Passenger numbers rose at Gatwick Airport during October as new routes were launched to Africa and Europe.

More than 2.8 million people passed through the airport during October, 2.5 per cent more than during the same month last year.

The European scheduled flights market grew 5.3 per cent compared to last year with around one million passengers.

New routes were launched to Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mombasa in Africa and Hamburg, Innsbruck, Cork, Teeside and Grenoble in Europe.

Richard Scanlon, business development manager at the airport's owner and operator the British Airports Authority, said Gatwick operated routes to 180 destinations.

He said: "For the winter season it is anticipated that there will be 10 per cent more peak week departures compared to last winter."

Thursday, November 10, 2005