London’s Gatwick Airport opens new Pier 1 | ATWOnline

London’s Gatwick Airport has opened its new Pier 1 to passenger traffic.

The pier, with five gates, adjoins the airport’s South, or original, terminal and replaces a previous pier that had been in operation on the site since 1958.

Construction of the new £186 million ($273 million) pier includes a new baggage system for the entire South Terminal capable of handling 4,250 items an hour as well as the airport’s first “early bag store,” which can accept baggage up to 18 hours before departure, allowing passengers to check in their bags before heading to a nearby hotel for a night’s rest before their flight.

Passengers at all five gates on the new pier will be able to use either air bridges or walk-in/walk-out entrances at apron level, allowing the possibility of faster boarding and disembarking.

As part of the project, four new taxiways at the airport provide nine extra holding points for aircraft. This is also aimed at reducing delays by improving the efficiency of aircraft movements to and off the stands.

The opening of the new pier is part of Gatwick’s attempts to wrest a new runway for South East England from London Heathrow, the favored option chosen by a commission of experts almost a year ago.

The commission’s task was to find the best site for a new runway to serve London and the South East. However, its decision was non-binding on the UK government, which promptly kicked the decision further down the road by calling for further environmental investigations into the suitability of Heathrow.

A final decision is now expected by the end of this year and Gatwick continues to push its claim to being the most appropriate site.

London’s Gatwick Airport opens new Pier 1 | Airports & Routes content from ATWOnline