Flybe

IATA BE ICAO BEE Callsign JERSEY
Founded	1979 (as Jersey European Airways)
Operating bases	Aberdeen Belfast City Birmingham Edinburgh Cardiff Exeter (HQ) Gatwick Glasgow Guernsey Inverness Isle of Man Jersey Helsinki (as Flybe Nordic) Manchester Newcastle Southampton (Largest base)
Focus cities	Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Rewards4all
Airport lounge	Flybe Executive Lounge
Subsidiaries	Flybe Nordic Loganair
Fleet size	67
Destinations	65
Company slogan	Making Flying Better
Parent company	Rosedale (J.W.) Investments Limited
Headquarters	Jack Walker House Exeter International Airport Devon, United Kingdom
Key people	Jim French (CEO) Jack Walker (Founder) Andrew Knuckey (CFO) Mike Rutter (CCO) Andrew Strong (COO)
Revenue	£595.5 million (12 months to 31 March 2011)[1]
Operating income	£7.6 million (12 months to 31 March 2011)[1]
Net income	£3.8 million (12 months to 31 March 2011)[1]
Website	www.flybe.com

Jack Walker House, Flybe head office at Exeter International Airport

Flybe Group PLC (styled as flybe, pronounced /ˈflaɪˌbiː/) is a low-cost regional airline group based in Exeter, Devon, England.^[2] It operates over 180 routes to 65 European airports and is Europe's largest regional airline, carrying over 6.7 million passengers during 2010.^[3][4] The airline is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FLYB), and employs around 2,800 people.^[5][1]

Launched in 1979 under the name Jersey European Airways, the airline was subsequently renamed British European, then Flybe. It merged with BA Connect in 2007 to create Flybe Group. The group now includes Flybe Aviation Services (engineering and maintenance), Flybe Training Academy (engineering and flight crew training), Flybe UK (airline operations) and Flybe Europe, the holding company for all European operations, which currently consists of Flybe Nordic.

In the UK, Flybe's largest base is Southampton Airport and it has other large bases at Belfast City Airport, Birmingham Airport, and Manchester Airport, with a total of 14 aircraft and crew bases across the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.^[6]

History[link]

A Jersey European Vickers Viscount seen at Düsseldorf International Airport in 1980.

Flybe logos

Jersey European (1991-2000)

Jersey European
(1991-2000)

Flybe
(2002–)

Flybe started operations on 1 November 1979 as Jersey European Airways (JEA), as a result of a merger of Jersey-based Intra Airways and Bournemouth-based Express Air Services.^[7][8] Jersey European Airways was the brainchild of John Habin, a resident of Jersey and the majority investor. After selling Aviation Beauport and other business interests, Habin established a few key routes from Jersey to the UK, before selling the airline in November 1983 to Jack Walker's Walker Steel Group, which already owned Blackpool-based charter airline Spacegrand Aviation. The two airlines were run separately, with partially shared management, until 1985 when they their amalgamated under the Jersey European name, with the airline's headquarters moving to Exeter.^[9]

The airline became British European in June 2000,^[10] shortening this title to Flybe on 18 July 2002 and repositioning itself as a full service, low-fare airline. On 3 November 2006 it was announced that Flybe would buy BA Connect - except that airline's services out of London City Airport. The takeover was complete in March 2007. The expanded airline's owners were Rosedale Aviation Holdings (69%), Flybe staff (16%) and - as a result of the of the BA Connect takeover - International Airlines Group (15%). It had 3,000 employees at January 2008.^[11] Chief Executive Officer Jim French was recognised in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List with a CBE for his services to the airline industry.^[12]

In the financial year to March 2010, Flybe had a turnover of more than £570 million and had around 2,800 employees.^[1]

Acquisition of BA Connect[link]

On 5 March 2007 Flybe completed the acquisition of the former regional airline business of British Airways. The purchase was first announced on 3 November 2006 with British Airways acquiring a 15% stake in the airline. The acquisition (which did not include BA Connect's London City Airport routes, which have been taken over by BA CityFlyer) has increased Flybe's route network in both the UK and continental Europe making Flybe Europe's largest regional airline.^[13]

Loganair franchise agreement[link]

On 14 January 2008 it was announced that Flybe had signed a franchise agreement with Scottish airline Loganair, to commence on 26 October 2008 following the termination of Loganair's franchise agreement with British Airways on 25 October 2008.

