UK’s Gatwick airport expects 135,000 passengers a year with AI starting direct flights

By Rohit Vaid

UK’s second-largest airport Gatwick expects around 135,000 passengers via direct flights from India during the current calendar year, the airport’s vice-president of aviation development, Stephanie Wear, told FE on Tuesday.

At present, there are no direct flights from India to Gatwick airport but Air India is slated to start direct flight services to Gatwick from March 28.“Air India will operate four routes from Gatwick to Kochin, Amritsar, Ahemdabad and Goa,” Wear said. 

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“All these routes from India to UK have been massively popular,” she added. The airline will be operating 12 flights a week to Gatwick on Boeing 787-8 aircraft, with 256 seats across business and economy classes.Wear said that the airport has readied itself for the peak summer travel season.

The new flights will lead to reduction in travel time and will be more convenient for passengers from India, she said.At present, only Dubai-based Emirates connects India to Gatwick airport, but it is not a direct flight.

“We have three daily A380 services with Emirates, and around 60% of India-UK market is serviced via indirect flights since 2019,” Wear said. She further said that the airport is in touch with other India-based airlines also for starting direct flights to the airport.