July 19, 2016
Gatwick to spend extra £200m on construction projects
Major construction firms are set to battle for a share of work created by the announcement that an extra £200m is set to be spent on projects at a major London airport over the next five years.
The increase in investment at Gatwick Airport will bring the total spent at the site over the coming five years to £1.2bn.
Some of the projects identified in the new Capital Investment Programme include:
- Expansion of both the North Terminal and South Terminal departure loungesUpgrading shopping facilities
- Expansion of the North Terminal and South Terminal immigration halls
- Additional aircraft parking stands and optimisation of taxiways
Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate says: “As Gatwick rapidly approaches full capacity, this increased investment paves the way for our second runway project.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan has also urged new Prime Minister Theresa May to back a second runway at Gatwick.
He told the PM the airport was “the only show in town” and would bring substantial economic benefits to the capital.
Khan said Gatwick had “put together a formidable plan that is a fantastic display of their confidence in London”.
The Airports Commission recommended in July last year that a third runway at Heathrow should be built, but in December the Department for Transport announced that further investigation into noise, pollution and compensation was needed.
The mayor has now stepped in, warning that pressing ahead with a third runway at Heathrow would mean years of legal challenges, splits in the Conservative Party and political turmoil in London.
The number of passengers travelling through Gatwick every year has grown from 31 million to 41 million since 2009.
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