The given table compares information about the number of people who visited three major British airports over a 6-year period.
Overall, the number of travellers using Gatwick and Stansted airports increased between 1998 and 2003, whereas the number of travellers who used Heathrow experienced some fluctuations over the same period.
In 1998, the number of visitors at Heathrow Airport was 27.2 million, after which it rose markedly to 48.2 million in 2000. Following this peak, there was a slight fall, with the figures declining to 37.1 million in 2001 and further to 33.2 million in 2002. In the final year, it rose again to reach 45.6 million passengers.
In regard to Gatwick Airport, it recorded 36.5 million passengers in 1998, and the number climbed moderately over the years, eventually reaching 69.3 million in 2003. However, at Stansted, it began at the lowest point of 17.3 million in 1998; after that, the figure rose significantly to 43.3 million in 2001, and in the last two years, it remained stable at 43.3 million passengers.