North Terminal

Most easyJet flights at Gatwick run from the North Terminal

The North Terminal at London Gatwick handles the bulk of easyJet departures and arrivals, plus flights from airlines like Norwegian, WestJet, Emirates and several charter carriers. If your boarding pass shows easyJet and the terminal line says “North,” you’re on this side of the airport and you follow the orange branding all the way from the train station and drop-off area.

Check-in desks and bag drop for easyJet sit directly in the main North Terminal departures hall, with Emirates and other long-haul carriers signposted on separate islands nearby. Security for North is all in one main zone upstairs from check-in, and in normal conditions you’re through in about 15–30 minutes, though early-morning weekend banks can stretch that. Build the buffer if you’re on a 06:00–09:00 departure from North.

All departures from the North Terminal use gates that branch off a central pier, and the walk to the farthest stands can take around 15 minutes from security. Gate numbers in the 100s are closer to the main waiting area, while more remote stands often mean a short bus ride from a lower-level gate. The big electronic boards near security are your best bet for gate changes, which sometimes hit easyJet short-haul rotations late in the day.

Food and shopping in North sit mainly just beyond security in the main departures concourse, which stretches out before you reach the split toward the gate pier. You’ll find the usual UK airport mix of coffee chains, quick-service hot food and grab-and-go sandwiches within a five-minute walk of the security exit, plus duty-free and high-street retail names grouped together so you can loop through them on a single pass.

Emirates and a few other carriers operating from the North Terminal use their own premium check-in zones on the departures level, typically marked with signage for business and first class near the main desk banks. Dedicated bag drop lines are often faster here than the general economy counters in busy afternoon long-haul waves that begin around 13:00 to 15:00, so status and cabin matter more at those times.

Arrivals into the North Terminal feed into a single immigration and baggage reclaim area, with UK and EU eGates usually open for eligible passports until late evening. After you clear customs, the shuttle to the South Terminal and the Gatwick rail station sits a short walk from the arrivals hall, with the inter-terminal transit ride itself taking about two minutes door to door.

One practical tip: if your booking only lists “London Gatwick” and not North or South, check your airline’s usual base; easyJet, Norwegian, WestJet and Emirates lean heavily North, and knowing that before you arrive at the airport can easily save 10–15 minutes of backtracking between terminals.