scraps

Millions of passengers will soon be whizzed over from long-stay car parks to their terminal in a sleek new fleet of futuristic vehicles following a £14 million sustainability investment

One of the busiest UK airports is ditching gas-guzzling buses as part of a huge £14 million investment. Last year, London Gatwick Airport – which is owned and managed by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners – handled a whopping 43.2 million passengers.

Many of these travellers will have used the hub’s Park & Ride, which allows customers to park their vehicle at a designated car park outside of the airport and then take a shuttle bus to the terminal. It’s often much cheaper to use this option than using the roll-up parking, which can total up to a whopping £75 per day.

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But passengers using Park & Ride will soon be whizzed over to the airport in a futuristic tram powered solely by electricity. Gatwick has confirmed it has signed a contract with Irizar e-mobility to bring 14 new electric tram-style buses – all of which are 18 metres long – to transfer passengers from the long-stay car parks to the terminals.

The move is expected to save 17.7 tCO2e in carbon emissions per year, and is part of the airport’s sustainability efforts to decarbonise the aviation industry.

The Irizar ie trams, which are known for their futuristic and minimalistic design, will all be equipped with luggage racks inside for ‘greater comfort and functionality’. The vehicles use the latest generation Irizar batteries and are charged using an ultra-fast pantograph system, which can do a full charge in less than six minutes.

“In addition, with the goal of improving safety, the new buses will be equipped with digital vision cameras, which significantly improves the front, side and rear visibility,” Irizar said in a statement. “In this way, Irizar e-mobility is expanding their electromobility solutions in the United Kingdom, where more than 50 Irizar electric buses are already operating in several cities.”

The Mirror was told the electric buses won’t be deployed until around Christmas time this year. Steve Kelso, Head of Engineering at London Gatwick added: “We’re excited to have 14 new electric tram busses coming to London Gatwick. We are playing our part to decarbonise the aviation sector and as we grow, we must do it sustainably.

“The electric buses are part of our transition to a fully electric vehicle fleet and just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action.”

Last week (July 9), Gatwick celebrated another landmark after its first-ever electric flight landed at the hub, as part of the VINCI Airports Network Elektro Tour. The 50-flight leg tour, an early-stage proof of concept, coincides with the delivery of 47 new electric vehicles at London Gatwick, including airside operations and engineering cars.

This is part of the airport’s mission to upgrade its 300-strong vehicle fleet to fully electric by 2023 to support its broader £250m decarbonisation programme to achieve net zero for its own emissions in the next five years. Mark Johnston, chief operating officer at London Gatwick said: “We’re pleased to welcome the VINCI Airport’s Elektro Tour team to the airport, this might just be the smallest aircraft to ever land at London Gatwick!

“We’re proud to be playing our part in supporting wider efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector. Our vision is to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey, and as we grow, we must do it sustainably. Our transition to an electric vehicle fleet is just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action.”

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Wizz Air has announced that it will suspend operations from its Abu Dhabi hub. The budget airline currently operates more than 30 routes from the Middle Eastern base.

Wizz Air has scrapped a number of routes as “hot and harsh” weather is damaging its planes.

On Monday, the Hungarian airline announced that it would discontinue its Abu Dhabi operations starting in August.

Ticket sales have been halted from the Middle Eastern capital to Varna from July 14, followed by Belgrade on July 19, Tirana on July 20, Kutaisi on July 29, and Sarajevo on August 31.

Six additional routes will be temporarily suspended, including Krakow (July 29–September 19), Budapest (paused until September 1), Vienna (paused until September 21), Katowice (paused until October 26), and both Astana and Samarkand (paused until November 1). Services to Sofia and Cluj have already been discontinued, Aviation Weekly reports.

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The publication also notes that Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues have led to 20% of Wizz Air’s Airbus A320neo-family fleet being grounded over the past financial year.

The budget airline currently operates more than 30 routes from its Abu Dhabi base.

Last month, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the carrier was strategically reducing operations in “hot and harsh” environments. He explained that capacity would be reallocated to lower-risk areas to help reduce operating costs and prolong engine life.

“Hot and harsh is a significant issue which we are going to address,” the CEO said. “That will not only lower operating costs and extend engine lifetime, but it will also increase productivity on sectors.”

In a statement issued this morning, the airline said three main “operational challenges over the past year” led to the decision to “suspend all locally based flight operations effective 1 September 2025”. They are:

• Engine reliability constraints, particularly in hot and harsh environments, which have impacted aircraft availability and operational efficiency.

• Geopolitical volatility, which has led to repeated airspace closures and operational disruptions across the region, as well as weakened consumer demand.

• Regulatory barriers, which have limited the company’s ability to access and scale in key markets.

Mr. Váradi added: “We have had a tremendous journey in the Middle East and are proud of what we have built. I thank our highly dedicated employees for their relentless efforts and commitment to developing the WIZZ brand in new and dynamic markets. However, the operating environment has changed significantly.

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“Supply chain constraints, geopolitical instability, and limited market access have made it increasingly difficult to sustain our original ambitions. While this was a difficult decision, it is the right one given the circumstances. We continue to focus on our core markets and on initiatives that enhance Wizz Air’s customer proposition and build shareholder value.”

Passengers with existing bookings beyond 31 August will be contacted directly via email with options for refunds or alternative travel arrangements. Customers who booked through third-party providers are advised to contact their respective agents. The suspensions do not affect other flights of the Wizz Air group.

The announcements come as Wizz extends its operations in other markets, including by adding several new routes from its UK base at Luton Airport.

From last month, Wizz Air started whisking passengers away four times weekly from Gatwick to the quaint Polish city of Wroclaw. Come the start of August, Londoners will also have the chance to jet off from the same bustling hub to the Polish capital, Warsaw, and even Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Birmingham hasn’t been left behind; the heart of the West Midlands gained thrice-weekly connections to Rome as of June, with future plans to link up with Sibiu and Suceava in Romania.

Last week Mirror Travel sat down with Yvonne Moynihan, the new managing director of the UK wing of the airline.

In a wide-ranging interview, she wanted the bag fees to be set for a hike due to upcoming European Union legislation. Ms Moynihan also admitted that she had recently been stung by the airline’s hand-luggage rules, forking out for a £60 fine as a result.