Vinci, which has a network of 46 airports in 12 countries, will take a 50.01% stake in Gatwick. Global Infrastructure Partners will maintain its integral role in the management and ownership of the airport.
Announcing the news on Thursday (December 27), Gatwick’s chairman Sir David Higgins, said: “We very much welcome this commitment from Vinci Airports to Gatwick which is a vote of confidence in Gatwick and its future potential.”
Chief executive Stewart Wingate added: “Our chairman and I, along with our senior management team, will all remain at Gatwick and look forward to improving services further for our passengers.
"There will be no changes to the immediate running of Gatwick and we expect the transaction to complete by the middle of next year.
“This is good news for the airport as it will mean both continuity but also further investment for passengers over the coming years to improve our services further. We currently fly to over 220 destinations around the world and are ambitious to do even more in the years ahead.”
Wingate also referenced the recent drone-related problems which caused around 1,000 flights to be cancelled or diverted across three days last week and disrupted the Christmas travel plans of an estimated 140,000 people.
“Now we are through the recent disruption at the airport and services are fully back to normal I would once again like to express my thanks to passengers for their patience during this challenging period," said Wingate.
“I would also like to thank all those who have supported my teams in getting Gatwick back up and running, particularly our airlines, the police, the armed forces, other airports, the CAA and the Department for Transport.
“I know this unprecedented criminal activity caused huge inconvenience to thousands of people - many of whom missed important family events in the run up to Christmas. We have appreciated the understanding and tolerance shown at what was a really challenging time for everyone, and we are grateful that passengers recognised that we should never do anything that might jeopardise their safety.”
Wingate acknowledged: “There are obviously wider strategic lessons for everyone involved to prevent it happening again,” adding that Gatwick itself has taken “a number of important steps in recent days which will make a significant difference to the airport’s resilience”.
He added: “While today’s announcement marks an exciting moment in Gatwick’s future, my team and I remain focussed on doing everything we can to help ensure that travel runs as smoothly as possible for everyone over the rest of the festive period.”
