London Gatwick fully prepared to embrace travelers for the joyous Christmas getaway

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

London Gatwick stands prepared to welcome travelers during the bustling holiday season.

Anticipated as the peak day for Christmas departures, Friday, December 22, is expected to draw the most traffic. Nonetheless, the airport will remain fully operational on Christmas Day, facilitating an estimated 254 flights.

This year, Geneva (for short-haul flights) and Dubai (for long-haul journeys) emerge as the favored Christmas destinations.

In readiness for potentially severe winter weather, a dedicated team of highly skilled personnel has been gearing up to ensure the airport’s seamless functioning.

The maintenance of the world’s most efficient single runway demands a convergence of diverse skills and teams, come rain or shine.

Within the airport’s precincts, there exist 350 adeptly trained staff proficient in snow and ice clearance, ranging from airfield engineers to fire crews. Employing specialized equipment such as nine snow ploughs and two snow cutters, they adeptly clear the runway when faced with snow and ice.

A specialized unit of 150 personnel, affectionately termed “polar bears,” assumes responsibility for clearing aircraft parking stands and adjacent roads. This team operates up to 20 smaller snow ploughs and 30 tractors when necessary.

Notably, the airport maintains a reserve of over 352,000 liters of surface de-icer and more than 25,000 kilograms of solid de-icer. These resources are deployed to treat heavily congested areas and walkways, ensuring passengers’ safety. The process of snow clearing and de-icing treatment on the runways varies in duration, contingent upon the weather conditions and vehicle deployment.

Complementing airfield preparations, London Gatwick has a team of terminal staff available to attend to passengers’ needs and ensure their welfare as required.

Graham Alder, Head of Aerodrome, London Gatwick said: “This Christmas everyone at London Gatwick is looking forward to welcoming passengers as they travel over the festive period.

“We can’t dictate the weather or issues outside of our control, but we can plan and prepare for them. Our training schedule starts in August to ensure everyone is ready to react to the unpredictability of the weather. Our hardworking teams have just completed four separate live training days where we test our plans, practice formation driving and use the snow ploughs to rehearse snow clearance on the runway.

“Christmas is a busy time for everyone at London Gatwick and the airport team is working hard with all of our partners to deliver the best possible experience for passengers.”

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