LAST month saw Gatwick experience the busiest May in its history as 4.1 million passengers travelled through the airport.

In the same month that Qatar Airways launched a new service from Gatwick to Doha, the airport’s 65 other long-haul routes continued to soar, up 24.1 per cent on May 2017.

Services to Asia performed strongly, with Hong Kong particularly popular, up 39 per cent on last year.

Gatwick’s ongoing global success story is also having a significant impact on its cargo tonnage.

The volume of cargo handled by the airport in May grew by 14.8 per cent year-on-year.

Gatwick’s connections to the United States, up 42.8 per cent for the month, drove the airport’s busiest ever May.

Chief executive officer Stewart Wingate said: “May was another successful month for Gatwick’s long-haul route network.

“This service makes it even easier for our passengers to reach onward destinations in Asia and Australia, and also provides increased cargo capacity.”