Editing Gatwick Airport (section)

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Early years===
[[File:Douglas DC-6 EC-AUC TASSA LGW 29.08.64 edited-2.jpg|thumb|A [[Douglas DC-6]] in front of the then-new terminal at Gatwick Airport in 1964]]
[[File:BAC_111-201AC_One-Eleven,_British_Caledonian_Airways_AN1809004.jpg|thumb|A [[BAC 1-11]] with the main terminal building at Gatwick Airport in 1973]]
The land on which Gatwick Airport stands was first developed as an [[aerodrome]] in the late 1920s. The [[Air Ministry]] approved commercial flights from the site in 1933, and the first terminal, "[[Beehive, Gatwick Airport|The Beehive]]", was built in 1935. Scheduled air services from the new terminal began the following year. During the [[Second World War]], the airport was taken over by the military and was known as '''RAF Gatwick'''. After the war, the airport returned to its civilian capacity. The airport proper was built in the mid-1950s opening in 1956. The airport buildings were designed by [[Yorke Rosenberg Mardall]] between 1955 and 1988.<ref>{{cite book| first=Alan| last=Powers| title=In the Line of Development: FRS Yorke, E Rosenberg and CS Mardall to YRM, 1930–1992| year=1992| publisher=RIBA Heinz Gallery| isbn=1-872911-20-X}}</ref>

In the 1960s, [[British United Airways]] (BUA) and [[Dan-Air]] were two of the largest British independent<ref group=nb>independent from [[government-owned corporation]]s</ref> airlines at Gatwick, with the former establishing itself as the dominant scheduled operator at the airport as well as providing a significant number of the airport's non-scheduled services and the latter becoming its leading provider of [[inclusive tour]] charter services.<ref>Cooper, B., ''Got your number'', ''Golden Gatwick'', ''Skyport'', Gatwick edition, Hounslow, 6 June 2008, p. 12</ref> Further rapid growth of charter flights at Gatwick was encouraged by the [[Ministry of Aviation]], which instructed airlines to move regular charter flights from Heathrow. Following the takeover of BUA by [[Caledonian Airways]] at the beginning of the following decade, the resulting airline, [[British Caledonian]] (BCal), became Gatwick's dominant scheduled airline during the 1970s. While continuing to dominate scheduled operations at Gatwick for most of the 1980s, BCal was also one of the airport's major charter airlines until the end of the 1970s (together with Dan-Air, [[Laker Airways]] and [[British Airtours]]).<ref name="... Bloomers">Iyengar, K., ''Bermuda Bloomers'', ''Golden Gatwick'', ''Skyport'', Gatwick edition, Hounslow, 8 February 2008, p. 18</ref>

