Is Gatwick or Heathrow bigger?

Heathrow is larger and has better links in and out of the airport to Central London. Heathrow has five terminals and four runways. Meanwhile, Gatwick has two terminals and two runways. Heathrow is nearer to Central London.



Heathrow (LHR) is significantly larger than Gatwick (LGW) in both passenger volume and physical infrastructure. Heathrow is the busiest airport in the UK and a major global hub, handling over 80 million passengers annually with two main runways and four active terminals. In contrast, Gatwick is the second busiest, handling approximately 46 million passengers a year, primarily utilizing a single runway for its North and South terminals. While Heathrow serves as the primary home for long-haul "flag carriers" like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, Gatwick is a major base for low-cost carriers like easyJet and has a strong focus on North American and European leisure routes. In terms of land area, Heathrow covers roughly 1,227 hectares, dwarfing Gatwick's 674 hectares, making it the clear heavyweight of the London airport system.

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