Gatwick Airport looks as if it will have its biggest change this year since the north terminal was opened.

It is set to become a battleground between airlines competing in the growing market for budget flights.

Until now, budget airlines have tended to concentrate at unfashionable airports such as Luton and Stansted.

But BA's decision last year to relinquish several slots at Gatwick let in the low-cost operator easyJet.

Now BA itself has decided to compete on costs and will convert some of its flights from Gatwick into no-frills travel.

It's good news for most people in Sussex who fly abroad, because Gatwick is the obvious airport to use, being right on the doorstep and serving most parts of the globe.

And it's good for Gatwick, which at one point looked set to suffer after the loss of confidence caused by the disaster of September 11.

There are some doubts. Chief among them is whether BA, beset with problems over the last few years, will be able to compete in the low-cost market with specialist companies.

Another is whether this will usher in an era of greater uncertainty for Gatwick, as some companies go to the wall with the pressure.

But through all the changes, there is one constant factor. Airlines are still clamouring to fly from Gatwick, which retains its position as one of the best airports in the UK.