The news comes on the day that testing requirements for those arriving into the UK have been eased significantly, with fully vaccinated passengers (two doses) and those under the age of 18 no longer needing to take pre-departure and post-arrival tests.
Flights have been operating solely from the airport’s North Terminal since 15 June 2020 to save on costs, but activity will return to the South Terminal from Sunday 27 March, as Gatwick enters what it expects to be a busy summer season.
British Airways has already announced it will restart its short-haul services from Gatwick from 29 March, with 35 new European routes added. BA’s low-cost sister airline, Vueling, will also be expanding its operations, adding five new short-haul routes and basing three aircraft at Gatwick.
Wizz Air will also significantly increase its operations from the airport with 18 new routes, while easyJet, Gatwick’s biggest airline, has also taken up more slots and plan to fly their busiest flying schedule ever from the airport.
Tickets for over 30 exciting long-haul routes from Gatwick are also on sale, including New York, Tampa, Bangkok, Phuket, Mauritius, Dubai, Doha, Islamabad – and a range of cities across Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Cancun, Antigua, and Montego Bay.
The increased demand is also positive news for the local job market – with Gatwick’s local communities among some of the country’s worst affected by the impacts of the pandemic. Gatwick and its partners – airlines, retailers, ground handlers, etc – have been recruiting for some time, with more than 2000 jobs still available for positions such as security officers, IT specialists, engineers, shop and restaurant workers, ground and cargo handlers, and cabin crew.
