London Gatwick has continued to lay the groundwork for expansion following its busiest ever November - 2.6 million passengers travelled through the airport, up 7.3 per cent on the previous year.

The government has made clear that it will choose between Gatwick and Heathrow expansion in the summer.

Destinations contributing to this growth include North Atlantic routes, up 9.7 per cent overall, including Toronto, which was up 37 per cent year on year.

Long-haul routes at the airport are set to further increase in 2016 as Cathay Pacific launches a new route Gatwick to Hong Kong, a premier gateway to the Far East for both business and leisure.

An additional 178,253 passengers travelled through Gatwick in November compared to the same month in 2014.

Passenger growth is the result of more air traffic movements per hour and larger aircraft being used on average across the airlines.

Average load factors were consistently strong at 81.5 per cent.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “Britain has a clear choice on airport expansion: get on with growth at Gatwick or yet more delays and inertia with an illegal Heathrow scheme that continues to stall. 

“This decision has always been about balancing the economic benefits of expansion with the impact on the environment.

“The simple facts show that Gatwick expansion would give the country the economic benefit it needs at a dramatically lower environmental cost. 

“With 12 new long-haul routes starting in 2016 and significant growth across all sectors, from both existing and new airlines, it is clear why expansion at Gatwick needs to go ahead now.

“Last week, Cathay Pacific announced it will start Hong Kong services which will directly link Gatwick to a premier gateway to the Far East for both business and leisure.”