The UK Government insist on keeping arrivals and departures strictly segregated unlike say primitive foreign places like...er Amsterdam-Schiphol.
Hence there is a lot of going down to go back up again to make sure the two are kept apart. Of course at the end of this pantomime they all get to meet up in the departure lounge....
When Gatwick North was completed Pier 5 was obsolete the day it opened due to these new rules and this is why the later Pier 4 is on two levels and a different design. This is also the reason that the 35 minute conformance rule is crucial. If you are late and get stuck on the B Satellite, there's no way back through the one way system.
If you want the runaround try the B Pier at Manchester. It's good exercise !
Last edited by Skipness One Echo; 28th Mar 2011 at 17:45.