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Gatwick Airport

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

An aerial view of Gatwick Airport, showing planes taking off and runway layouts.

Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport is a big place where airplanes take off and land. It is one of the busiest airports in the United Kingdom. It is near the town of Crawley in West Sussex. It is about 30 miles south of Central London.

What You Can Find at Gatwick

Gatwick Airport has two big buildings called terminals. These are the North Terminal and the South Terminal. People from all over the world come here to fly. The airport has many shops, places to eat, and fun things to do while waiting for their flight.

Gatwick is a special place for some airlines. It is a home for British Airways and the biggest place for the low-cost airline easyJet. This means many people use Gatwick to travel quickly and affordably.

A Little History

People started using the land for airplanes in the late 1920s. The first flights began in 1933. During World War II, the airport was used by the military. After the war, it became a place for civilian flights again. The buildings we see today were built in the mid-1950s and opened in 1956.

Getting to and from Gatwick

Traveling to and from Gatwick is easy. You can drive here using the M23 motorway from London or the A23 from nearby towns. There are parking spots, but they can fill up during busy times.

There is also a train station at Gatwick. Trains go to and from London, Brighton, and many other places. This makes it easy to travel without a car.

Future Plans

Gatwick Airport has big plans for the future. One idea is to build a third terminal or a second runway. This would help the airport serve even more passengers and create new jobs. In 2025, plans to make the runway bigger were approved. This will help the airport grow and bring more visitors to the area.

Images

A vintage Douglas DC-6 airplane at London Gatwick Airport in 1964.
A BAC 111-201AC One-Eleven airplane belonging to British Caledonian Airways, parked at London Gatwick Airport in 1973.
An airbridge connecting an airplane to the terminal at London Gatwick Airport.
The inside view of a bridge connecting the main building to the airplanes at Gatwick Airport.
The inside view of Gatwick Airport's South Terminal where travelers check in and wait for their flights.
The check-in area inside Gatwick Airport where passengers prepare for their flights.
The inside view of Gatwick Airport's South Terminal station where shuttle services operate.
The check-in areas inside Gatwick North Terminal, showing where passengers can line up to fly.
Map showing the passenger destinations served by Gatwick Airport.
The North Terminal roundabout at Gatwick Airport, showing traffic flow near the airport terminal.
A view of Gatwick Airport railway station on December 30th, 2023.
A shuttle bus leaving the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport.
Control tower at Gatwick Airport, seen from a passenger footbridge.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Gatwick Airport, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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