Could we soon be seeing an airline operate an Airbus A380 out of Gatwick?

Well, according to the Crawley News, Gatwick Airport has submitted a planning application with Crawley Borough Council to reconfigure an aircraft stand and parking area to accommodate the Airbus A380s.

The paper reports that the plans show the new stand would be at the North Terminal.

In 2010, Gatwick secured planning permission from the council to take the double-decker Airbus A380.

2011 was a good year for passenger traffic at Gatwick Airport.

The airport saw 12 consecutive months of increased passenger numbers in 2011 with more than 33 million passenger passing through the airport last year – an increase of 7.3% when compared to 2010.

Contributing to the increase was a massive 19.8% rise in passenger numbers in December, although this was mainly due to the snow disruptions of 2010 which saw passenger numbers fall in December 2010.

Throughout 2011, Gatwick saw increased passenger numbers to a number of destinations including a 15.7% increase in European scheduled traffic, a 7% increase in domestic and Channel Island passengers and a 5.8% rise in passengers to Ireland.

Nestle is relocating its offices to Gatwick.

The confectionery company will move its offices and 840 staff to 1 City Place Gatwick by the end of the year.

Gatwick Airport witnessed a small increase in passenger traffic in November.

A total of 2,135,300 passengers passed through the airport terminals in November, an increase of 0.6% when compared with November 2010.

Contributing to the increase were a 4.8% increase in European scheduled passengers and a 3.4% increase in domestic passengers.

In a rolling 12-month period (December 2010 – November 2011), Gatwick saw a 5.4% increase in passenger numbers when compared with December 2009 – November 2010. The most notable increase in this time was a 13.5% increase in European scheduled passengers.

More than a million people are expected to pass through Gatwick Airport over the Christmas and New Year period – 16 December and 2 January.

The busiest day will be Friday 23 December when 60,000 passengers are expected to depart from the airport.

Popular destinations this Christmas include Geneva, Dublin, Madrid, Orlando and Dubai.

To get passengers into the festive spirit, Gatwick has installed a snow slide in the North Terminal. There are also Christmas market stalls, a samba band and performances by local choirs and musical groups.

This year has seen the launch of Gatwick’s 38th Christmas Charity Appeal with all money raised going to Gatwick Airport’s charity partner, Travel Care and St Catherine’s Hospice. Last year’s charity appeal raised more than £2,000 and the airport is hoping to exceed the amount this year.

Tina Oakley, Gatwick Airport’s HR Director said, “Supporting our local community and making the airport experience an enjoyable one is important to us at Gatwick, especially during the festive period, which is why we are celebrating this year’s Christmas Charity Appeal in a big way.

“Throughout this month, we have planned a whole range of festive activities to entertain more than one-and-a-half million passengers expected to travel through the airport. Passengers can take a thrilling ride down our snow slide, buy treats from the Christmas markets and listen to performances from over 20 local choirs and music groups. There really is something for everyone this Christmas at Gatwick.”

Public sector unions will take industrial action tomorrow in protest against pension reforms and significant delays are expected at Gatwick Airport when Border Agency staff join the strike action.

Discussions between the airport and its airlines have taken place in a bid to ease disruption caused by the industrial action. Some airlines have also taken measures to offer passengers the option of rebooking their flights to reduce passenger numbers disruption.

Airlines offering rebookings include: British Airways, Virgin and Flybe (for international passengers with connecting flights).

Gatwick has drafted in hundreds of volunteers to provide support and assistence and Gatwick Police has said it will be supporting the airport.

Scott Stanley, Gatwick Airport’s Chief Operating Officer said: “Gatwick continues to work closely with the UK Border Agency and its airlines to ensure robust contingency measures are put in place to ensure disruption to passengers and airport operations is kept to a minimum.

”We have had face to face meetings with our major airline carriers to discuss contingency plans for the day and have called on them to offer their arriving passengers the opportunity, where possible, to rebook their flights either in the days immediately before or after the 30th November. We would advise passengers to check with their airline to find out what plans and arrangements have been put in place.”

“We recognise that this will be a challenging time for all airport passengers, and we would warn passengers to be prepared for the potential for significant disruption at the border zones on the 30th November.

“Unfortunately, airport staff can not man the desks at the Border Zone but we will provide all necessary assistance to the Border Agency and we are determined to make sure that the needs and welfare of all our passengers will be met on the day.”

Tips to help avoid delays:

• Use e-Passport gates where available
• Have travel documents, including passports, ready
• Fully complete landing cards
• Stay in family groups.

Last week saw the official opening of Gatwick Airport’s £73 million North Terminal extension by former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major.

The new extension will enable and extra four million passengers to pass through the terminal each year and means the airport is on target to handle 40 million passengers a year by 2020, without an extra runway!

With an extra 18 check-in desks – the terminal now boasts 144 (70 of which are self-service) – and four new baggage-reclaim belts, the airport should achieve a significant reduction in time spent waiting for luggage.

Stewart Wingate, Gatwick Airport Chief Executive said: “It’s fair to say that passengers flying out of the North Terminal used to be greeted with a dated 80s feel with little aesthetic appeal and confusing wayfinding. But that was the Gatwick of yesteryear. Today, the layout and design of the upgraded forecourt, interchange facilities and the expanded terminal building provide a much more positive first impression.

“This is all part of our £1.2 billion investment programme, which has a focus on improving the overall passenger experience of our airport, from the moment they arrive at the front door, check-in, pass through security to when they board their flight. We want passengers to spend as little time in queues or waiting for luggage as is possible, and we want them to enjoy their surroundings before they jet off for their holidays. That has been the focus of our work at the airport so far and there is still much more to come.”

At a glittering ceremony at the Hilton Metropole in London on Monday 31 October Gatwick Airport received the AOA Award for the ‘Best UK Airport’ (more than 6 million passengers).

The Airport Operators Association (AOA) Awards are determined by the British Air Transport Association (BATA) and the Airport Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

In the category of airport handling up to six million passengers, Newcastle Airport won the  ‘Best UK Airport’ for the third year running.

The awards were presented by The Independent’s travel editor, Simon Calder.

Want to learn more about Gatwick Airport? Perhaps you have a question about the airport’s operations or its future.

Well, today you can have your chance to quiz Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport when he hosts a live Twitter Q&A session.

The first Gatwick first live Q&A session will take place today, 12 October 2011, between 4pm and 5pm.

To ask a question simply tweet your question to @Gatwick_Airport using the hashtag #askgatwick.

Recent questions include parking for high-sided vehicles and the possibility of a second runway.

Figures recently released show Gatwick Airport handled 3,825,500 passengers in August, an increase of 132,500 when compared to August 2010.

Contributing to what was a 3.6% year on year increase was a massive 11.7% growth in European scheduled passengers. Northern Atlantic passenger numbers were up by 4.9%, although, other long-haul services saw passengers drop by 9.3%

In a rolling 12-month period – September 2010 to August 2011, passenger numbers increased by 4.6% when compared to September 2009 to August 2010 – great news for the new owners of Gatwick.