If your boarding pass says North Terminal, this guide is for you. Not a general Gatwick overview, but a proper walk-through of the North Terminal itself: where check-in actually is, how long the walk to your gate really takes, which restaurants are worth your time, and the one thing about this terminal that catches almost every first-time passenger out.
North Terminal is the bigger and busier of Gatwick’s two terminals. Since easyJet consolidated its entire Gatwick operation here in 2026, it handles the majority of the airport’s passengers, alongside major long-haul carriers including Emirates and Singapore Airlines. It is a well-run building once you understand the layout. The trouble is most people arrive without understanding it, and that is where the stress starts.
For the full airport picture including both terminals, drop-off charges, and parking, our Gatwick Airport complete guide covers everything. This article goes deeper on the North specifically.
Which Airlines Fly from North Terminal
easyJet is the big one. As of March 2026, easyJet operates exclusively from North Terminal, ending years of split operations that confused thousands of passengers. If you are flying easyJet from Gatwick, you are at North. No exceptions.
Other airlines based here include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, China Eastern, Norwegian, JetBlue, WestJet, TUI Airways, Icelandair, and Royal Air Maroc. Summer 2026 brought new arrivals too. Air France, Eurowings, and Air Arabia all launched routes. Condor started a three-times-daily Frankfurt service in April 2026.
Worth knowing: British Airways, Ryanair, Vueling, and Jet2 all operate from South Terminal, not North. If you are flying any of those, you are in the wrong article, and more importantly, you would be at the wrong terminal. The free shuttle between terminals takes around two minutes plus walking time, but it is far better to arrive at the right building in the first place.
Getting to Gatwick Airport North Terminal
The train station sits under the South Terminal, not the North. Arriving by rail means taking the free shuttle across, which runs every two to three minutes around the clock. Allow 10 to 15 minutes total from stepping off your train to walking into the building.
Driving is more direct. The terminal has its own approach road, clearly signposted from the M23, and its own drop-off forecourt directly outside departures. The forecourt charge is £10 for up to 10 minutes, paid online afterwards. The free alternative is a two-hour stay in the Long Stay car park with a shuttle to the terminal. Full detail on charges, payment, and Blue Badge exemptions is in our main Gatwick guide.
For longer journeys, particularly from the Midlands, a pre-booked chauffeur removes the two most stressful parts of the trip: the M25 and the terminal question. Your driver confirms North or South before setting off, monitors traffic on the way down, and drops you at the correct forecourt. Our airport transfer service covers Gatwick from Birmingham and across the West Midlands with fixed pricing.
The Layout: Four Floors, Explained Simply
North Terminal is spread over four levels, and knowing which floor does what saves a lot of wandering.
Check-in and bag drop sit across two levels, with the main hall on Level 2. This is where easyJet’s self-service kiosks and bag drop lines dominate the central area, with the long-haul carriers like Emirates and Singapore Airlines operating traditional staffed desks. Landside, before security, you will find a Costa Coffee, WHSmith, bureau de change, cash machines, a chapel and prayer room, and the special assistance desk.
Security is on the upper level, and the departure lounge beyond it spreads across two floors. Gates are reached from the departure lounge, with clear overhead signage throughout.
One thing that surprises people: this is a silent airport. There are no boarding announcements over the tannoy. Your gate and boarding status appear on the screens, and it is entirely your job to watch them. If you are used to being called to your flight by name, adjust your habits here. Set an alarm on your phone if you need to.
Security: Faster Than It Used to Be
The terminal completed a £45 million security upgrade in late 2025, installing next-generation CT scanners across all lanes. In practice this means you no longer need to remove laptops, tablets, or liquids from your bag at the belt, and the lanes move noticeably faster than they did two years ago.
The liquid rules at Gatwick have been updated alongside the scanner rollout, with the airport moving away from the old 100ml restriction in early 2026. Rules can shift between airports though, and your return airport may still enforce the old limits, so check current guidance on the Gatwick website before you pack anything unusual.
