Gatwick airport is taking further action to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak and will consolidate operations to the South Terminal from 1 April for at least a month.

Scheduled flights will also be limited to between 1400 and 2200, with the runway only open for emergency landings and diversions outside of these hours.

Gatwick said the decision had been made ¡°to protect the health and safety of passengers and staff, and to shield the business following a dramatic fall in airline traffic¡±.

The North Terminal will remain closed for a minimum of one month, though the airport said it will keep the situation under regular review.

Passengers due to fly to or from the airport during this time have been told to contact their airline to find out if their service is impacted.

The airport had already closed to late night and early morning flights last week and shut down six of its piers due to the slow-down, but with many European airlines only operating a tiny fraction of their usual schedules, the airport, like many across the UK, has seen a rapid decline in passenger numbers.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: ¡°Gatwick is a resilient but also responsible business and during these extraordinary times we need to take unprecedented measures¡­¡±