Gatwick Airport has announced it will invest £1.15bn (US$1.5bn) over the next five years as part of its plans for more growth, improved efficiency and maintaining customer satisfaction levels. This sum is in addition to the £1.5bn (US$2bn) already invested since the airport changed ownership in December 2009.
This 2017 Capital Investment Program (CIP) sets out Gatwick’s investment strategy which continues to improve facilities and transform services. Projects include reconfiguring stands to facilitate a changing aircraft mix, building a new hangar in partnership with Boeing, extending Pier 6 to increase pier service levels well beyond its 95% target, adding a new domestic arrivals facility in South Terminal and continuing to roll out its popular self-service bag-drop product.
Other projects identified to help the airport to continue to grow include additional car parking capacity for long and short-stay customers, expanding the departures lounge in both terminals, and projects to support greater use of electric vehicles.
Raymond Melee, Gatwick’s construction director, said, “Since coming into independent ownership, Gatwick has delivered record growth in passenger numbers and long-haul services while also taking passenger satisfaction levels to an all-time high.
“As we plan to grow toward 50 million passengers per annum, we will focus on efficiency and service so that our passengers continue to receive the airport experience they expect, in the most sustainable manner possible.
“We will continue to develop the airport to meet the needs of our airlines and passengers with improvements to the way we operate on the airfield and the service we offer in our terminals. These projects will be delivered in a way that will help us realize our ambition to become the UK’s most sustainable airport.”