The number of passengers using London’s Gatwick airport in a year.

Gatwick announces, apparently with pride, that it is “the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world.” That’s two good reasons not to use it.

I’ve had the misfortune to spend two hours waiting for my flight, unwillingly imprisoned in an in-your-face shopping experience. To reach one of the lavatories you even have to pass through a duty free shop – twice, there and back, prey for waiting salesmen to pounce.

Travelling through Gatwick, as through Heathrow and Stansted airports, is an awful experience. Overcrowded, stressful and exploitative. Luton is trying hard to catch up and, fortunately, so far failing. Only London City of London’s five airports is quick and businesslike and not like being held against your will in Tesco’s or Selfridges.

A couple of times recently I’ve chosen to fly from London City to Paris-Charles de Gaulle – four runways, 58 million passengers in 2009 - and take a connecting flight from there. Bright, airy, not crowded, quiet, glass corridors. Shops distant and unobtrusive – they’re there if I want them and mostly I don’t; I just want to get where I’m going and not be subject to attempted brand rape. Sitting there I remember thinking, “Yeah, this isn’t so bad. The architect who designed this terminal understands my predicament and has made it better for me.” Thanks mate.

Good news awaits me at the end of my journey however. Blissful. I arrive at Florence airport - one runway, 1.7million passengers for its entire 2009 financial year. That’s less than three week’s worth of Gatwick’s tally. Small, quick, no nonsense. What a relief. I grab my bag and escape the air passenger parallel universe to the (relatively) fresher air and (relative) freedom. And I reflect on the unpleasantness of air travel out of London – what you have to go through, what you have to put up with and how you’d really rather not.