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UK's 2nd busiest airport is set for new runway in £275million-a-year tourism boost
The airport is shaping the UK's role as a global gateway
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A NEW runway planned for the UK's second busiest airport is set to bring in a massive £275 million-a-year tourism boost.
It could also bring an additional 60,000 flights a year including more long-haul routes, shaping the UK's role as a global gateway.
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London's Gatwick airport new proposed runway could unlock an annual £275 million in Sussex
Credit: PA
London Gatwick has said that if plans for Northern Runway are approved it will help unlock an extra £275 million annually in Sussex.
Heidi Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, said in February that she was "minded to grant consent" for the new runway if plans met certain requests.
'The Northern Runway is about more than just increasing capacity," said Richard Lennard, economic partnerships manager at London Gatwick and a member of the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) advisory board.
'It's about connecting the UK to the fastest-growing regions of the world and ensuring Sussex can share in the benefits of that global reach.
'By unlocking an additional 1.6 million international inbound passengers a year by 2038, we're not just meeting growing demand, we're bringing new opportunities directly into our region with tourism being a catalyst of economic growth.'
Ten-year plan
The plans aim to raise the global profile of Sussex, attracting tourists who stay longer and spend more money, according to the airport.
The Sussex Visitor Economy Growth Strategy is a ten-year plan to boost Sussex's reputation as a tourist destination.
The plans are aiming for an extra half a million international tourists annually by 2034 in an effort to grow the sector from £5 billion to £7.5 billion.
London Gatwick has said that tourism already provides 74,000 local jobs and accounts for 14 per cent of the county's employment.
Global gateway
Two per cent of Sussex's total visitor numbers are made up by overseas tourists.
Moment passenger bundled screaming onto airport bus after punching stewardess
But this two per cent contributes approximately 20 per cent of all spending.
New and expanded long-haul services to destinations such as Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai are key to boosting these figures.
China has also been identified as a key market for growth within the strategy.
With 54 long-haul routes already operating out of Gatwick, the airport is shaping the UK's role as a global gateway.
And if the Northern Runway is approved it could bring in an additional 60,000 flights annually.
This will include passenger numbers increasing to around 80.2 million passengers per year by 2047.
Final decision expected later this year
On 6 July 2023, London Gatwick submitted its Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate.
It was accepted in August 2023 which was followed by a six-month public examination which concluded in August last year.
Recommendations were then submitted by the Planning Inspectorate to the Transport secretary last November.
Heidi Alexander then said she was "minded to grant consent" to the application in February 2025.
After providing additional time to seek views from Gatwick and other parties following recommendations from the inspectorate, a final decision is expected on October 27.
