Gatwick Airport 1975

A 1970s colour photo of Gatwick Airport taken from an elevated indoor viewpoint, likely a terminal restaurant or lounge. The foreground features a salt and pepper shaker on a white tabletop, with a passenger looking out over the busy airfield. On the apron, several classic aircraft are visible, including a BEA Airtours Boeing 707 and a Laker Airways jet. British Caledonian buses and ground service vehicles navigate the tarmac near the original passenger piers and covered walkways. In the distance, the rural Sussex landscape provides a green backdrop to the expanding airport infrastructure.

Today, this view has been transformed by decades of development at London’s second-largest airport. The original terminal architecture and walkways seen here have been largely replaced or integrated into the massive North and South Terminal complexes. BEA Airtours and Laker Airways are long-defunct, replaced by modern carriers like easyJet and British Airways. While the airport remains a vital international gateway, the vintage aircraft and ground equipment in this photo serve as a nostalgic reminder of the golden age of charter holiday flights.

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