Passenger numbers surge at Gatwick and Luton

Thousands of Brits travelling Stateside and to European cities last month resulted in the busiest ever January for Gatwick and Luton, the airports said on Friday.

The former welcomed 2.8 million passengers last month, up 1.4% from a year earlier, while the latter toasted a 3.6% rise to one million customers.

Gatwick was boosted by a surge in trips to the US, with New York, Boston and Fort Lauderdale among the most popular destinations.

Flights across the Atlantic are set to increase further, with the launch of new routes to Austin and Chicago.

Boss Stewart Wingate, who wants the Government to back his bid for expansion instead of, or in addition to, rival Heathrow’s plan, said: “We stand ready to build our financeable and deliverable second runway scheme for the country.”

At London Luton, where a £150 million redevelopment is underway, passengers flocked to Amsterdam and Bucharest in January.

The airport’s larger terminal building will open later this year.