The agreement will see Loganair aircraft flying in Flybe colours on 55 routes from Scotland.^[14]

Stock market flotation[link]

On 10 December 2010, Flybe floated on the London Stock Exchange, with trading in shares commencing on the same day. Full public release of shares followed on 15 December 2010. The share price was set at 295p valuing the company at approximately £215 million, and raising £66 million for the company, half of which will go towards fleet expansion.^[15][16]

Destinations[link]

Flybe operates short haul services to destinations throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and continental Europe.

Flybe franchise and codeshare destinations[link]

Codeshare Agreements[link]

Flybe has codeshare agreements with the following airlines, as of December 2011:^[17]

• Air France (SkyTeam)
• British Airways (Oneworld)
• Etihad Airways

Fleet[link]

Dash 8 Q400 at takeoff

Flybe Dash 8 Q400 in planform view

Embraer 195 at Manchester Airport

Alternative low cost, but not at any cost green livery

As of May 2012, the Flybe fleet includes the following aircraft,^[18] with an average age of 3 years.^[19]

Aircraft orders[link]

• On 6 June 2005, Flybe placed an order for 14 Embraer E-195 aircraft plus options on an additional 12 aircraft. Flybe is the worldwide launch customer for the Embraer E-195. Delivery of the aircraft started in September 2006. The new aircraft were to replace Flybe's BAe 146 aircraft, completing the fleet rationalisation started in 2003 which also includes an order for up to 61 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft (41 firm orders and 20 options).

• On 14 June 2005, Flybe converted four existing Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 options into firm orders bringing its fleet of Q400s to 45 aircraft when they are delivered.^[21]

• On 1 September 2006, the airline received its first 118-seat Embraer 195, the launch customer of the product. Fitted with single Head-up Guidance System (HGS) and configured to offer single-class service, the aircraft is intended to replace the airline’s BAe 146s.

• In May 2007, the airline signed a deal for 15 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft valued at $394 million, with options for a further 15. It is the world's largest Q400 operator and this order will increase its Q400 fleet to 60.^[22]

• On 20 July 2010, Flybe placed an order for 35 Embraer E-175 aircraft worth $1.3bn, with options for 65 more (value $2.3bn) and purchase rights for a further 40 (value $1.4bn). The 88-seat aircraft was originally planned to be delivered between July 2011 and March 2017,^[20] with the first two aircraft actually arriving in November 2011.^[23]

Previously operated[link]

• BAC One-Eleven
• BAe 146
• Boeing 737-300 Leased
• Bombardier CRJ200
• de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
• Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
• Embraer ERJ 145
• Fokker F27
• Hawker Siddeley HS 748
• Short 360
• Bombardier Dash 8 300

Cabin and onboard service[link]

Flybe employs allocated seating on all flights and passengers have the option to choose a seat online in advance. Economy Plus ticket holders receive a complimentary drink and snack, access to Flybe Executive Lounges, free prebooked seating and priority check-in. For Economy passengers, the airline operates a buy on board programme, called "Deli in the Sky", offering food and drinks for purchase.

The airline offers gifts and fragrances for sale on all flights, as well as duty free cigarettes and spirits on flights to destinations that are outside of the European Union, including Jersey and Guernsey.^[24] Onboard sales are an important part of the airline's ancillary revenue.

Corporate affairs[link]

Passenger numbers[link]

Flybe carried nearly 7.1 million passengers during 2011, a 5.1% increase compared with 2010.^[4] As per the CAA's April/May 2009 passenger statistics, Flybe is now the UK's largest domestic airline (26% of total UK domestic passengers that flew during April chose a Flybe-branded flight, 3% more than those who chose an easyJet-branded flight). It carried 451,413 domestic passengers during April 2009, excluding franchise flights operated by Loganair. This puts Flybe in pole position among the UK's domestic carriers, ahead of easyJet, British Airways, BMI Group and Ryanair. During that period Flybe also became Gatwick's leading domestic operator.^[25]

