Overview
- For the six months to June Gatwick handled 19.1 million passengers, down 4.7%, and reported half‑year pre‑tax profit of £136.5m, an 18% fall from a year earlier.
- Long‑haul traffic fell most sharply, down about 9.2%, while short‑haul was down about 3.9%, a shift Gatwick links to reduced travel to destinations perceived as tied to the Iran and wider Middle East conflict.
- Revenues rose roughly 4.8% to £515.2m but operating costs climbed about 5% to £318m driven by higher staff pay and utilities, squeezing profitability despite modest revenue growth.
- Gatwick said there have been no immediate jet‑fuel shortages but passenger anxiety about fuel supply and the conflict is pushing some travellers to book later and prompting a few carriers to trim schedules.
- The Court of Appeal cleared the northern runway scheme in early August, keeping a c.£2.2bn expansion on track even as the airport welcomes seven new carriers and navigates near‑term demand and cost pressures.