Gatwick staff have been preparing for the possibility of extreme weather over the winter to keep the airport running smoothly.
A total of 350 are trained in snow and ice clearance, from airfield engineers to fire crews.
They use specialist equipment including nine snow ploughs and two snow cutters to clear the runway when it is hit with snow and ice.
A team of 150 specially trained staff, nicknamed ‘polar bears’, will step up into the role and clear aircraft parking stands and surrounding roads. They will operate up to 20 smaller snow ploughs and 30 tractors when required.
The airport has more than 352,000 litres of surface de-icer on standby plus 25,000kg of solid de-icer, which is used to treat heavily congested areas and walkways.
The preparations are being made ahead of Friday (December 22), the busiest day for departures.
An expected 254 flights are also scheduled for Christmas Day.
The most popular Christmas destinations this year are Geneva (short-haul) and Dubai (long-haul).
Head of aerodrome Graham Alder said: “This Christmas everyone at London Gatwick is looking forward to welcoming passengers as they travel over the festive period.
“We can’t dictate the weather or issues outside of our control, but we can plan and prepare for them.
“Our training schedule starts in August to ensure everyone is ready to react to the unpredictability of the weather.
“Our hardworking teams have just completed four separate live training days where we test our plans, practice formation driving and use the snow ploughs to rehearse snow clearance on the runway.
“Christmas is a busy time for everyone at London Gatwick and the airport team is working hard with all of our partners to deliver the best possible experience for passengers.”