Gatwick Airport to close north terminal due to coronavirus pandemic
GATWICK Airport is to close one of its two terminals due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The north terminal will shut from April 1 with activities being moved to the south terminal, which will remain open.
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Scheduled flights in the south terminal will only run between 2pm and 10pm.
The north terminal is used by carriers including easyJet, although a drop in demand for flights has meant it will be closed for a minimum of one month which may be extended.
EasyJet has already grounded most of their fleet with remaining flights primarily used for getting stranded tourists back to the UK.
While the south terminal remains open, it is likely to be mainly used for repatriation flights as many other UK carriers ground the majority of their fleet.
Ryanair has stopped all commercial flights until June, while British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have massively reduced their services.
Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive at Gatwick Airport, said: "Gatwick is a resilient but also responsible business and during these extraordinary times we need to take unprecedented measures to protect the health and wellbeing of our staff and passengers, while also shielding the business from the impact of Coronavirus."
It isn't the first airport to be closing this month due to coronavirus.
London City Airport has suspended all flights until the end of April, it was announced on Wednesday.
A statement on the website explained: "Following the Government’s latest instructions in response to the coronavirus outbreak, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend all commercial and private flights from the airport."
Trade body the Airport Operators Association (AOA) has urged ministers to support airports in the country amid dwindling passenger numbers as flights are cancelled.
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AOA chief executive Karen Dee said: "As some airlines call on the UK Government to act similarly, we are clear that airports will shut down in weeks unless urgent action is taken to support the industry."
She added: "The Government must step in to see airports across the four home nations through the current crisis, and make an unequivocal commitment to doing whatever it takes to sustain the UK aviation industry."
Sun Online Travel contacted Gatwick Airport for comment.