Gatwick profits hit by drop in short-haul flyers

Gatwick Airport has reported a fall in profits for last year after a drop in the number of short-haul passengers.

The West Sussex airport reported pre-tax profits of £422.9 million in 2025, down 7.3% from £456.4 million in the previous year.

The airport said this was driven by an almost-2% drop in passenger numbers on short-haul flights, which it attributed to "temporary issues related to aircraft availability".

Manufacturer Airbus blamed its failure to deliver as many new aircraft to airlines as expected on a shortage of engines from US aerospace manufacturer, Pratt and Whitney.

Gatwick said nearly 43 million passengers travelled through its two terminals last year, which was a 1.1% year-on-year decline.

However, it had recorded "particularly strong growth" in long-haul markets such as sub-Saharan Africa (up 22%), the Far East and south Asia (up 24%) and the Middle East and central Asia (up 17%).

In September last year, the government gave Gatwick the go-ahead to bring its Northern Runway into regular use, boosting the airport's capacity by 100,000 flights per year.

Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Gatwick Airport's chief executive, said: "Our focus on excellent passenger service is unwavering.

"During the year we opened our newly refurbished assisted travel lounge and also completed an upgrade to the departure lounge in our South Terminal, alongside welcoming a variety of new retail partners.

"Looking ahead, the development plans for the Northern Runway detail how we intend to unlock further growth for the airport, our local communities and the national economy," he added.

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