Located in Crawley, West Sussex, 30 miles south of Central London, London Gatwick Airport is the UK's second-busiest airport and the tenth-busiest in Europe. Spanning 674 hectares, the airport originally opened as an aerodrome in the late 1920s, with commercial flights beginning in 1933. Today, it operates primarily as a single-runway airport, backed by a secondary standby runway.
The airport is split into two major passenger facilities: the North Terminal and South Terminal. Gatwick serves as a key secondary hub for British Airways and the largest operating base for easyJet. It is unique among London airports for hosting all three major airline business models, welcoming full-service, low-cost, and charter carriers such as Wizz Air and TUI Airways.
01 Terminals & concourses
Spanning 98,000 square metres, the North Terminal serves major carriers including easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, and British Airways.
Covering 160,000 square metres, the South Terminal houses passenger services and an independent pay-for-access lounge.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Which terminal does my airline use?
Airlines are grouped by alliance and region. Always confirm the concourse printed on your boarding pass — assignments can change seasonally.
Show all airlines by terminal ›
Grouped by terminal — check the concourse on your boarding pass before you fly; assignments can change seasonally.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at LGW
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
03 Getting to & from LGW
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Road | Vehicle access and surrounding roads are regularly checked by airport police. |
| Transport Interchange | The airport features an integrated transport interchange for onward ground connections. |
04 Lounges & amenities
You can enjoy facilities including the V Room, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and an independent pay-for-access lounge in the South Terminal.