Year Total passengers Total flights Load factor Passenger change YoY 2005 4,683,482 80,919 67.7% 2006 4,536,841 86,044 63.3% 003.1% 2007 6,050,211 133,979 61.3% 033.4% 2008 6,854,491 139,891 63.6% 013.3% 2009 6,708,253 137,150 60.6% 002.1% 2010 6,737,698 144,429 61.0% 000.4% 2011 7,097,188 139,874 62.2% 005.1% Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority [4]

Financial performance[link]

Subsidiaries and franchises[link]

Flybe Nordic[link]

A joint-venture with Finnair was announced in 2011. The company is called Flybe Nordic and it started operations 30 October 2011, when Finncomm Airlines was renamed as Flybe Nordic as a result of ownership change. Route structure of the airline consists of franchise routes operated for Finnair and Flybe Nordic own routes under BE- code. Also flights with BE- designator are code-shared with Finnair. Developments in the company have already started as published by Airliner World^[26]

Loganair[link]

Flybe operates many flights in Scotland and some of its flights in Ireland through a franchise agreement with Loganair.

Codeshares[link]

The following airlines have a codeshare agreement to offer seats for sale on selected Flybe flights:

• Air France^[27]
• British Airways – primarily routes to and from London Gatwick and Manchester Airport.
• Etihad Airways – A codeshare between Flybe and Etihad became effective on 13 November 2009.^[28][29]
• Finnair – On all Flybe Nordic routes to and from of Helsinki and Tallinn bases

Flybe has other interline arrangements with American Airlines, BMI, Continental Airlines, Emirates Airline, Ghana International Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, TAP Portugal, US Airways and Virgin Atlantic.^[30]

Commercial practices[link]

Sponsorship[link]

Flybe advertise flights from Leeds Bradford Airport on the side of a Leeds taxi, seen outside the University of Leeds in 2010.

• On 24 April 2006 Flybe announced a 3-year deal with Southampton Football Club for sponsorship of the main club and shirt. On 11 December 2008, it was announced that Flybe had extended the deal by an extra year. However, this sponsorship deal has now ended with the club's decision to keep the club's shirts free of sponsorship for its 125th anniversary.^[31] Flybe are also the main and shirt sponsor of Exeter City Football Club and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
• Flybe formerly sponsored Norwich City (2006–2008), Birmingham City (2003–2007) and Southampton F.C. (2006–2010)
• Flybe sponsor the weather bulletins on ITV Meridian, STV, ITV South West, Channel Television and UTV, along with the sport sections of the Manchester Evening News, The Express and Echo (Exeter), Echo (Cardiff), The Courier (Isle of Man) and The Examiner (Isle of Man). ITV weather bulletins are mostly sponsored by low-cost airlines, with Bmi Baby and Jet2.com also sponsoring regional weather.

Norwich airport rebate incident[link]

In 2008, in order to avoid losing a £280,000 rebate from Norwich Airport, Flybe hired 172 actors as "fake passengers" on 11 flights to Dublin.^[32][33][34] As a result the environmental group Friends of the Earth called on the government to launch an investigation into the aviation industry.^[35]

Awards[link]

• October 2011: Gold Punctuality Award (see Flybe/News/Archive/October 2011)
• November 2009: Most Environmentally and Socially Responsible Budget Airline’ award at The British Travel Awards 2009 (Second year running)
• October 2009: ICARUS Environmental Award at the Environmental Supplier Awards organised by the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM) UK and Ireland
• September 2009: European Airline MRO of the Year by AVIATION WEEK’s Overhaul and Maintenance (O&M) magazine.
• January 2009: Air Transport World 2009 Global Regional Airline of the year
• December 2008: Buying Business Travel ‘Green Diamond’ award for environmental commitment
• November 2008:
  • Best Domestic Airline at the 16th Annual Scottish Passenger Agents Association (SPAA) Travel Awards
  • Most Environmentally Responsible Budget Airline award at the British Travel Awards
• October 2008:
  • Brussels Airport Environmental Award for 2008
  • Number 1 in the Sunday Times 2008 Top Track 250 of privately-owned companies
• September 2008: Special Merit for Commitment to the Environment Award at the 2008 Budgie Awards
• July 2008: Jim French awarded 2008 Regional Leadership Award at the Global Airline Strategy Awards
• March 2008: Franco-British Chamber of Commerce Achievement of the Year Award
• June 2007: Flight International ‘Best Management Team 2007’ Award

References[link]

• Wright, Alan J. "Independent Survivor". Air International, July 2001. Vol 61 No 1. pp. 48–52.

