Gatwick owner provides jobs boost - graduate jobs

Graduate jobs could be among the thousands of vacancies created by plans to develop Gatwick Airport.

The airport's owners, Global Infrastructure Partners, have unveiled a draft expansion plan, including the aim of creating an extra 1,700 jobs at the airport, and double that number in local support jobs.

Their plan for growth could generate an extra £300 million for the London and South East economies, the company said.

Global Infrastructure Partners, meanwhile, revealed that the West Sussex airport will not need a second runway until at least 2030, although they conceded that a second runway might be needed sooner, particularly if passenger numbers exceeded the 45 million mark.

The company predicts that this will not be achieved until 2030, with a predicted 40 million passengers flying to and from the airport each year by 2020.

Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) believe a second runway will "never happen" but added that it would oppose any such development "tooth and nail".

Gatwick, which used to be owned by BAA, generates £2 billion a year for the London and South East economies, directly employing 2,500 people, with an additional 23,000 airport jobs and a further 10,500 jobs in the area being directly or indirectly supported by the airport.

Copyright Press Association 2011