Gatwick History
London's second biggest international airway 24 miles to the south of London. Gatwick is the busiest single runway airport in the world, the second largest airport in the UK and the sixth busiest international airport in the world.
Gatwick airport has 2 terminals (North & South) taking over 30 million people on over 100 airlines to over 280 destinations, but it hasn't always been that way...Gatwick's war time role as a Royal Air Force base saw it grow through the acquisition of the local racecourse but when it was returned to civil use in 1946 it was still basically a grass airfield.
Aircraft maintenance and a limited number of charter flights kept it ticking over but it added to its reputation for new thinking by housing the British European Airways helicopter base.
In 1953 the Government decreed Gatwick as London's second airport. The old airport was closed for major re-development. When it officially re-opened three years later Gatwick had been transformed into a modern facility.
There was a 2000 feet runway, a terminal incorporating a rail station and a covered pier linking terminal with aircraft, the first of its kind in the UK. This facility has been further enhanced by the addition of the M23 link and the M25 (London ringroad).
Over the years further expansion has taken place. 1962 - Expansion of the original terminal building and 2 additional piers constructed. 1964 - The runway was extended. 65-77 - Runway extended - twice! 1977 - Another pier opened. 1984 - new pier further extended. The 80's saw the start of the largest construction south of London, apparently, with the start of the £200 million construction of North Terminal.
The Queen & Prince Philip opened this new addition to London Gatwick Airport in 1988. Charter traffic became big business in the 1980s and with more than a million passengers then using Gatwick the terminal was extended and two more piers built.
Despite the upturn Gatwick still ranked only fourth busiest of UK airports but British United Airways, then the main operator, was steadily introducing scheduled services. Gatwick had ambitions beyond the charter market and those were finally realised in 1978 when it became a transatlantic gateway.
By the time Delta, Braniff and British Caledonian, BUA's successor, started up their routes to the USA the airport had already extended its runway to handle the long haul jets and further improved the terminal. Passenger traffic hit the 10 million mark in the 1980s and has continued to grow at a phenomenal rate, reaching over 32 million in 2000.
A satellite to the original building, renamed the South Terminal, and the North Terminal have been opened as Gatwick established itself as Britain's second busiest airport and an international player.
As traffic continues on its upward path Gatwick is anxious to build a second runway to meet demand. It has run into implacable opposition but a history of successful innovation suggests a solution will be found.
Pub Food/Misc
Appletons at Heathy Farm Balcombe Road Crawley RH10 3NQ |
Air Balloon 60 Brighton Road Horley RH6 7HE |
Cherry Tree Inn Crawley Road Faygate Horsham RH12 4SA |
Boars Head Worthing Road Horsham RH13 0AD |
Dukes Head Turners Hill Road Crawley Down RH10 4HH |
Jeffersons Haslett Avenue East Three Bridges Crawley RH10 1UG |
TGI Fridays Unit 6 Crawley Leisure Park London Road Crawley RH10 8LR |
Nandos Crawley Leisure Park RH10 8LR |
Frankie and Benny's Unit 9 Crawley Leisure Park RH10 8LR |
The Hawth Park Inn Harvester Haslett Avenue East Crawley RH10 1UJ |
Redhill Harvester 54 Brighton Road Salford Redhill RH1 5DA |
Smith & Western North Parade Horsham RH12 2QR |
Smith & Western Eastbourne Road Blindley Heath Lingfield RH7 6JJ |
Pizza Hut Unit 5 Crawley Leisure Park Crawley RH10 8LR |
ASK Restaurant 49/51 High Street Crawley RH10 1DQ 01293 619505 |
Bella Italia Crawley Leisure Park Crawley RH10 8LR 01293 521974 |
