Courts joined passengers, airport staff and airline crew to mark the occasion as the first South Terminal flights for 21 months took off, a move that almost doubled Gatwick’s flight schedule overnight from around 300 a day to 570.
Several airlines that moved their operations to Gatwick’s North Terminal are now transitioning back. These include British Airways, Wizz Air, Vueling, Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Norwegian. EasyJet will operate around 120 short-haul routes across both terminals, BA 35, Wizz 25 and Vueling 16.
Long-haul flights are also restarting flights from Gatwick’s South Terminal, including BA, Tui, Emirates, Qatar Airways, WestJet, Air Transat, JetBlue and Norse Atlantic, serving North America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Far East.
"Fantastic to see @Gatwick_Airport reopen its South Terminal nearly two years after it had to close because of the pandemic," tweeted Courts. "I was thrilled to see thousands of passengers travel through when I visited today and to see how it has weathered the storm with flying colours."
Gatwick chief Stewart Wingate said the effort to restart operations at Gatwick’s South Terminal was equitable with opening a medium-sized airport overnight.
“After a difficult two years, we know there is significant pent-up demand for international travel, so I advise passengers to book early to make sure they secure the flights they want this summer," said Wingate.
“Reopening our South Terminal and the increase in the choice of flights our airlines are offering is also great news for our local communities, particularly people and their families who rely on the airport for their livelihood, and also the large number of support and supply businesses that depend on a successful airport.”
