The total represents an increase of 40% year on year with Accessorize, WH Smith, JD Wetherspoon, Boots, World Duty Free and Dixons being just some of the outlets with spaces to fill.

The increase comes as a new report shows that the airport’s GDP impact on the local region between London and Brighton accounts for £2.3 billion and 36,000 jobs.

This means 10% of the area’s economy is driven by the airport which supports as many as 1 in 12 jobs in the region.

Gatwick head of retail Rachel Bulford said: “It’s great to see so many job opportunities opening up throughout our retail and restaurant offering at the airport. These roles will help to ensure we provide excellent service in all our outlets as passenger numbers increase over the busy summer period.”

“A large proportion of our staff are based in the surrounding counties, making us one of the largest economic drivers for the south-east region.”

The announcement comes after the airport saw 43 million passengers use its airport in 2016, a new record for the facility.

Much of the growth came via the long-haul market which was up 26.8% while Toronto was the most popular destination in the sector.