Gatwick
is the second busiest airport in England after Heathrow. In 2005
it handled more than 32 million passengers. The airport caters
mainly for international and charter flights and is also operated
by the British Airports Authority. Opened in 1958, the airport
has two passenger terminals (the south terminal opened in 1958
and the north terminal opened in 1988) linked by a free transit
system.
Major airlines operating from here are; Air France, Alitalia,
British Airways, American Airlines, Emirates, Delta Airlines,
Air Algerie, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Services:
There are two hotels within the airport. The Meridian Hotel
located at the north terminal and the Hilton Hotel which is linked
by a walkway to the south terminal. There are also a number of
hotels within a few minutes of the airport. Gatwick has a number
of restaurants, duty free shops, gift shops, pubs, cafes, a post
office, foreign exchange and banking services, tourist information
desk and lounge areas.
To and from the airport:
Apart from the usual transport options which are; public bus,
shuttles and taxi; the airports rail service known as the “Gatwick
Express” which takes about 30 minutes to London. Trains
operate every 15 minutes.