UPDATE 2-Summer's back: London Gatwick to reopen south terminal in March

* The terminal will reopen after two years of closure

* Britain's largest airport warned of a slow start to the
year

* Airlines pin hopes on summer holidays to revive numbers
after
Omicron
(Adds background, context)

By Muvija M

LONDON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - London's Gatwick Airport will
reopen its south terminal next month, counting on the easing of
coronavirus curbs to boost demand this summer as travellers
venture out after the Omicron variant of the virus dampened new
year celebrations for most.

A number of airlines will return to the south terminal from
March 27, said the UK's second-largest airport, which has kept
the terminal shut for nearly two years as passenger numbers
plummeted during the health crisis.

Carriers including British Airways, Dublin-based
Aer Lingus, Oslo-listed Norwegian Air and low-cost
carriers Vueling, Wizz Air and Ryanair will
operate from the terminal, while easyJet will operate
across south and north terminals.

"We are going to see significant growth at the very
beginning of the summer season here at Gatwick, and then
progressively we will build to operate at about 90% of the 2019
levels," Gatwick Chief Executive Stewart Wingate told Sky News.

The pandemic was especially hard on the travel sector as the
emergence of a number of new variants has led to recurring
curbs, wiping out company earnings and making it difficult for
businesses to plan.

A warning from Britain's biggest airport, Heathrow, of a
slow start to 2022 due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant
underscored some of those lingering jitters.

'RAY OF HOPE' BEFORE SUMMER

Airlines are still hopeful that passenger numbers,
particularly in international travel, will pick up as
virus-related restrictions have either been completely lifted or
are being gradually eased in major economies.

In Britain, demand for flights has been edging back towards
pre-COVID levels for the crucial summer holiday season,
according to market data that also showed bookings for the
period only 16% behind comparable levels in January 2019.

Fully vaccinated people will no longer need to take a
COVID-19 test when they land in the UK starting from Friday,
making trips cheaper and relatively hassle-free.

Heathrow's boss John Holland-Kaye called scrapping of the
rule "a ray of hope," but stood by an earlier forecast that
passenger numbers would be just over half of pre-pandemic levels
this year.

Ryanair last week laid out expectations that pent-up demand
could lead to record summer passenger numbers.

The possibility of new variants and rising living costs that
could force people to reassess their budgets still pose a threat
to a sustained rebound. Wingate cautioned on Friday that it may
take time for consumer confidence to fully recover.
(Reporting by Muvija M in London; editing by William James and
Catherine Evans)