Which Airlines Use Which Terminal?

London Gatwick (LGW) is the second-busiest airport serving the United Kingdom’s capital city, as well as the busiest single-runway airport in Europe. Situated to the south of London, around halfway to the coast, the facility has two terminals, referred to as simply North and South, with many airlines serving each of them. But, with passengers wanting to avoid using the wrong one, who goes where?

North Terminal

Generally speaking, Gatwick’s North Terminal is home to some of the airport’s key long-haul operations. For example, this part of the airport handles intercontinental flights operated by the likes of Air China, Air Mauritius, Air Transat, China Eastern Airlines, Emirates, Ethiopian, JetBlue, Qatar Airways, Saudia, and WestJet.

Closer to home, the North Terminal also accommodates carriers such as Turkish charter operator Freebird Airlines, as well as European flag carriers such as Lufthansa and Icelandair. North Africa also sees representation, with Royal Air Maroc using this terminal. For other operators, it is more complicated.

Photo: London Gatwick Airport

Indeed, this is because, in the case of UK carriers easyJet and TUI, which are some of London Gatwick Airport’s largest operators, different flights depart from different terminals. For TUI, Gatwick advises that flight numbers beginning with ‘TOM’ use the North Terminal, whereas ‘BY’ indicates a South Terminal departure. As for easyJet, passengers are advised to check with the airline to confirm their terminal.

Elsewhere in the North Terminal, a notable recent arrival was Delta Air Lines. Indeed, the Atlanta-headquartered US legacy carrier and SkyTeam member returned to London Gatwick in April 2023 after an operational hiatus that lasted more than a decade. However, its presence was short-lived, with Delta announcing in August that the newly reinstated route from New York JFK would pause in late October.

South Terminal

London Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal was the first of the current pair to open its doors, doing so in June 1958. It also lies in the closest proximity to the airport’s mainline railway station. Despite this, the impacts of the pandemic forced it to close in June 2022, and it only reopened once again in March 2022. It has 31 stands and another 57 remote ones, as is also the case for the North Terminal.

Photo: London Gatwick Airport

This part of the airport sees considerably more traffic, and is home to big hitters such as Aer Lingus, airBaltic, British Airways, Jet2, Norwegian, Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Vueling Airlines, and Wizz Air. Long-haul carriers include Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, and Air India. Among the charter operators present here are Titan Airways and Enter Air.

On a more regional level, Aurigny links London Gatwick to the Channel Island of Guernsey (GCI) from the airport’s South Terminal, while Eastern Airways flies directly to Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY). The ‘best of the rest’ for the South Terminal include the likes of Aegean Airlines, Air Europa, Air Malta, Corendon Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Iberia Express, SmartWings, and SunExpress.

How to get between the two terminals

For passengers needing to connect between the two terminals at London Gatwick Airport, there is a quick and easy (and, crucially, free) solution. Indeed, the airport provides an automated people mover known as the Gatwick Airport Shuttle Transit. Simple Flying took a look back at the history of this system, which is pictured in the photograph below, in August, and you can read our article here.

Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock

Next year will see more carriers get in on the act at London Gatwick Airport, with the likes of Atlantic Airways and Azores Airlines joining the party in June 2024. These operators will serve Vágar and Ponta Delgada on a seasonal basis, and it will certainly be interesting to see which terminal they end up going for.

What do you make of London Gatwick Airport’s two terminals, and the airlines that serve them? Which has been your favorite to use over the years? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: AeroRoutes, London Gatwick Airport, London Gatwick Airport