Gatwick Airport's owner reported an 18% fall in first-half pre-tax profits to £136.5million, as the war between Israel and Iran deterred travellers to destinations perceived to be linked to the Middle East conflict. Passenger numbers fell 4.7% to 19.1million in the six months to June 30, with routes to Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Northern Africa seeing a particularly sharp downturn, prompting the airport to focus on managing costs while trying to maintain service standards.

Long-haul passenger numbers dropped 9.2%, more steeply than the 3.9% decline on short-haul routes, though the airport said demand has since started to strengthen over summer, with travellers increasingly booking closer to their departure date. Operating costs rose 5% to £318million, driven by higher jet fuel prices, wage inflation and utility costs, though fuel shortages were avoided. The results follow an August Court of Appeal ruling clearing the legal path for Gatwick's £2.2billion second runway project, which would shift its emergency runway 12 metres north to allow around 100,000 extra flights a year, with the airport now moving from planning into detailed design work.