GATWICK bosses have called for improved rail services so they can make the best possible use of existing capacity at the airport.
While they are keen, in the long term, to build a second runway, in the short and medium term the goal is to get as many passengers as possible taking off from the existing runway.
It is estimated that about 24 per cent of the airport's capacity is still available – and better rail links would reduce this figure.
Although they have recently attracted new long-haul routes to China and Vietnam, as well as links to emerging markets such as Turkey and Russia, airport chiefs are keen to ensure Gatwick can continue to grow until the mid-2020s with a single runway.
In a submission to the Airports Commission, they call for more dedicated, high-quality and value-for-money services into London.
Key to this, they believe, is for better rolling stock to be introduced for the Gatwick Express.
They want to see a 30-minute, non-stop Gatwick Express service to London running every 15 minutes, with onboard ticket sales and more luggage space.
They also believe the airport would benefit from two trains per hour to Reading supported by an additional platform at Redhill and longer trains at peak periods.
Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate said: "Gatwick is already leading the way in making the best use of its single runway and attracting new routes.
"However, to enhance this work, and encourage greater use of the spare capacity London does have today, it is key for the Airports Commission to encourage competition between airports through a more flexible approach to setting price, service and quality levels.
"It is critical that the Airports Commission balances the use of runway capacity with building resilience into London's airport system. Airports should not be planning to fail their passengers, they should be planning to deliver certainty and an excellent service at all times."
Other issues that the submission says need addressing include better use of local air space, runway slots and the airport's night-flight quota. Gatwick bosses estimate that about 300,000 extra passengers could be accommodated if the airport was allowed to utilise slots more efficiently.
Alongside offering suggestions on how to make the most of its capacity, they have strongly advised better planning of how to deal with disruption such as snow. They believe it should be ensured that levels of runway utilisation are not so high that airports have little or no ability to recover if there is heavy snow.
