Gatwick Airport has set out its new five-year £1.11bn capital investment programme (CIP), highlighting more investment in automation and technology as an enabler of sustainable growth. 

Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport, with 46 million passengers a year, and the airport’s total investment since 2009, combined with this new five-year plan rises to £3.21bn.

The plans are being backed by Gatwick’s owners, VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners, and the single biggest project to be delivered within the next five years is the Pier 6 western extension, which will offer over half a million more North Terminal passengers the opportunity to embark and disembark their aircraft via a jetty-served stand.

Other new projects include: 

• Check-in automation; 
• Significant expansion of both the international departure lounges in both North and South terminals; 
• Biometric auto-boarding technology development and next phase of testing;
• Main runway technology optimisation;
• Rapid Exit Taxiway;
• New car park in the North Terminal to provide 3,250 additional spaces from summer 2021.
• Robotic car parking;
• Infrastructure to support greater use of electric and hybrid vehicles by passengers and staff;

Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s CEO, said: “The plans explore ways we can grow capacity sustainably, including providing more space in our departure lounges. This investment will support our existing airlines, help attract new airlines and provide an enhanced service for the millions of people who choose to fly from Gatwick. We have outlined our long-term growth strategy in our final master plan and the Capital Investment Programme we are sharing today, gives a more detailed view of our short-term plans which will continue to improve our service proposition and lay foundations for the future.”

Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and president of VINCI Airports, said: “We look forward to participating in delivering this great project at Gatwick over the coming years, which is consistent with our global vision of contributing to a more accessible sustainable and passenger-focused experience.”

As part of the plans, Gatwick is also investing £37m to complement the £150m that the Department for Transport has committed to upgrade the airport’s railway station. Work starts in spring 2020 and is expected to take two years.