External links[link]

	Devon portal
	Companies portal
	Aviation portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flybe

• Official website

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Gatwick Airport London Gatwick Airport
IATA: LGW – ICAO: EGKK
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Global Infrastructure Partners
Operator		Gatwick Airport Limited
Serves		London
Location		Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Hub for		British Airways
Elevation AMSL		203 ft / 62 m
Coordinates		51°08′53″N 000°11′25″W / 51.14806°N 0.19028°W / 51.14806; -0.19028Coordinates: 51°08′53″N 000°11′25″W / 51.14806°N 0.19028°W / 51.14806; -0.19028
Website		www.gatwickairport.com
Map
LGW Location within West Sussex, England
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
08L/26R	2,565	8,415	Asphalt/Concrete
08R/26L	3,316	10,879	Asphalt/Concrete
Statistics (2011)
Passengers			33,674,264
Passenger change 10-11			7.3%
Aircraft Movements			251,067
Movements change 10-11			4.4%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK) is located 3.1 mi (5.0 km) north of the centre of Crawley,^[1] West Sussex, and 29.5 mi (47.5 km) south of Central London.^[3] Also known as London Gatwick,^[4] it is London's second largest international airport and second busiest by total passenger traffic in the United Kingdom after Heathrow.^[5] Furthermore, Gatwick is Europe's leading airport for point-to-point flights^{[nb 1]} and has the world's busiest single-use runway averaging 52 aircraft movements an hour.^[6][7] Its two terminals – North and South – cover an area of 810,000 sq ft (75,000 m²) and 1,300,000 sq ft (120,000 m²) respectively.^[8]

In 2011, over 33.6 million passengers passed through Gatwick.^[2]

Charter airlines generally prefer Gatwick over Heathrow as a base for London and the South East of England. 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.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}. Under the agreement Heathrow allowed the right for only two US carrier and two UK carrier to serve flights to the United States. Currently, US Airways is the only US carrier that still serves Gatwick from the US. The airport is a base for scheduled operators Aer Lingus, British Airways (BA), EasyJet, Flybe, Monarch Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, as well as charter airlines including Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways. Gatwick is unique amongst London's airports in having a significant airline presence representing each of the three main airline business models: full service, low/no frills and charter.^[14] As of January 2011, these respectively accounted for 37, 51 and 12% of total passenger traffic.^[15]

BAA Limited and its predecessors, the British Airports Authority and BAA plc, owned and operated Gatwick continuously from 1 April 1966 until 2 December 2009.^[16][17][18] On 17 September 2008, BAA announced it would sell Gatwick following a report by the Competition Commission into BAA's market dominance in London and the South East. On 21 October 2009, it was announced that agreement had been reached to sell Gatwick to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), the owners of London City Airport, for £1.51 billion. Of this amount, £55 million will depend on the airport's future traffic development and its owners' future capital structure (£10 million and £45 million respectively).^[19] The sale was formally completed on 3 December 2009. On this day, Gatwick's ownership passed from BAA to GIP.^[20] In early-2010, GIP reportedly sold minority stakes in Gatwick to the National Pension Service of Korea and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.^[21][22] On 18 June 2010, it was reported that CalPERS, California's and the US's biggest state pension fund, had bought a 12.7% equity stake in Gatwick Airport from GIP.^[23][24] An announcement made in the Financial Times on 21 December 2010 stated that the Future Fund, a sovereign wealth fund set up by the Australian government, planned to buy a 17.2% stake in Gatwick Airport from GIP.^[25]

History[link]

The airport apron in 1973.

The airport apron in 1981 (note the increase in widebodied aircraft).

The airport control tower.