As a result of conditions imposed by Britain's [[Monopolies and Mergers Commission]] on the takeover of BCal by the then newly privatised [[British Airways]] (BA) at the end of the 1980s, Dan-Air and [[Air Europe]] assumed BCal's former role as Gatwick's dominant scheduled short-haul operator while BA continued in BCal's erstwhile role as the airport's most important scheduled long-haul operator. Following the demise of Air Europe and Dan-Air (both of which had continued to provide a significant number of charter flights in addition to a growing number of scheduled short-haul flights at Gatwick) in the early 1990s, BA (having purchased Dan-Air) began building up Gatwick into a secondary [[airline hub|hub]] (complementing its main hub at Heathrow). These moves resulted in BA becoming Gatwick's dominant airline by the turn of the millennium.<ref name="... up">Iyengar, K., ''The only way is up'', ''Golden Gatwick'', ''Skyport'', Gatwick edition, Hounslow, 11 April 2008, p. 16</ref><ref>Iyengar, K., ''Heading North'', ''Golden Gatwick'', ''Skyport'', Gatwick edition, Hounslow, 9 May 2008, p. 16</ref> BA's subsequent decision to de-hub Gatwick provided the space for [[easyJet]] to establish its biggest base at the airport and become its dominant airline.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anna.aero/2012/08/02/easyjets-biggest-base-at-london-gatwick-reaches-50-aircraft-and-almost-100-routes/ |title=easyJet's biggest base at London Gatwick has 50 aircraft and almost 100 routes; Spain remains No. 1 market in summer (> Airline Analysis) |publisher=Anna.Aero |date=12 August 2012 |access-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205013444/http://www.anna.aero/2012/08/02/easyjets-biggest-base-at-london-gatwick-reaches-50-aircraft-and-almost-100-routes/ |archive-date=5 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Transatlantic flights to the United States===
From 1978 to 2008, many flights to and from the United States used Gatwick because of restrictions on the use of Heathrow implemented in the [[Bermuda II Agreement]] between the UK and the US.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%201999.html |title=Bermuda 2 initialled, Air Transport |work=Flight International |date=2 July 1977 |page=5 |access-date=15 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208084614/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1977/1977%20-%201999.html |archive-date=8 February 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[EU–US Open Skies Agreement]], which became effective on 30 March 2008, led several airlines to downsize their transatlantic operations at Gatwick in favour of Heathrow. [[Continental Airlines]] was the second transatlantic carrier (after [[American Airlines]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.icm.ac.uk/leisure/aa-ends-gatwick-operations/365/ |title=AA ends Gatwick operations |website=[[Institute of Commercial Management]] |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=15 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006033750/http://news.icm.ac.uk/leisure/aa-ends-gatwick-operations/365/ |archive-date=6 October 2011 }}</ref> to leave Gatwick after it decided to transfer the seasonal [[Cleveland Hopkins International Airport|Cleveland]] service to Heathrow on 3 May 2009.<ref>{{cite journal| journal=[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]| volume=169| number=10| date=15 September 2008| title=Goodbye Gatwick| page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Done |first= Kevin |date= 9 September 2008 |title= Continental closes Gatwick operation |work= Financial Times |url= https://www.ft.com/content/89075f0a-7e99-11dd-b1af-000077b07658 |access-date= 6 October 2023 |archive-date= 15 October 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231015224128/https://www.ft.com/content/89075f0a-7e99-11dd-b1af-000077b07658 |url-status= live }}</ref>

[[US Airways]], Gatwick's last remaining US carrier, ended its service between Gatwick and [[Charlotte Douglas International Airport|Charlotte]] on 30 March 2013.<ref name="US_LGWFinal">{{cite press release |url=http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/pressreleases.html |title=US Airways Announces Schedule for Charlotte to London Heathrow Service and Opens Flights for Sale |publisher=US Airways |date=17 December 2012 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126223852/http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/pressreleases.html |archive-date=26 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> This left Gatwick without a scheduled US airline for the first time in 35 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clippedb.org/hive/documents/braniff_history.html |title=Braniff History – Braniff History Time Line: 1978 |publisher=clippedb.org (The Association of Former Braniff Flight Attendants) |access-date=18 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602165143/http://www.clippedb.org/hive/documents/braniff_history.html |archive-date=2 June 2013}}</ref> Before the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], [[Delta Air Lines]] announced its intent to launch service between Gatwick and [[Boston Logan International Airport|Boston]] in the summer of 2020, which would have made it the first US airline to service Gatwick since the withdrawal of the US Airways service in 2013, but the massive global travel downturn placed these plans on indefinite hold.<ref name="DeltaVirgin">{{cite press release| url=https://news.delta.com/delta-virgin-atlantic-boost-summer-flying-between-us-and-uk-2020| title=Delta, Virgin Atlantic boost summer flying between U.S. and U.K. in 2020| publisher=Delta Airlines| date=15 August 2019| access-date=15 August 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815144837/https://news.delta.com/delta-virgin-atlantic-boost-summer-flying-between-us-and-uk-2020| archive-date=15 August 2019| url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, [[JetBlue]] became the first US airline to serve Gatwick since 2013, with services to [[New York–JFK]] and Boston.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

