Having begun its life seventy years ago, this airport was ahead of its time. It set up a direct link between the airport and the nearby rail station which proved an absolute godsend for commuters and in the modern day those who do not wish to use the nearby train service have the choice of using car hire at Gatwick Airport. Twenty years after, a covered pier was built between the aircraft stands and the terminal which has led to all airports taking on the same feature.



Gatwick Airport begun life as a private airfield owned by the Home Counties Aviation Services in 1931, but by 1936 developments had led to it being opened as a public passenger airport. During the Second World War, the airport, like many others was used by the RAF but by the time it was returned to civil use in 1946, it was still just a grass field.

By 1953, Gatwick was classed by the government as London's second airport and major redevelopment works began to bring it up to scratch, bringing with it a 2,000 foot runway, a terminal with rail station and the covered pier. This was the first airport of its kind in the UK. By the 1980's this airport was used by more than a million passengers every year, proving its popularity although it was still only the fourth busiest in the UK but this still led to further extension by British United Airways.

By this time airlines Delta, Braniff and British Caledonian had established routes into Gatwick and it was more than ready to handle their long haul jets that brought an extra one million passengers in the space of one year.

Today, there is nothing that the discerning traveller couldn't be provided with by Gatwick Airport. The Body Shop and the book shop are essential stops before your flight out for those little things that make flights a touch more comfortable but for those inbound passengers, the list of facilities is much richer.

After a long haul flight, the last thing you want to do is be travelling even further which is why a whole host of hotels have sprung up around Gatwick. There is a wide choice of places to stay from the basic to the more luxurious, from family friendly to those designed to accommodate the travelling businessman. You can stay for any length of time you wish and the local hotels will also offer services such as airport taxi runs and help with flight bookings.

As far as travel is concerned, there are plenty of taxis, buses and trains that are constantly running to ferry you to whatever destination you need. There is also the choice of car hire at Gatwick Airport and this is an essential service that is constantly busy. You can book your car hire at Gatwick Airport when you book your flights so that once you have got through the airport, you can simply pick up your car and be on your way.

So, you can fly, shop, drive, travel, commute or stay in and around Gatwick Airport and it will pretty much service all your needs.