• 1241: The name "Gatwick" is first recorded, as Gatwik, the name of a manor, on the site of today's airport (under the northmost edge of North Terminal's aircraft taxiing area). Until the 19th century, it was owned by the De Gatwick family.^[26] Its name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words gāt, 'goat', and wīc, 'dairy farm', i.e. 'goat farm'.^[27] (On the adjacent map, Gatwick Manor is at the northwest end of the racecourse; its name is somewhat obscured by the map's paper being eroded over an old crease. The site of the modern runway runs roughly from the racecourse to the lane junction at Hydefield farm southeast of Charlwood. Comparing old and new maps seems to show that the modern Gatwick Manor hotel is not the old Gatwick Manor but a rename for another old building, near Lowfield Heath.)
• 21 September 1841: The London and Brighton Railway opened, running near Gatwick Manor.
• 1890: The descendants of the original owners sold the area to the newly established Gatwick Race Course Company.
• 1891: The new owners opened a horse racecourse (Gatwick Racecourse), beside the London–Brighton railway, and a dedicated station including sidings for horse boxes.^[26] The course held steeplechase and flat races.
• 1916, 1917, 1918: During World War I the racecourse hosted the Grand National.^[26]

Airport infrastructure and airline operations[link]

1920–1945[link]

The Beehive

• Late 1920s: Land adjacent to the racecourse at Hunts Green Farm along Tinsley Green Lane was used as an aerodrome.
• August 1930: Following a change in land ownership, the aerodrome was licensed. It was called Gatwick Aerodrome.^[28]
• Later in 1930: The Surrey Aero Club was formed at the aerodrome by a Ronald Waters, who had been the manager of Home Counties Aircraft Service Ltd based at Penshurst Airfield in Kent. Surrey Aero Club used the old Hunts Green farmhouse as club house.^[29][30]
• 1932: Redwing Aircraft Company bought the aerodrome and operated a flying school. The aerodrome was also used for pilots flying in to races.
• 1933: The Air Ministry approved commercial flights from Gatwick. The aerodrome was sold for £13,500 to Morris Jackaman, an investor.
• 1934: Morris Jackaman formed a new airport company named Airports Limited. Hillman's Airways became Gatwick's first commercial airline operator as a result of starting scheduled services from the airport to Belfast and Paris.
• 1935: A new airline named Allied British Airways was formed, by a merger between Hillman's Airways, United Airways and Spartan Airways. The newly formed carrier, which subsequently shortened its name to British Airways, became Gatwick's principal operator.^[26]
• 6 July 1935: Gatwick Aerodrome closed for building works (building of the The Beehive (a circular terminal building) commenced).
• September 1935: A new railway station called Gatwick served by two trains an hour on the Victoria–Brighton line opened. (The present Gatwick station is on the same site.)
• 30 September 1935: Tinsley Green railway station opened 0.85 mi (1.37 km) south of the present Gatwick station.
• May 1936: Some flights started.
• 17 May 1936: The first scheduled flight to depart The Beehive was bound for Paris. The applicable air fare was £4 5s, including a first class rail ticket from London Victoria.^[26]
• 6 June 1936 Gatwick airport officially reopened; The Beehive officially opened. The Beehive was designed by Frank Hoar and included a subway to Gatwick Airport railway station that let passengers travel from London Victoria Station to the aircraft without stepping outside. Tinsley Green railway station was renamed Gatwick Airport.^{[31][32][33][34][35][36][37]}
• September and November 1936: Two fatal accidents questioned the airport's safety.^[38][39][40] Moreover, the area was prone to fog and waterlogging as a result of poor drainage due to heavy clay soils. This in turn caused the new subway to flood after rain.
• 1937: As a result and because longer landing strips were needed, the pre-war British Airways moved to Croydon Airport. Gatwick went back to private flying and was contracted as a Royal Air Force (RAF) flying school.^[26] The airport also attracted repair companies.
• September 1939: The Air Ministry requisitioned Gatwick.^[26]
• World War II: Although the airfield became a base for RAF night-fighters and an army co-operation squadron, it was mainly a repair and maintenance facility.^[41]
• 1940: Horse racing at Gatwick ceased.

1945–1958[link]

