Gatwick Business Aviation Terminal: Car Transfers

A separate facility on a very busy airfield

Gatwick is dominated by scheduled traffic, and its business aviation handling occupies a comparatively small facility apart from the North and South Terminals. Passengers using it never see the main concourses. The building is reached from the airport's own road network rather than from the terminal forecourts, and the approach is unfamiliar even to drivers who know Gatwick well from airline collections.

The single-runway operation also means private movements are fitted around a dense commercial schedule, so departure timings are firmer here than at a dedicated business aviation field.

Arriving and being met

After landing, the aircraft taxis to the business aviation apron and passengers are received in the facility rather than walked through a terminal. Collection happens at the point the handler nominates. Any suggestion of a vehicle going beyond that point is a matter for the airport and its handling agent, subject to their permits and escort requirements, and is arranged in advance where permitted at all.

Roads out of Gatwick

The M23 runs north from the airport to the M25, which is the standard route towards London and the western counties. Southbound, the A23 and the surrounding road network open up Sussex, Brighton and the coast. The pressure point is the M25 between the M23 and the M3, which carries a great deal of airport traffic and slows readily. Travelling in the middle of the day makes this journey easy; travelling on a Friday afternoon does not.

• Central London via the M23 and M25, or the A23 in lighter conditions
• Brighton, Lewes and the Sussex coast, southbound on the A23
• Surrey and the M3 corridor, west along the M25

When Gatwick is the right choice

Gatwick suits arrivals bound for Sussex, Surrey and the south coast, and it works for London when the alternative fields are unavailable or the aircraft type requires a longer runway. Passengers connecting from a private arrival to a scheduled departure also use it, since both happen on the same airfield, though the transfer between facilities still needs arranging and is not a walk.

Practical details worth confirming

Confirm the handling company, the aircraft registration and the expected landing time, and say clearly whether the party is connecting onwards or leaving the airport. A connection changes everything about the ground plan, because timings become fixed by the second flight rather than by the road. Where the party is large or luggage-heavy, that is worth flagging at the point of booking rather than on arrival.

Plan your chauffeur journey

London Chauffeurs provides itinerary-led private travel for airport transfers, executive travel, private aviation, events and long-distance UK journeys. Availability and pricing are confirmed for the requested itinerary.

Frequently asked questions