I had a tour of London Gatwick's redeveloped North Terminal and discovered the best place to watch planes land and take off while eating

From dragging the luggage to check-in, to going through security and walking through Duty Free, I have found every element fun.

But what I always just want to do once I am airside is sit and watch the planes land and take off. Sometimes that can be easy, but a lot of the time it’s difficult to find the perfect sport.

And after having a tour of London Gatwick’s redeveloped North Terminal - the first major overhaul since it opened in 1988 - I now know where the ideal place is to enjoy some food while watching the planes come and go.

If you go to the escalators before you get to where you start walking to the gates, go up to the next level, turn right and there is Wagamama. Ask for a window seat and you have the best view of the airfield. I know it won’t be cheap but I can imagine people finding it very relaxing.

It’s one of many food spots in the North Terminal and there are plenty of options including The Breakfast Club, BrewDog, Krispy Kreme, Shake Shack and much more.

The redevelopment project was completed earlier this year and saw more than £10 million invested in improvements with passengers provided with a more personalised experience.

The modernised departure lounge features new flooring - which is colour coded - and contemporary seating. All seats have accessible power points and are located in differentiated ‘mood zones’, allowing passengers to spend their pre-flight time how they choose, whether relaxing, working or shopping.

I was impressed with how light and airy it felt and even though it was clearly busy, you never felt like it was imposing or intimidating.

There was a new orientation zone with unique digital artwork and content, which makes it easier for passengers to experience everything the departure lounge has to offer.

The wood theming was nice and there is a sustainable planting scheme that brings the outside in and is inspired by the West Sussex countryside.

It was also nice to see the Special Assistance areas - the security, the lounge and the quiet areas all help people who need that assistance.

London Gatwick is also the first airport to open a sensory room and it calming and relaxing walking in and it will benefit passengers who are looking for a safe and soothing space when in unfamiliar surroundings.

And this week London Gatwick has partnered with AccessAble to launch a series of bespoke Detailed Access Guides, helping passengers navigate more easily, safely and confidently through the airport.

Before I ventured on the shuttle to the North Terminal, I had breakfast in the South Terminal - which is expected to have a redevelopment a la the North terminal - at Pizza Express of all places.

Yes, the Gatwick branch of the chain is the first to offer breakfast. It was a varied menu with pancakes, fully cooked breakfast, breakfast eggs and much more. I went for the Shakshuka Baked Eggs. This was a combination of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and spices with eggs added to it. It came with dough sticks and I have to say I was impressed.

It’s a busy time for Gatwick as they await the result of the Northern Runway planning application. The examination stage closed this week and the Planning Inspectorate have made their recommendation to the Secretary of State, who will say yay or nay by the end of February 2025.

There is a lot of opposition to the plans from campaign groups like CAGNE (Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions) and CPRE, the countryside charity, who are concerned about the environmental impacts of the plans, especially with many more passengers and flights.

It will certainly be interesting to see the outcome of the application and you can follow it all here at SussexWorld.co.uk

We would really like to hear about your experiences at London Gatwick and your thoughts on the expansion plans.

Please post your thoughts in the comment section below.