Coronavirus: Gatwick passenger numbers collapse by 14.7 million
Gatwick airport says passenger numbers fell by 14.7 million, or two-thirds, in the first half of the year as air travel collapsed amid the pandemic. The airport, which annouced jobs also posted a £344m loss as sales fell across its business.Despite signs of recovery, Gatwick said it expected air traffic and passenger numbers to remain under pressure.It also warned passenger levels would take between four and five years to recover to pre-Covid levels.The West Sussex airport has been hard-hit by the pandemic. Virgin Atlantic has said it will cease operating at Gatwick, while British Airways has shifted its short-haul flights to Heathrow and is cutting hundreds of ground staff jobs at the airport.The number of travellers at Gatwick dropped by 66% to 7.5 million during the six months to June.Gatwick said this was "due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the effects of which began to be felt during February, increasing signific...