Gatwick hopes for China travel boom with second runway
Gatwick says its plans for a second runway will significantly boost UK-China connectivity as the government looks to deepen its trading relationship with Beijing.
The Sussex hub said year-on-year growth in passenger traffic to and from China had tripled in 2024 to around 550,000.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week defended her decision to travel to the UK’s fourth largest trading partner amid bond market turmoil, claiming agreements in Beijing would be worth £600m to the UK economy over the next five years.
Ministers are currently weighing whether to grant Gatwick permission to bring its emergency runway into routine use as part of a £2.2bn expansion project. A decision on the project is expected at the tail-end of February.
The UK’s second biggest airport has long-argued the additional runway would enable it to focus on the long-haul market and has signed deals with a number of Asian carriers in recent years.
Asia has cemented itself as a booming market for UK airports, with Heathrow and Manchester, the largest British airport outside of London, recording significant increases in flying numbers to China in recent years.
China’s three largest airlines – Air China, China Southern and China Eastern – fly from Gatwick, with just over 33 services a week to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Zhengzhou.
“As demonstrated by the Chancellor’s recent visit, this market is vitally important to the UK economy in terms of both inbound visitors and trade and we are pleased to offer significant
connectivity between the two nations from London Gatwick,” Jonathan Pollard, Gatwick’s chief commercial officer, said.
“We have seen huge demand for growth of these routes, from airlines and passengers. If approved, our Northern Runway plans could provide even greater opportunity to support communities the economy and the government’s wider plans for growth, through enhanced capacity for vital long-haul services.”
A decision on the Northern Runway comes alongside an expansion drive at a number of major UK airports, which has pitted the Labour government’s climate ambitions against its desire to boost economic growth.
Ministers in December pushed back a decision on Luton Airport’s expansion proposals until April, the third time the project has been delayed.