• 1946: Gatwick Airport was officially decommissioned, but the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation continued to operate it as a civil airfield, initially for a six-month trial period.^[26] During that period, the airport provided maintenance facilities and charter companies flying war-surplus aircraft started to use it; however, persistent drainage issues affected the airport's usage. Most commercial air services were cargo flights. The original Gatwick railway station was renamed Gatwick Racecourse.
• November 1948: The owners warned that the airport could be de-requisitioned by November 1949 and revert to private use. Stansted was favoured as London's second airport and Gatwick's future was in doubt.
• 1950: Despite opposition from local authorities, the Cabinet decided that Gatwick was to be an alternative to Heathrow.
• May 1950: Gatwick's first chartered flight departed the original airport's grass runway for Calvi on the Mediterranean island of Corsica with a refuelling stop in Nice. Jersey-based UK independent^{[nb 2]} airline Air Transport Charter (C.I.) Ltd operated this flight under contract to UK package tour pioneer Vladimir Raitz's Horizon Holidays, using a 32-seat Douglas DC-3 carrying 11 passengers.^[42][43]
• July 1952: The Government said that the airport was to be developed, primarily to cater to aircraft diverted from Heathrow in bad weather.
• 1956–1958: Temporary closure for a £7.8 million renovation.^[26][41][44] During that period, British European Airways (BEA) continued using Gatwick for its helicopter operations.^[44] The redevelopment was carried out by Alfred McAlpine.^[45] It entailed diverting the A23 London—Brighton trunk road and the River Mole, and building the runway across the erstwhile racecourse site and rebuilding the former racecourse railway station alongside the new terminal.^[44] The main pier of what is now the South Terminal was built during this construction work.

1958–1970[link]

• 27 May 1958: The original Gatwick railway station, which had been rebuilt, reopened as Gatwick Airport. The railway station at Tinsley Green shut and never reopened.
• 30 May 1958: Before the official opening, Transair operated the first commercial air service from the new Gatwick;^[26][46][47] a Jersey Airlines de Havilland Heron was the first scheduled aircraft to arrive at the newly reconstructed airport.^[28][48]

A PEOPLExpress Boeing 747 at the satellite pier of the South Terminal in June 1983. The North Terminal is under construction in the background

• 9 June 1958: Queen Elizabeth II flew into the new airport in a de Havilland Heron of the Queen's Flight to perform the opening. The first "official" flight to depart Gatwick following the reopening ceremony was a BEA DC-3 operating a charter for Surrey County Council to Jersey and Guernsey.^[44] Gatwick was the world's first airport with a direct railway link and the first to combine mainline rail travel, trunk road facilities and an air terminal building in one unit.^[41] It was also one of the first to have an enclosed pier-based terminal, which allowed passengers to walk under cover to waiting areas close to aircraft with only a short walk outdoors.^[26] Another novel feature of Gatwick's new air terminal was its modular design. This permitted subsequent, phased expansion.^[44]
• 1958/59: BEA started using Gatwick. Sudan Airways and BWIA West Indies Airways were among Gatwick's first scheduled overseas airlines. The former's Blue Nile services were the first scheduled flights from Gatwick by a foreign airline.^{[nb 3]} These services operated between Khartoum and London Gatwick via Cairo, Athens and Rome, initially using Airwork Vickers Viscount aircraft. British United Airways (BUA) assumed this operation the following year, as a result of the Airwork – Hunting-Clan merger. (BUA were also acting as Sudan Airways's technical advisers.)^[49][50] US supplemental carriers^{[nb 4]} Seven Seas Airlines, Capitol International, President Airlines and Transocean Airlines, as well as various South European and Scandinavian charter operators, figured prominently among Gatwick's early overseas users.^[50]
• Late 1950s: From here on, a number of Britain's private airlines established themselves at Gatwick. The first was Transair.^[51] It was followed by Airwork, Hunting-Clan and Morton Air Services. In July 1960, these merged to form British United Airways. Throughout the 1960s, BUA was Britain's largest independent airline. During that decade, it became Gatwick's largest resident airline. By the end of the decade, it also became the airport's leading scheduled operator, with a 44,100 mi (71,000 km) network of short, medium and long-haul routes across Europe, Africa and South America. These were served with contemporary BAC One-Eleven and Vickers VC10 jet aircraft.^[52]
• Early 1960s: Despite rapid expansion of BUA's and other airlines' scheduled activities at Gatwick, the airport was dominated by non-scheduled services well into the 1980s. The bulk of these were inclusive tour (IT) passenger services provided by a growing number of British independent operators and their overseas counterparts. During the 1960s, IT services accounted for between two-thirds and three-quarters of Gatwick's annual passengers, earning the airport its bucket and spade tag.^[50]
• 1962: Two additional piers were added.^[28]
• 1 May 1963: Non-scheduled operators began implementing the Ministry of Aviation's instruction to transfer all regular charter flights from Heathrow to Gatwick, restricting the former's use for non-scheduled operations to "occasional" charter flights only.^[53]
• 1964: Gatwick's original, relatively short 7,000 ft (2,100 m) late-1950s paved runway was extended by 1,200 ft (370 m) to 8,200 ft (2,500 m) due to new noise rules governing the operation of jet aircraft at airports close to or surrounded by densely populated urban areas.^[26][54] BEA Helicopters made Gatwick their administrative and engineering base.^[55]
• 1965: By now, each of the three piers was nearly 1,000 ft (300 m) long and the entire terminal complex had a floor area of 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m²).^[26][41] Fully extendible jet bridges were added when the piers were rebuilt and extended in the late 1970s and early 1980s.^[26]

