Post by andypspotter on May 18, 2016 11:51:01 GMT
Gatwick Airport celebrated the 80th anniversary of its first ever flight on Tuesday.
From just five scheduled routes out of the airport in 1936, Gatwick now serves more than 200 destinations
Since the inaugural commercial flight from Gatwick to Paris in 1936, it has grown into a busy single runway airport with a plane taking off or landing nearly every minute during flight hours.
A single fare for the first flight from Gatwick cost four pounds and five shillings - for which the equivalent today is around £160 - including the first class train fare from London Victoria.
Paris was one of just five scheduled routes served in its first year of operation, the others being Malmö, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Copenhagen.
Since then the airport's routes have grown considerably, serving more than 200 destinations in 90 countries.
Over the past 80 years, Gatwick has played host to many prominent figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and John F Kennedy, while there have been key aviation milestones including the first ever Virgin Atlantic flight taking off from the airport on June 22 1984.
www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gatwick-airport-looks-back-80th-11345691
From just five scheduled routes out of the airport in 1936, Gatwick now serves more than 200 destinations
Since the inaugural commercial flight from Gatwick to Paris in 1936, it has grown into a busy single runway airport with a plane taking off or landing nearly every minute during flight hours.
A single fare for the first flight from Gatwick cost four pounds and five shillings - for which the equivalent today is around £160 - including the first class train fare from London Victoria.
Paris was one of just five scheduled routes served in its first year of operation, the others being Malmö, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Copenhagen.
Since then the airport's routes have grown considerably, serving more than 200 destinations in 90 countries.
Over the past 80 years, Gatwick has played host to many prominent figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and John F Kennedy, while there have been key aviation milestones including the first ever Virgin Atlantic flight taking off from the airport on June 22 1984.
www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gatwick-airport-looks-back-80th-11345691