===Development since the 2000s===
On 17 September 2008, BAA announced it would sell Gatwick after the [[Competition Commission]] published a report about BAA's market dominance in London and the [[South East England|South East]]. On 21 October 2009, it was announced that an agreement had been reached to sell Gatwick to a consortium led by [[Global Infrastructure Partners]] (GIP), which subsequently also bought [[Edinburgh Airport]] in 2012,<ref group=nb>as of May 2012</ref> for £1.51 billion. The sale was completed on 3 December.<ref name=Sale>{{cite news |date=21 October 2009 |title=BAA agrees Gatwick airport sale |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8317662.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=11 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022030124/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8317662.stm |archive-date=22 October 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2010, GIP sold minority stakes in the airport of 12% and 15% to the South Korean National Pension Service and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for £100 million and £125 million, respectively. The sales were part of GIP's [[strategic management|strategy]] to [[syndicate#Finance syndicates|syndicate]] the [[equity (finance)|equity]] portion of the original acquisition by issuing [[bond (finance)|bonds]] to [[refinance]] bank debt. Although this entails bringing additional investors into the airport, GIP aims to retain [[management control]].<ref name="Gatwick_AdditionalInvestors">{{cite news| last1=Fenton| first1=Susan| last2=Roumeliotis| first2=Greg| title=Abu Dhabi wealth fund buys into Gatwick Airport| url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-gatwick-abu-dhabi-idUSTRE61403S20100205| access-date=11 February 2015| work=Reuters|location=London| date=5 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211222626/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2010/02/05/us-gatwick-abu-dhabi-idUSTRE61403S20100205| archive-date=11 February 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Gatwick_Securitisation">{{cite press release |url=http://www.gatwick-airport-uk.info/gatwickairport240210.html |title=Gatwick Airport News: GIP to replace bank debt with bonds |publisher=Gatwick Airport |date=24 February 2010 |access-date=15 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718155205/http://www.gatwick-airport-uk.info/gatwickairport240210.html |archive-date=18 July 2011 }}</ref>

The [[California]]n state pension fund [[CalPERS]] acquired a 12.7% stake in Gatwick Airport for about $155 million (£104.8 million) in June 2010.<ref name="CalPERS1">{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE65H4ZC20100618 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201071553/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE65H4ZC20100618 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 February 2013 |title=Calpers acquires 12.7 percent stake in Gatwick Airport |website=Reuters |date=15 June 2010 |access-date=15 August 2010 |first=Jim |last=Christie}}</ref> On 21 December 2010, the [[A$]]69 billion (£44 billion) [[Future Fund]], a sovereign wealth fund established by the Australian government in 2006, agreed to purchase a 17.2% stake in Gatwick Airport from GIP for £145 million. This transaction completed GIP's syndication process for the airport, reducing its stake to 42% (although the firm's extra [[Voting interest|voting rights]] meant it still controlled the airport's [[board of directors|board]]).<ref name="FutureFund">{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c92adca-0c73-11e0-8408-00144feabdc0.html#axzz18lAMAJ4A |title=Future Fund gets Gatwick go-ahead |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |location=London |date=21 December 2010 |access-date=16 November 2021 |first=Martin |last=Arnold |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224071755/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0c92adca-0c73-11e0-8408-00144feabdc0.html#axzz18lAMAJ4A |archive-date=24 December 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2020, the airport announced plans to cut over a quarter of its employees as a result of a planned company restructuring caused by the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The planned cuts will bring the total workforce of the airport to 1,900; before the start of the pandemic it was 3,300, however, an additional 785 jobs were cut earlier in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/825ad395-2c82-4c81-a2e4-fe97b6eb238a |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/825ad395-2c82-4c81-a2e4-fe97b6eb238a |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |title=Gatwick to cut a quarter of its staff as part of restructuring |newspaper=Financial Times |last=Georgiadis |first=Philip |date=26 August 2020 |access-date=26 August 2020}}</ref> In August 2021, it was reported that Gatwick's operators were in talks with lenders following posting first-half-year net losses of £ 245m.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ralph |first1=Philip Giorgiadis and Oliver |title=Gatwick in talks with lenders as losses mount |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ccbe4745-fef0-4599-bfa9-c9470cb51f0e |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/ccbe4745-fef0-4599-bfa9-c9470cb51f0e |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |newspaper=Financial Times |location=London |access-date=16 August 2021}}</ref>