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Gatwick expects busiest Easter on record

Gatwick expects its busiest Easter on record this year with 2.8 million passengers forecast to use the airport over the school holiday period.

However, travel to and from the airport faces disruption over the bank holiday weekend due to railway engineering work.

No Gatwick Express or Southern trains will run into London Victoria on Easter Sunday due to the station being closed for essential track maintenance. Other trains will be diverted to London Bridge or Blackfriars stations.

The Gatwick Express will run a reduced half hourly schedule on Easter Saturday while buses will replace trains between Victoria and Gatwick overnight on Easter Sunday.

This comes as more than 500,000 travellers are projected to use Gatwick over the four-day Easter weekend, up 13.6% on last year.

Numbers are forecast to rise by 9.2% on the Easter holiday period last year with Orlando, Dubai, Barbados, New York, Barcelona, Malaga, Dublin and Amsterdam among the top destinations

Los Angeles is Gatwick’s fastest growing long-haul destination, entering Gatwick’s top ten long-haul destinations list for the first time since the route began in 2014.

Toronto has also entered the top ten long-haul list for the first time in two years with passenger numbers rising by 80% compared with the Easter weekend 2016.

Terminal operations manager, Wayne Tomlinson, said: “With Los Angeles and Toronto climbing into our top ten long-haul destinations list for Easter, it’s clear that holidaymakers are taking advantage of the growing number of affordable transatlantic travel options available from Gatwick.

“It’s exciting to see that passenger numbers have grown by a considerable 13.6% and, although the airport will be busier, our commitment to delivering an outstanding passenger experience remains the same.”

Gatwick’s top 10 long-haul destinations during Easter weekend:

  • Orlando
  • Dubai
  • Bridgetown
  • New York
  • Las Vegas
  • Cancun
  • Toronto
  • Los Angeles
  • Hurghada
  • Oakland

Top 10 short-haul destinations:

  • Barcelona
  • Malaga
  • Dublin
  • Amsterdam
  • Madrid
  • Geneva
  • Belfast
  • Tenerife
  • Alicante
  • Milan

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