Why Gatwick’s the airport from hell

BARELY a week after Gatwick’s chief executive, Stewart Wingate, was trumpeting the joys of his airport, the whole place ground to a halt after a pothole opened up on one of the runways.

But that’s the least of its problems. The real reason Gatwick will never be a world-class air hub is because it’s dependent on Southern rail for its so-called express service into London. As a regular user, I can attest to its uselessness.

returning from visiting relatives in Italy at half-term, it took us longer to travel the 30 or so miles into Central London than it did to fly more than 1,000 miles home.

Moreover, the ticket was not cheap: £60-plus for me and the kids. Third-world service at first-world prices.