Timing matters more than technology here. The easyJet morning departure bank between 6am and 8am puts several thousand passengers through security in a two-hour window. If your flight is in that window, arrive at the terminal a solid two and a half hours before departure, particularly during school holidays. Fast Track is available and bookable in advance, and on a peak morning it earns its price.
Families get dedicated lanes and are directed to them automatically. Gatwick was the first UK airport to earn family-friendly accreditation, and the security staff are genuinely used to pushchairs, car seats, and small children who have chosen the worst possible moment to melt down.
Gates and Walking Times: Read This Before You Relax
This is the section that matters most, and the one most guides skip.
Gates 1 to 59 are in the main terminal. The furthest of them take 10 to 15 minutes to walk from security. That is manageable.
Gates 101 to 113 are a different story. They sit in Pier 6, reached by crossing one of the largest passenger air bridges in the world, a glass-walled span crossing directly over an active taxiway. It looks spectacular, and aircraft pass beneath you as you cross. It is also a genuine 18 to 20 minute walk from central security, and passengers regularly underestimate it. One frequent flyer measured it at 0.8 miles from security to Gate 111.
Emirates and several long-haul departures use these gates. If your screen shows a gate in the 100s, start moving the moment it appears. Do not order another coffee. The combination of a silent airport with no announcements and a 20-minute walk to the gate is precisely how people miss flights here while sitting 200 metres from the security they cleared an hour earlier.
Shopping After Security
The airside shopping area is built as a walkway, which means every passenger passes through it on the way to the gates regardless of where they are flying.
Beyond duty free you will find Harrods for gifts with a famous name on the bag, JD Sports, Sunglass Hut, Boots for anything you forgot to pack, and WHSmith for the flight itself. Buying liquids airside sidesteps security restrictions entirely, so if you need full-size toiletries for your trip, buy them at the airside Boots rather than risking them through the scanners.
One thing worth knowing before you arrive: landside shopping here is genuinely limited. Before security there is a WHSmith, a coffee shop, and a few food kiosks, but no pharmacy, no clothing, and no duty free. If you need to buy something specific before your flight, plan to do it airside.
Duty-Free Shopping at North Terminal
The World Duty Free store sits directly after security and opens from 3am, so even the earliest departures get the full shopping window.
The detail worth knowing: the World of Whiskies section is exclusive to North Terminal. It stocks travel-only bottles and collector’s editions from Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Johnnie Walker, with savings of up to 50 percent against high street prices. Fragrance and beauty cover Chanel, Dior, Creed, Lancôme, Charlotte Tilbury, and Clarins, with selected fragrances up to 40 percent off.
Use Reserve and Collect before you fly. Browse online up to 30 days ahead. Collect and pay in store on the day. You get 10 percent off with no obligation to buy. If you would rather not carry bottles around on holiday, use Shop Fly Collect instead. Buy on departure, then pick everything up at arrivals when you land back.
Airlines allow one bag of airport shopping on board with your cabin allowance. Connecting passengers should keep duty free liquids sealed in their security bag with the receipt visible.
Food and Drink
The food offer at North Terminal is better than most passengers expect, with one honest caveat: during the morning easyJet rush, everywhere is rammed. Clear security early and eat before the crowd, not after it.
The Beehive, the terminal’s Wetherspoons, is the reliable choice for a full cooked breakfast before an early flight, and consistently the cheapest sit-down meal in the building. Wagamama covers noodles and Asian dishes in a relaxed format, a good pick if you have 45 minutes or more. Tortilla handles the quick-but-filling job well. For coffee, Costa, Caffè Nero, and Starbucks are spread through the lounge, with the Starbucks positioned near gates 46 to 49 useful for that side of the terminal. Pret A Manger and a scatter of grab-and-go kiosks near the gate end cover anyone boarding in a hurry.
Landside, before security, the Jamie Oliver Coffee Lounge and The Nicholas Culpeper restaurant are the main sit-down options, useful if you are meeting someone or killing time before check-in opens.
