Gatwick is launching the UK’s first ever direct flights to Chongqing – one of the world’s largest urban centres and a major manufacturing and transportation hub in southwest China. The twice weekly, year round, flights will then continue to China’s fourth largest city, Tianjin, Gatwick announced today. Starting from June 25th, Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines will fly the Airbus A330 on the new Gatwick-Chongqing-Tianjin route – the airline’s first long haul flights outside Asia and one that complements its existing network serving over a 100 cities across China.

Norwegian – currently Gatwick’s third largest airline – has announced ambitious plans to locate 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to serve global long haul destinations at an expanded Gatwick. A further 100 Norwegian short haul aircraft would also be based at Gatwick, bringing the total number of new aircraft to 150.

London Gatwick Airport and The Restaurant Group have today announced the opening of the world’s first airport gin distillery, following a significant surge in the popularity of premium gins. Creating a unique gin called ‘The Nicholas Culpeper London Dry Gin’, after the famous botanist, and distilled from an exotic blend of ingredients, including Chinese Cassia Bark and Angelica root from India, the distillery is now open landside in the North Terminal.

Gatwick Airport has today announced the acceleration and expansion of its investment programme, totalling £2.5 billion, to cope with rapid passenger growth, and has opened discussions with contractors about building its second runway. Speaking to a group of more than 80 construction leaders and chief executives at Construction News’ quarterly breakfast briefing, Gatwick development director Raymond Melee told guests that Gatwick is rapidly approaching full capacity and investment plans are being brought forward to cope with growing passenger numbers.

Another milestone in Gatwick’s £2 billion transformation programme was reached today when Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate invited Caroline Ansell MP to officially open the airport’s newly-redeveloped Pier 5. The new Pier 5 project is now fully operational and represents a single investment of £80 million forming a key part of the North Terminal transformation plan.

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.