Planes Over Gatwick — What Are You Seeing?
Last updated: January 2025
Gatwick Airport (LGW) is the UK's second-busiest airport, handling over 4,000 flights per week. If you live in West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, or south London, you're likely under Gatwick's flight paths.
Why So Many Planes Over Gatwick?
Gatwick is a major hub for easyJet and a key base for low-cost and charter operators. It handles a mix of European short-haul, long-haul leisure, and cargo flights.
Typical Aircraft You'll See
- Airbus A320 family — The backbone of Gatwick's short-haul fleet (easyJet, British Airways)
- Boeing 737 family — Short-haul routes (Jet2, TUI)
- Boeing 787 Dreamliner — Long-haul routes (Virgin Atlantic, Norwegian)
- Airbus A330 — Long-haul leisure routes (TUI, easyJet)
- Boeing 767 — Cargo and some passenger flights
Gatwick Flight Paths
Gatwick has a single runway (26L/08R), so all traffic uses the same approach and departure corridor:
Westbound (Runway 26)
- Departures climb west over Crawley, Horsham, and the South Downs
- Arrivals approach from the west over Pulborough, Horsham, and Crawley
- Common over: Crawley, Horsham, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Pulborough
Eastbound (Runway 08)
- Departures climb east over Redhill, Reigate, and the M23
- Arrivals approach from the east over Horley, Redhill, and Coulsdon
- Common over: Redhill, Reigate, Horley, Coulsdon, Purley
How to Identify Planes Over Gatwick
What Plane? shows the nearest aircraft on your iPhone home screen. At Gatwick, you'll frequently see:
- easyJet (EZY) — The largest operator at Gatwick
- British Airways (BAW) — Short-haul and some long-haul
- TUI (TOM) — Leisure charter flights
- Virgin Atlantic (VIR) — Long-haul transatlantic routes
- Norwegian (NAX) — Long-haul low-cost routes
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