Heathrow challenges Gatwick’s claims on long-haul routes

This follows the recent news that Air China is suspending flights from Gatwick to Beijing, the withdrawal of Korean Air and the cancellation of the proposed Garuda Indonesia flight from Gatwick to Jakarta this winter. In total, 20 long-haul airlines have withdrawn from Gatwick in the last five years.

Direct long-haul flights are critical to supporting trade and growth. UK businesses trade 20 times more with emerging markets that have daily flights than those with less frequent or no direct service.

Gatwick maintains that long-haul flights do not need to operate from a hub airport. Yet, in the ten years that Heathrow has been full, Gatwick has failed to deliver flights to long-haul business destinations. Airlines that have been unable to access slots at Heathrow have tried and failed to make long-haul flights from Gatwick work.

Long-haul airlines that have withdrawn all flights from Gatwick since 2008: