Gatwick Airport has reported a double-digit increase in profit for the first half of 2025, driven by an uptick in passenger and aircraft traffic volume.
The airport's total revenue reached £491.4m in the first half of the year, marking a 0.7 per cent increase from 2024, as reported by .
When accounting for two significant one-off elements that occurred last year, adjusted revenue rose by 3.4 per cent.
Half of Gatwick's revenue is generated from its airplane operations, with retail sales contributing a fifth and parking making up 14 per cent.
Revenue from airline operations saw a 3.8 per cent rise, while retail income slightly decreased and parking income remained unchanged.
Stewart Wingate, Gatwick's chief executive, expressed confidence that the º£½ÇÊÓƵ government will approve the recently revised plans for Gatwick's Northern Runway, which he said would bring "more than 14,000 jobs and a £1bn injection into the region's economy."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has until October 27 to decide whether to greenlight the proposal.
Gatwick submitted a revised development consent order (DCO) application after the Cabinet minister announced in February that she would support the scheme if certain adjustments were made, addressing issues such as noise mitigation and the proportion of passengers who would travel to and from the airport using public transport.
The project involves moving the emergency runway 12 metres north, enabling it to be used for departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) at Gatwick dipped slightly by 0.2 per cent to £262.2m, down from £268.4m in 2024.
Passenger numbers saw a modest increase of 0.4 per cent to 20 million, setting the airport on course to surpass its record-breaking figures from 2024. Long-haul passenger numbers experienced more significant growth, rising 3.6 per cent to 3.1m.
Operating costs climbed by two per cent to £303m, largely due to a 10 per cent surge in staff costs following the hiring of additional security personnel.
CEO Wingate expressed confidence in the airport's "strong financial and operational position."
He is set to step down later this year, with his successor being Pierre-Hugues Schmit, a long-standing member of the airport's board.
Gatwick warns on business rates
However, Gatwick has voiced concerns over the government's impending business rates review, which could lead to increased business rates for large premises and potentially "significantly impact" Gatwick's capacity to invest in growth.
Wingate stated: "London Gatwick is already one of the largest rate-payers in the country and this change could see us paying many times our current rate. We will continue to work alongside sector representatives to find a workable solution with the government. Heathrow Airport is facing a similar predicament, with a looming £900m business rates "time bomb" set to hit the airport in 2026. Airports º£½ÇÊÓƵ has previously likened the escalating bill to "equivalent to doubling the corporation tax levied on the sector, at a time when the government has committed to stable tax and policy regimes to drive business confidence and stimulate private sector investment."
"Investment in airport assets will decrease, routes to and from the º£½ÇÊÓƵ will be lost (as can already be seen in Germany where taxes are rising), trade will be hurt, and British travellers will be hit with higher costs and less choice."
