Gatwick’s profits really taking off

London’s Gatwick airport yesterday reported a 43 per cent lift in first-half profits, helped by strong growth in passenger traffic, which it expects to continue in the final six months of the year.

The airport, owned by US investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners, said its operating profit rose to £118.6 million in the six months to the end of September on turnover 15 per cent higher at £314.5m.

Some 19.7 million passengers travelled through Gatwick during the period, 8.5 per cent up on the first-half a year ago. The same period last year was hit by disruption caused by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano.

Gatwick said it still expects a total of 33.6 million passengers to travel through the airport in the year to the end of March. It added that retail income rose 5 per cent during the first half.