How busy is London Gatwick Airport right now?

London LGW Updated 5:19 AM local time.

Peak

Very busy right now. Leave 30 to 45 minutes earlier than usual.

Busier than 90% of the time here

The week, hour by hour

The last few days as they actually were, plus today and tomorrow projected.

Expected crowding by hour and day. Rows are the hour of the day, columns are the date.
Hour	Sun11/10	Mon12/10	Tue13/10	Wed14/10	Thu15/10	Fri16/10	Sat17/10
00:00	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
01:00	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet
02:00	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet
03:00	Moderate	Busy	Busy	Busy	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
04:00	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak
05:00	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Busy
06:00	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Peak	Busy
07:00	Peak	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy
08:00	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Moderate
09:00	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Busy	Moderate	Moderate
10:00	Busy	Busy	Peak	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy
11:00	Busy	Peak	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy	Busy
12:00	Moderate	Peak	Moderate	Moderate	Busy	Busy	Moderate
13:00	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
14:00	Moderate	Moderate	Light	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Light
15:00	Moderate	Moderate	Light	Moderate	Moderate	Busy	Light
16:00	Moderate	Moderate	Light	Light	Moderate	Busy	Light
17:00	Moderate	Light	Light	Light	Moderate	Moderate	Light
18:00	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light
19:00	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light	Light
20:00	Light	Quiet	Light	Light	Quiet	Light	Quiet
21:00	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet
22:00	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet	Quiet
23:00	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Quiet Light Moderate Busy Peak Tap any square for detail

Estimate Worked out from the published flight schedule and how many seats each flight has. We don't measure the queues themselves.

Quietest times to fly

If your travel dates are flexible, these are the calmest hours at London Gatwick Airport.

1 1:00 AM Quiet

2 10:00 PM Quiet

3 2:00 AM Quiet

4 9:00 PM Quiet

5 8:00 PM Quiet

Where this airport flies

1 Spain 584 flights a week 2 Greece 241 flights a week 3 Italy 222 flights a week 4 France 168 flights a week 5 Portugal 156 flights a week

6 United Kingdom 143 flights a week

7 Türkiye 129 flights a week 8 Germany 84 flights a week

When the terminal fills up

At London Gatwick Airport the departure hall is busiest around 4:00 AM and quietest around 7:00 PM. The heaviest day is Thursday.

Common questions

How busy is London Gatwick Airport right now?

Very busy right now. Leave 30 to 45 minutes earlier than usual. That puts it busier than 90% of the time at this airport.

When is London Gatwick Airport at its busiest?

The departure hall is fullest around 4:00 AM and emptiest around 7:00 PM. Thursday is the heaviest day of the week.

How early should I get to London Gatwick Airport?

Passengers arrive on average 2 hours before a short-haul departure and 2 hours before a long-haul one. Add time when the hall is already busy, and always follow your airline's own check-in deadline.

Where does London Gatwick Airport fly to?

The busiest destinations by scheduled departures are Spain, Greece, Italy, and France.

Is this a real measurement of the security queue?

No. It is an estimate worked out from the published departure schedule and the number of seats on each aircraft. We do not measure security, passport control or check-in lines, and we are not connected to any airport or airline.

Flying abroad today?

Set up your data before you board. A travel eSIM installs in two minutes and connects the moment you land — no roaming bills, no hunting for a SIM kiosk.

Get a Spain eSIM