Where the Airport talks to its users and neighbours

Date of Next Meeting

Thursday 21st October 2010 at 2.00pm - venue at the Airport to be announced

The meetings of GATCOM - but not its sub-groups - are now open to the public and the press


Accessibility: There are simple links to all parts of this site from the Sitemap (Alt+1; Enter)

Airport Master Plan
- latest news More about the airport noise

Airport Noise
- find out more More about the Gatwick Master Plan

Noise Action Plan
The Airport's 16 week public consultation on its draft noise action plan - click here for more details - closed on 7th October 2009

GATWICK is the second largest UK airport currently handling around 33 million passengers per annum. An airport development strategy is now in place which has set the framework for its future growth to accommodate around 40 million passengers per annum by 2008/09.

Like all airports, Gatwick affects people's lives in many different ways. On the one hand it offers a wide range of jobs and brings economic benefits and prosperity to the area. But on the other hand it can cause a number of problems and concerns to local communities, particularly on issues such as aircraft noise both in the air and on the ground, pollution, development demands, traffic and parking. Also, the traveller's experience of the airport, as well as the needs of the airlines, are very important elements in the consideration of the airport's future.

GATCOM seeks to reach a common understanding between the various interests about the nature and operation of the airport so that issues can be resolved amicably. It is therefore the custom and practice of GATCOM to ensure that all views are properly reflected and, wherever possible, to work through consensus. Seeking a balance between these wide and conflicting interests is a challenging role. Our primary objective is to ensure the future success of Gatwick providing high quality services to passengers and airlines, having particular regard to the impact this has on the surrounding communities.

GATCOM has 28 appointed representatives from a wide range of interests including local authorities, civil aviation, passenger, business and community and environmental groups. A Government representative is also present at the main GATCOM meetings, together with BAA Gatwick's Managing Director and his senior management team.

Headlines

Meeting on 22ndJuly 2010
The agenda papers for this meeting are on our Agendas Page along with a Headlines note of the main points discussed at the meeting. The minutes of the meeting held on 22nd April have been posted to our Minutes Page. See also our press release issued on 15th April 2010.

South East Airports Task Force
See our press statement about the Government's new Task Force
Pictures by kind permission of Stuart Innes, Clare Jones, Natalia Nosova and BAA plc
Page last updated: 29th July 2010

GATCOM:

  seeks to build interest, communication and understanding between the airport and its users, local residents and the business community
  considers airport issues concerned with the environment, surface access, employment, the economy and the circumstances of local communities
  works with the airport to secure a sustainable development strategy
  works to protect and enhance the interests of passengers and other users of the airport
  considers and comments on matters referred to it by BAA Gatwick
considers and responds to consultations from Government and other sources that are material to the operation and future development of the airport

 

Chairman's Annual Review 2008/09
- now available
You can also see the report for last year 2007/08