The Hypnotic View of London's Gatwick Airport

The hypnotic view from above: Fascinating aerial photographs show London's Gatwick Airport as you've never seen it before 

• These stunning photographs offer a rare unobstructed aerial view of the airport - from directly above it 
• They were taken by renowned New York photographer Jeffrey Milstein... as he hung out of a helicopter 
• The venture took a lot of organising, with air traffic controllers directing the helicopter around the jets

• By Ted Thornhill For Mailonline,www.dailymail.co.uk
• View Original
• August 11th, 2016

Most airline passengers will have seen London's Gatwick Airport as they take off and land – but it's normally a glimpse, and sometimes from between fingers for nervous fliers.

These stunning photographs offer rare unobstructed aerial views of the airport - from directly above it.

They were taken by renowned New York photographer Jeffrey Milstein on Wednesday as he hung out of a circling helicopter.

These stunning photographs offer a rare unobstructed aerial view of Gatwick Airport - from directly above it

The pictures were taken by renowned New York photographer Jeffrey Milstein on Wednesday as he hung out of a circling helicopter

Most airline passengers will have seen London's Gatwick Airport as they take off and land – but it's normally a glimpse, and sometimes from between fingers for nervous fliers

The images show the true scale of the operation at Gatwick Airport, which offers flights to destinations around the world

They show the amazing geometry of the airport – one of Europe's busiest – with aircraft of all sizes taxiing and waiting at boarding gates.

The images are truly hypnotic.

And needless to say, given how many planes the airport processes, especially at this time of the year, the venture took a lot of organising, with air traffic controllers carefully directing Milstein's helicopter around the jet planes.

Mr Milstein was harnessed to the helicopter and simply leaned out with the door open to take the pictures.

These images show the amazing geometry of the airport – one of Europe's busiest – with aircraft of all sizes taxiing and waiting at boarding gates

Such is the perspective that the aeroplanes look like mere toys as they trundle around the airport and wait at the gates

The images were commissioned to celebrate a landmark – Gatwick achieved the busiest single month in its 80 year history, with 4.6million passengers travelling through the airport in July, up 6.9 per cent on the same month last year 

Gatwick is a major hub for easyJet, with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic also operating huge numbers of flights from the airport

Cathay Pacific will be commencing flights to Hong Kong from Gatwick in three weeks' time, with British Airways' service to Cape Town starting this autumn

They were commissioned to celebrate a landmark – Gatwick has just achieved the busiest single month in its 80-year history, with 4.6million passengers travelling through the airport in July, up 6.9 per cent on the same month last year.

The airport, which is awaiting a government decision on whether it can expand, said that long-haul routes grew 23 per cent collectively versus last July, 'against a backdrop of traffic growth stalling at other major European airports'.

It added: 'Recent months at Gatwick have also seen an increase in cargo volumes up 31% on average of every month of the last quarter. Gatwick expansion will support significant growth in cargo which is forecast to reach 1,070,000 tonnes by 2050. The growth in long haul markets will provide more opportunity for choice and competition within the air freight market.'

The airport, which is awaiting a government decision on whether it can expand, said that long-haul routes grew 23 per cent collectively versus last July

Gatwick said: 'Recent months at Gatwick have also seen an increase in cargo volumes up 31 per cent on average of every month of the last quarter'

Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said: 'Gatwick's continued long-haul growth and strong cargo growth are the latest proof that competition in the London airports' market is working'

Wingate said: 'The brand new images we have revealed today provide a unique aerial perspective on the world's most-efficient single runway airport which is also in the premier league of airports with more than 50 long-haul routes'

Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said: 'Gatwick's continued long-haul growth -  up 23 per cent year-on-year - and strong cargo growth are the latest proof that competition in the London airports' market is working. 

'Our continued success provides proof of the benefits a two runway Gatwick would deliver for Britain. Expansion of Gatwick, London's fastest growing long-haul gateway, would show London is open for business to the world.

Wingate insisted that the UK 'needs now more than ever before an airport expansion solution which can actually be delivered and that is Gatwick'

This incredible image shows an Emirates A380 dwarfing an easyJet plane nearby

Gatwick serves more than 220 destinations in 80 countries for more than 41 million passengers a year

'As the 41.7million passengers flying with us in the last year have seen, Gatwick is undergoing a massive transformation. The brand new images we have revealed today provide a unique aerial perspective on the world's most-efficient single runway airport which is also in the premier league of airports with more than 50 long-haul routes.

'This list of long haul routes from the airport is added to month in and month out with Cathay Pacific commencing flights to Hong Kong in just three weeks, joined by British Airways' service to Cape Town this autumn.

'Following the referendum, the UK needs now more than ever before an airport expansion solution which can actually be delivered and that is Gatwick - guaranteed growth, dramatically lower environmental impacts, and no taxpayer funding.'

What lies below: An easyJet plane trundles past one of Gatwick's air traffic control towers

A British Airways plane rolls past one of the terminal buildings, shot from above by Milstein in a circling helicopter

Mr Milstein's work has been exhibited in art galleries across America - and he has won dozens of awards

Milstein's helicopter circled at varying heights so that he could capture a variety of fascinating perspectives