GATWICK Airport’s South Terminal has reopened after being closed for more than 18 months.

The airport and its partners, including airlines, shops, cafes and bars, have spent months refurbishing, cleaning, updating and testing equipment that has not been in use since the terminal closed at the height of the pandemic in June 2020.

The terminal’s reopening will see Gatwick go from operating roughly 300 flights a day to operating around 570 - which airport bosses have compared to opening a medium-sized airport overnight.

Some airlines that have been flying from the airport’s North Terminal since the closure are in the process of switching back to the South Terminal, with easyJet set to operate 120 routes from both terminals - the most ever for the airport.

Gatwick is advising passengers to arrive early for flights today as the terminals may be busy, to remind themselves of airport processes - particularly security, and to check which terminal they are flying from with their airline.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, said: “A lot of work has gone into preparing our South Terminal, and I would like to thank everybody involved as their combined efforts mean that today we are effectively opening a medium-sized airport overnight, which is no small task.

“We’re now ready and excited to welcome passengers back in large numbers, and our restaurants, shops, cafes and bars are also looking forward to serving passengers again before they jet off on holiday, to visit friends and family or take that vital business trip.

“Reopening our South Terminal and the increase in the choice of flights our airlines are offering is also great news for our local communities, particularly people and their families who rely on the airport for their livelihood, and also the large number of support and supply businesses that depend on a successful airport.

“After a difficult two years, we know there is significant pent-up demand for international travel, so I advise passengers to book early to make sure they secure the flights they want this summer.”

Airlines including British Airways, Emirates, and WestJet are flying to over 30 long-haul destinations direct from Gatwick this summer, including New York, Tampa, Dubai, Doha and Bangkok.

A total of 27 airlines will be moving back to the South Terminal this week, which first opened in June 1958.

The terminal posts 3.3 kilometers of conveyor belts - the same length as the airport’s main runway.

Ahead of its reopening today, some 4,500 floor tiles and 3,000 lamps and light fittings were replaced, with 800 flight information display screens checked and serviced, and 212 new hand sanitisers put in place.