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Gatwick Airport, London's second airport, has gone a long way towards shedding its old dependence on the leisure/charter business. It is now established as a major international hub and its owners BAA are currently investing more than GBP£100 million

Although Gatwick is located 28 miles (45km) south of London it has fast rail service and convenient road links and is a much easier place to navigate than its sprawling sister Heathrow!.

The facilities at its two terminals - North and South - are good, particularly for those who count shopping as part of the travel experience. The growth in Gatwick Airport's popularity is also Gatwick's biggest problem. Now with over 32 million passengers each year it operates all flights from a single runway and is crying out for more capacity.

From its earliest days Gatwick was an airport ahead of its time. Its first innovation was a direct link for passengers between the airport and the nearby rail station. Its second, 20 years later, was to build a covered pier from the terminal to aircraft stands, which became a standard feature of airport design.

Gatwick Airport started life modestly in 1931 as a private airfield owned by Home Counties Aviation Services. Serious development was later carried out by Airports Limited and the first terminal, was opened in 1936. Passengers arriving by train could walk into the airport through subways and covered walkways.

Like many pre-war airfields, however, Gatwick suffered from a lack of paved runways and was eventually abandoned by its principal airline operator in 1938. Gatwick's war time role as a Royal Air Force base saw it grow through the acquisition of the local racecourse but when it was returned to civil use in 1946 it was still basically a grass airfield.

The big upturn in fortunes came in 1953 when the Government decreed Gatwick as London's second airport. The old airport was closed for major re-development. When it officially re-opened three years later Gatwick had been transformed into a modern facility. There was a 2000 feet runway, a terminal incorporating a rail station and a covered pier linking terminal with aircraft, the first of its kind in the UK.

Charter traffic became big business in the 1980s and with more than a million passengers then using Gatwick the terminal was extended and two more piers built. Despite the upturn Gatwick still ranked only fourth busiest of UK airports but British United Airways, then the main operator, was steadily introducing scheduled services.

Gatwick had ambitions beyond the charter market and those were finally realised in 1978 when it became a transatlantic gateway.

Passenger traffic hit the 10 million mark in the 1980s and has continued to grow at a phenomenal rate, reaching over 32 million in 2000.

As traffic continues on its upward path Gatwick is anxious to build a second runway to meet demand. It has run into implacable opposition but a history of successful innovation suggests a solution will be found.

The North Terminal handles all British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air France, Delta Air Lines and Iberia flights. It also handles a limited number of charter flights. The South Terminal handles the bulk of Gatwick Airport's traffic serving domestic, international and charter flights.

Gatwick Airport is located at Junction 9 of the M23 motorway and on the A23 London to Brighton Road. The journey time from Gatwick Airport to Central London by road is approximately 60-70 minutes and a taxi fare would cost around £65.00.

A number of trains run directly into Gatwick Airport from London mainline stations. The Victoria / Gatwick express runs every 15 minutes from 05:00 - 23:45 and then hourly overnight. The journey time is 30 minutes and the fare is £10.20 one way with the return / round trip is £19.50.

An alternative method is the Airbus which runs from Victoria Coach Station, London direct through to Gatwick Airport. The first service of the day departs at 06:35 and the last at 23:25. This service runs hourly, at 25 minutes past the hour, and the journey time is around 90 minutes. This service serves both the North and South Terminals at Gatwick and the fare is £8.00 one way with a return fare of £10.00.

The Gatwick Transit is a free automated rail transfer system that connects the North and South Terminals. The trains run every 3-4 minutes from each terminal and the journey time is just under two minutes.