More than 43.1 million passengers used the Sussex airport during 2016 – an increase of 7.1% on the previous year’s figure of 40.3 million passengers.

Gatwick was boosted by a strong performance in December with passenger numbers rising by 15% to 3.1 million for the month, as long-haul traffic rose by 26.8%.

Transatlantic traffic drove much of this increase with a 59.6% rise in passengers during December and a 43% increase across the whole of 2016. The key destinations of Toronto and New York saw year-on-year increases of 97% and 123% respectively.

Short-haul destinations to see major passenger increases included Belfast International, Dublin, Milan, Paris and Tenerife.

Gatwick’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said achieving the 43 million figure was “14 years ahead of industry predictions”.

“Gatwick’s booming long-haul services and increased cargo volumes illustrate the vital contribution the airport continues to make to the local and national economy, in the airport’s busiest-ever December, as we continue to offer the UK government a credible and deliverable option for runway expansion,” added Wingate.

The airport is predicting that the most popular long-haul destinations in 2017 will include Barbados, Dubai, Jamaica, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando and Vancouver.

The top short-haul destinations from Gatwick are set to be Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Barcelona and Venice.