Irish Timesjournalist Michael Parsonsmakes a plea for Gatwick Airport
"Tens of thousands of Irish people pass through Gatwick Airport every year. For parts of London and many destinations in south England it is more convenient than Heathrow. Aer Lingus flies to Gatwick from Dublin, and Ryanair from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
"To get from the airport to central London, the fastest and most convenient option is the Gatwick Express train to Victoria Station. Trains depart every 15 minutes in each direction, the journey takes 30 minutes and a return ticket costs £30.80 for an adult and £15.40 for a child (under 15). A cheaper alternative is to take a National Express coach, which also goes to Victoria. The journey time varies between one and almost two hours (depending on the time of day or night and the vagaries of London traffic) and costs £14.20 return for an adult and £7.10 return for a child. Victoria Station has an underground station where you can transfer on to London's tube train network.
"Gatwick is Britain's second- largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world. It has two terminals (South and North) and is used by around 80 airlines serving over 200 destinations worldwide.
"Apart from scheduled flights, Gatwick is Britain's major airport for holiday charter flights. Many Irish holidaymakers use Gatwick when travelling to exotic, long-haul destinations, such as Barbados and Bermuda. Both terminals have a huge choice of bars, cafes and restaurants (from Caviar House to Burger King) and shopping, including outlets for Harrods and Marks Spencer. There are vast duty-free shops to cater for travellers leaving and returning to the EU."