SI 60 High Street Crawley RH10 1BT |
Il Sorriso 2 Consort Way East Horley RH6 7AU |
Portifino Italian Restaurant 102 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1EP |
Prezzo 13 High Street East Grinstead RH19 3AF |
Tortellini Restaurant 1b East Street Horsham RH12 1HH |
Prezzo 46 Carfax Horsham RH12 1EQ |
Piccolos Restaurant 24 West Street Horsham RH12 1PB |
Fortune Villa Chinese Restaurant 98 High Street Crawley RH10 1BZ |
Shin Mai 3 High Street Crawley RH10 1BH |
China China 13 Massetts Road Horley RH6 7PR |
New China Restaurant 13 Massetts Road Horley RH6 7PR |
Blue Lake Chinese Restaurant 11-13 Station Road Horley RH6 9HW |
Wing-Wah Chinese Restaurant 195 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1HA |
New Evergreen Chinese 192 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1EY |
Bengal Spices 71 Gales Drive Crawley RH10 1QA |
Blue India 47 High Street Crawley RH10 1BQ |
Taj Mahal 2-4 High Street Crawley RH10 1BJ |
Khushboo Restaurant 69 Balcombe Road Horley RH6 9AB |
Nizam Tandoori 42 High Street East Grinstead RH19 3AS |
Azad Indian Cuisine 186 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1EY |
The Monsoon 51-53 High Street East Grinstead RH19 3DD |
Nizam Tandoori Restaurant 24 London Road Horsham RH12 1AY |
Akash 66 East Street Horsham RH12 1HN |
Mae Ping Thai Restaurant 16 Railway Approach East Grinstead RH19 1BP |
La Farola 194-196 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1EY |
Local Supermarkets near Gatwick Airport
Tesco Horley Gatwick Extra Reigate Road Horley RH6 0AT |
Tesco Horley Express 73 Brighton Road Horley RH6 7HL |
Tesco Poundhill Express 5 Peterhouse Parade Crawley RH10 3BA |
Tesco Crawley Hazelwick Extra Hazelwick Avenue Crawley RH10 1GY |
Tesco Crawley Downland Drive Express 84/86 Downland Drive Crawley RH11 8SW |
Sainsburys Crawley Central 37-43 Queensway Queens Square Crawley Sussex RH10 1EG |
Sainsburys West Green Crawley Avenue Crawley RH10 8NF |
Sainsburys Horley Local 100 Brighton Road Horley RH6 7JU |
Sainsburys East Grinstead Brooklands Way East Grinstead RH19 1DD |
Sainsburys Horsham 7 Worthing Road Horsham RH12 1SQ |
Asda Pegler Way Crawley RH11 7AH |
Asda Reigate Road Burgh Heath KT20 5NZ |
Petrol Stations near Gatwick Airport
Gatwick South Connect Ring Road North (A23) London Gatwick Airport RH6 0NX |
Gatwick North Service Station Ring Road North Gatwick RH6 0HP |
Total (Chequers Surrey) Bonehurst Road Horley RH6 9PJ |
BP County Oak Service Station London Road Crawley RH11 0PF |
BP Crawley Avenue Service Station Crawley Avenue Crawley RH10 8NF |
Total (Ifield Drive) Ifield Drive Crawley RH11 0JP |
BP Tilgate Express Ashdown Drive Crawley RH10 5DU |
BP Hillside Connect Brighton Road Redhill RH1 6QS |
BP North End Connect East Grinstead RH19 1QT |
Shell Pease Pottage MWSA M23 Junction 11 Crawley RH11 9YA |
Shell Horley Brighton Road Horley RH6 7JU |
Shell Crawley Down Garage Snow Hill Copthorne RH10 3EQ |
Shell Clearview 19 Horley Road Redhill RH1 5AL |
Shell Sussex 147 - 149 London Road East Grinstead RH19 1ET |
Shell Horsham Guildford Road Horsham RH12 3NS |
Esso Roundabout Service Station Brighton Road Horley RH6 7HH |
Esso Brooklands Service Station Station Road East Grinstead RH19 1DJ |
Esso Horsham Express Redkiln Way Horsham RH13 5QH |
Esso Reigate Manor Service Station Reigate Hill Reigate RH2 9PF |
Texaco Somerfield Horley Brighton Road Horley RH6 7ER |
Texaco Tates Crawley Service Station Fleming Way Crawley RH10 2NS |
Texaco N&D Ltd Copthorne Road Crawley RH10 3PD |
Texaco Woodlands Garage Service Station Smallfield Horley RH6 9NN |
Texaco East Grinstead Service Station London Road East Grinstead RH19 1QJ |
Tesco Horley Gatwick Extra Reigate Road Horley RH6 0AT |
Tesco Crawley Hazelwick Extra Hazelwick Avenue Crawley RH10 1GY |
Sainsburys West Green Crawley Avenue Crawley RH10 8NF |
Total (Broadfield) Pelham Place Crawley RH11 9AZ |
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