Lounges at North Terminal
North Terminal has a proper lounge pavilion airside, with options across different price points. The No1 Lounge is the established name. It offers a full bar, hot food, and runway views. My Lounge takes a more relaxed, coffee-shop approach with self-pour drinks. Club Aspire sits between the two in price and format. You can pre-book any of them directly or access them through Priority Pass and similar membership schemes. Walk-in space is never guaranteed on peak mornings, so book ahead.
The Emirates Lounge serves Emirates First and Business Class passengers and top-tier Skywards members. Some departures even offer direct boarding to the aircraft from inside the lounge, a genuinely useful perk given the Pier 6 walk described above.
Arriving at North Terminal
Arrivals is straightforward. Follow the signs from your gate to passport control, where eGates handle biometric passports from the UK, EU, USA, Australia, Canada, and several other countries. Baggage reclaim is beyond passport control, with carousel numbers shown on the overhead screens.
Once through customs, the arrivals hall has car hire desks, currency exchange, and the exit to the forecourt. Anyone collecting you by car should use the official pick-up area rather than the drop-off forecourt, which is enforced by camera. If you have a pre-booked chauffeur, your driver will be waiting in the arrivals hall with a name board, which after a long-haul arrival into a busy hall is a genuinely pleasant sight.
The free shuttle to South Terminal and the railway station runs from the link bridge, clearly signposted from arrivals.
Hotels for Early Flights
The Sofitel London Gatwick connects directly to the terminal by a covered walkway, making it the only hotel where you can walk from your room to check-in without going outside. For a 6am departure, that convenience is worth the premium over cheaper options.
The Premier Inn sits directly opposite the terminal entrance, and the Hampton by Hilton is a short walk away. Both are solid choices for an early flight without the Sofitel price tag. A cluster of budget options including Travelodge and Holiday Inn sit within a 10-minute taxi of the terminal.
Travel to Gatwick North Terminal in Comfort
The journey to Gatwick is usually the least pleasant part of flying. From the Midlands, the trip means the M40, the M25, and two hours of concentration before the airport even appears.
A pre-booked chauffeur changes that. Your driver arrives at your door on time. Your driver confirms the correct terminal before setting off and handles the route while you do anything else. On the return, we track your flight in real time. Whether you land on schedule or three hours late, someone is already waiting in the arrivals hall.
National Executive Transfers has run airport transfers since 2009. Our Mercedes-Benz fleet covers solo travellers through to seven-seater group bookings, all at fixed prices confirmed before you travel. Book your Gatwick airport transfer and start the trip at your front door, not at the end of the M25.
Related articles:
- Gatwick Airport Complete Passenger Guide: North & South Terminal Explained
- Birmingham Airport Complete Guide
- VIP Airport Services at the UK’s Busiest Airports
Frequently Asked Questions
easyJet operates exclusively from North Terminal, alongside Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, Norwegian, JetBlue, WestJet, TUI Airways, and new 2026 arrivals including Air France, Condor, and Air Arabia. British Airways, Ryanair, and Jet2 use South Terminal.
Gates 1 to 59 take up to 10 to 15 minutes from security. Gates 101 to 113 in Pier 6 take 18 to 20 minutes via the air bridge over the taxiway. Start walking as soon as your gate appears on screen.
No. North Terminal is a silent airport. Gate and boarding information appears on screens only, so check them regularly rather than waiting to be called.
Yes. The Beehive is airside in the departure lounge and is the most affordable sit-down meal in the terminal. It gets very busy during the early morning departure rush.
Yes. The World Duty Free store opens from 3am directly after security, and North Terminal has the exclusive World of Whiskies section with travel-only bottles from Macallan, Glenfiddich, and Balvenie. Reserve online up to 30 days ahead for 10 percent off.
No. The station sits under South Terminal. Take the free shuttle, which runs every two to three minutes and takes about two minutes, plus walking time at each end. Allow 10 to 15 minutes in total.
The Sofitel London Gatwick connects directly to the terminal by covered walkway. The Premier Inn is directly opposite the entrance, with the Hampton by Hilton a short walk away.