1970–1999[link]

Inter-terminal transit track and Sofitel hotel. The North Terminal building is in the background

Gatwick's North Terminal building and transit station

• 1970: Second extension of Gatwick's runway by 875 ft (267 m) to 9,075 ft (2,766 m) to permit non-stop jet operations to the US east coast with a full payload and full-range/payload operations by British United and Caledonian BAC One-Eleven 500s.^[26][56] BEA Airtours made Gatwick their base.^[57]
• Late November 1970: BUA was acquired by the Scottish charter airline Caledonian Airways. The new airline was known as Caledonian//BUA. BUA's takeover by Caledonian enabled the latter to transform itself into a scheduled airline. In addition to scheduled routes inherited from BUA, it launched scheduled services to Europe, North and West Africa, North America as well as the Middle and Far East during the 1970s and '80s.
• September 1971: Caledonian//BUA became British Caledonian (BCal).
• November 1971: BCal commenced the first scheduled service by a wholly private UK airline since the 1930s between London and Paris from Gatwick to Le Bourget.^[58]
• November 1972: Laker Airways became the first operator of widebody aircraft at Gatwick, following the introduction of two McDonnell-Douglas DC-10-10 aircraft.^[59] Laker's DC-10 fleet expanded throughout the 1970s and early '80s. This included longer-range -30s, which were introduced from 1980.
• 1973: Third extension of Gatwick's runway to 10,165 ft (3,098 m) to allow non-stop narrowbody operations to the US west coast with a full payload and commercially viable, long-range widebody operations.^[26]
• April 1973: BCal inaugurated the first transatlantic scheduled services by a private UK airline to New York and Los Angeles.^[60][61]
• March and May 1977: BCal introduced its first two DC-10-30s at Gatwick.^[62]
• 26 September 1977: Laker Airways launched Skytrain, Gatwick's first daily long-haul, no frills flights to John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport.^[63]
• Late 1970s: Several Government initiatives in support of Gatwick's development resulted in steady growth in passenger numbers in the late 1970s. Amongst these, were new policies seeking the transfer of all scheduled services between London and the Iberian peninsula from Heathrow to Gatwick^[64] and compelling all airlines that were planning to operate a scheduled service to or from London for the first time to use Gatwick instead of Heathrow. The latter policy was officially known as the "London [Air] Traffic Distribution Rules". It came into effect on 1 April 1978 and was applied retroactively from 1 April 1977. These rules were designed to achieve a fairer distribution of traffic between London Heathrow and London Gatwick, the UK's two main international gateway airports. The policy was aimed at increasing Gatwick's utilisation to help the airport make a profit.^[65][66] Another pro-active measure the Government took to aid Gatwick's development at the time was to grant permission for a high-frequency helicopter shuttle service linking both of London's main airports.^[67]
• 9 June 1978: The 20th anniversary of Gatwick's reopening by Queen Elizabeth II coincided with the joint inauguration by BCal, British Airways Helicopters and the BAA of a new helicopter shuttle service linking the airport with London Heathrow.^[68][69]
• August 1980: BCal launched the UK's first private scheduled air service to Hong Kong (via Dubai).^[60][61]
• 1982: BCal started to operate a small fleet of Boeing 747–200s at Gatwick.^[70]
• 1983: As passenger numbers grew, a circular satellite pier was added to the terminal building, connected to the main terminal by the UK's first automated people mover system^[26] (now replaced with a walkway and travelators). There was a need for more capacity and a second terminal was planned. As a result, construction began on the North Terminal, the largest construction project south of London in the 1980s. It cost £200 million.^[71][72][73]