said around 50,000 passengers will be travelling with the three airlines on the 277 flights that will be relocating across the 72 hours, while 10,000 staff will be affected by the moves.
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It's worth noting that two BA flights are going to be switching terminals before the 25 January though: from 11 January, BA2273 to New York will depart from the South Terminal and from 19 January, BA2612 to Naples will depart from the South Terminal.
EasyJet, Gatwick's biggest resident, accounts for 42 per cent of the airport's total traffic, while BA accounts for 15 per cent. Currently, easyJet operates out of both terminals, so from the 24 January, will consolidate its base in the North Terminal.
The North Terminal is nearly a mile from the South Terminal and they're connected by an inter-terminal shuttle service.
Gatwick said all critical construction work was now complete and the remaining non-critical 15 per cent has been purposely planned for after the switch.
Chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said: "The moves have been meticulously planned for more than two years, with close attention given to ensuring that the airport operation and the experience of our passengers is not affected during the transition."
Read more: Here's how Stansted is planning to gain ground on Heathrow and Gatwick
Gatwick announced earlier this month that 43m passengers now travel annually through the airport, as long-haul services continued to prove popular – up 26.8 per cent on last year.
Which terminal will I need to go from in the future?
- easyJet will be moving to the North Terminal from 24 January
- BA will be moving to the South Terminal from 25 January
- Virgin Atlantic is moving to the North Terminal from 25 January