If approved later this year, the airport’s proposals would enable an additional 1.6m international inbound passengers annually by 2038. This growth is central to ambitions for Sussex to raise its global profile and attract tourists who stay longer and spend more.
The Sussex Visitor Economy Growth Strategy’s target of an extra 500,000 international tourists a year by 2034 aims to grow the sector from £5bn to £7.5bn, with tourism already supporting more than 74,000 local jobs and accounting for 14% of the county’s employment. London Gatwick’s Northern Runway represents a key opportunity to unlock further growth in the region.
While overseas tourists currently make up just 2% of the total visitor numbers to Sussex, they contribute around 20% of all spending. Key to boosting this are new and expanded long-haul services to destinations such as Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai, with China also highlighted as a key market for growth within the strategy. Alongside developing connectivity across Southeast Asia and the Gulf, the airport is actively shaping the UK’s role as a global gateway with 54 long-haul routes already operating.
If approved, the Northern Runway could bring an additional 60,000 flights per year, including more long-haul routes with passenger numbers increasing to around 80.2m passengers per year in 2047.
Richard Lennard, Economic Partnerships Manager at London Gatwick and a member of the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Advisory Board said: “The Northern Runway is about more than just increasing capacity. 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 1.6m 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.”
London Gatwick already contributes 76,000 jobs and £5.5bn to the UK economy every year. If approved, the privately funded £2.2bn project to bring the existing Northern Runway into routine use will deliver a further 14,000 jobs and £1bn in growth for the regional economy each year.
