London Gatwick Airport is getting a serious expansion, and no, we’re not talking about your last-minute status match. The airport announced a £140 million extension to Pier 6, bringing eight new aircraft gates to the mid-airfield. Once complete in 2027, these gates will let an extra 7.5 million passengers skip the dreaded bus ride and head straight to their planes. That’s right, no more being herded onto coaches like confused cattle heading to a remote stand.
In This Post
Bye-bye, Bus Rides, Hello, Efficiency
Over 500,000 passengers a year will be spared the inconvenience of boarding a bus just to reach their aircraft, cutting 12,000 bus journeys annually. That’s a win for travellers and a massive plus for Gatwick’s sustainability goals.
Speaking of sustainability, Gatwick isn’t just talking the talk. The new extension is expected to hit top marks on BREEAM sustainability ratings: an “Excellent” overall and an “Outstanding” for energy and water efficiency. That’s because the design has been tweaked to be leaner, greener, and far less mean to the environment.
Slimmer, Smarter, Greener
The original plan for the extension was bulkier, but Gatwick went back to the drawing board and trimmed things down. The building footprint has been slimmed, a service road has been relocated, and they’re opting for two instead of a three-storey structure. These changes will slash the project’s embodied carbon by 40%, thanks to a hybrid steel-and-timber frame and a more efficient ventilation system. Even the interior finishes are getting a sustainable makeover, cutting another 20% off the original carbon footprint.
Mace Takes the Lead Again
Construction powerhouse Mace is running the show, which makes sense since they built the original Pier 6 and Gatwick’s iconic 197m airbridge in 2005. They’re teaming up with WSP and Pascall & Watson for the engineering and architectural magic, while PJ Hegarty handles enabling works. It’s a tricky build, smack in the middle of one of the world’s busiest airfields, but Gatwick’s confident they’ve got the right crew to pull it off.
Northern Runway Expansion: The Bigger Picture
The Pier 6 extension is just one piece of Gatwick’s grand plan. With the UK government recently saying it’s “minded to approve“ the airport’s Northern Runway project, Gatwick is gearing up for a future of increased capacity and resilience.
Cedric Laurier, Gatwick’s Chief Technical Officer, feels good about it:
This build is complex as it’s right in the heart of our airfield, but we’re experienced in delivering major projects in challenging environments. The partnership with Mace will be invaluable. Our teams are already working side-by-side to deliver what we think is a cutting-edge design regarding embodied carbon savings.
Nigel Cole, Managing Director of Infrastructure at Mace Construct, echoed the enthusiasm:
Using the latest sustainable construction techniques, this extension project will add much-needed capacity to London Gatwick and benefit not just the wider economy but also the local community.
More Than Just an Airport Upgrade
Gatwick Airport is improving infrastructure and investing in the local workforce. The Pier 6 expansion will create job opportunities throughout the supply chain, including work experience placements, apprenticeships, and roles for locals not currently in education or employment.
So, next time you breeze through Gatwick’s shiny new gates (instead of crammed on a bus), you can thank this mega project for making your airport experience that little bit smoother and greener.
