LONDON — The UK government is looking to boost the popularity of domestic flights by opening a third hub to the east of London.
The new Gatwick Airport will be built in partnership with the private London Travel Agency.
The company, which has offices in Dubai and Birmingham, will operate two terminals in Gatwick, opening up the airport to international flights from Dubai, London and Paris.
Gatwick Airport, which is scheduled to open in 2018, will have a capacity of 6,000 passengers.
It will have its own terminal and taxi-in facilities.
The Gatwick terminal will also be used by the National Air Cargo Service and Royal Air Maroc.
The airport is scheduled for completion in 2019.
The government has proposed that Gatwick will be the new home of the country’s first domestic airline, Virgin Atlantic, and its first transatlantic flight service, Virgin Air.