London City Airport may seek permission for more flights – up from its current cap of 111,000 per year
London City Airport is considering an application to raise limits on flights and passenger numbers, its boss has revealed. Chief executive Robert Sinclair believes the airport will approach existing caps on its operations in the next 3 – 4 years. London City Airport is trying to make out it is vital, in the years before Heathrow gets a 3rd runway (if it ever does, which is still fairly unlikely …) Sinclair said: “In the fullness of the next year or two we will be reflecting on the future and life beyond our current planning caps… We will be considering the potential options, which could include raising the caps.” The current limit is 6.5 million passengers and 111,000 flights per year. Annual passenger numbers have grown by 50% since 2012 and might be over 5 million next year. Annual air traffic movements currently stand at around 80,000. Any bid to increase operational caps would be made to Newham Council. John Stewart, chairman of campaign group Hacan East, said: “Local residents would fight tooth and nail any attempt by London City to raise its limits on flights and passengers. Many of them feel their lives are already blighted by planes from the airport.” The airport had no passenger increases in 2017 over 2016, and only 5% growth in 2016.
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London City Airport may seek permission for more flights
9th July 2018 (ITV)
London City Airport was used by 4.5 million passengers in 2017. London City Airport is considering an application to raise limits on flights and passenger numbers, its boss has revealed.
Chief executive Robert Sinclair believes the airport will approach existing caps on its operations in the next three to four years.
A campaign group pledged to “fight tooth and nail” against any bid to ease the restrictions.
The current limit is a 111,000 Cap on annual flights.
In an interview with the Press Association, Mr Sinclair declared that London City can play an increasingly vital role in providing vital runway capacity in the South East as Heathrow’s expansion is not due to be completed until 2026 at the earliest.
“In the fullness of the next year or two we will be reflecting on the future and life beyond our current planning caps,” Mr Sinclair said.
“We will be considering the potential options, which could include raising the caps.”
London City is currently limited to 6.5 million passengers and 111,000 flights per year.
Annual passenger numbers have grown by 50% since 2012 and are expected to exceed five million next year. Annual air traffic movements currently stand at around 80,000.
Any bid to increase operational caps would be made to Newham Council.
Some people living nearby already protest against the noise and air pollution linked to the airport’s existing operations.
John Stewart, chairman of campaign group Hacan East, said: “Local residents would fight tooth and nail any attempt by London City to raise its limits on flights and passengers.
“Many of them feel their lives are already blighted by planes from the airport.
“The preservation of the current cap is the reddest of red lines for residents and I suspect for many local authorities.”
Heathrow Airport has faced fierce opposition from anti-expansion campaigners for many years as it seeks permission to build a third runway. It won a parliamentary vote on the plans last month.
A £480 million programme is already under way at London City to enhance its facilities.
This will include eight new aircraft stands, the UK’s first digital air traffic control tower, a full length parallel taxiway and extending the terminal building.
Lives are already blighted by planes – says Hacan East
British Airways has moved its Paris Orly flights from Heathrow to London City and Mr Sinclair predicted airlines will increasingly transfer their short-haul operations away from the west London hub.
This is because they want to use the valuable slots for long-haul services in order to maximise revenue.
Mr Sinclair, who left his role as the boss of Bristol Airport to join London City in October last year, was “very encouraged” by a recent Government document calling for the best use to be made of existing runway capacity.
“That document signalled the Government’s policy, that it’s not all about Heathrow,” he said.
“There’s an understanding that the Heathrow third runway is going to take six or seven years, or maybe more.”
London City, which opened in 1987, traditionally focused on point to point business passengers due to being the nearest airport to Canary Wharf and the City of London.
But Mr Sinclair wants to “reposition” the airport to further embrace leisure travellers, with new routes such as Porto, Reykjavik and Prague, and provide a feed for hub airports such as Amsterdam, Lisbon and Warsaw.
The launch or increased frequency of these routes is “not happening by accident”, he said.
“This is part of a very methodical strategy we are pursuing to effectively re-position City.”
http://www.itv.com/news/2018-07-09/london-city-airport-may-seek-permission-for-more-flights/
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See earlier:
London City airport has no air passenger growth in 2017, compared to 5% in 2016 and 18% in 2014
London City Airport has announced flat passenger numbers for 2017 with no growth. Compared to that, passenger numbers rose by 5% in 2016 (with 2% rise in ATM s) and rose by 18% in 2015 (compared to 2014) with ATMs up 13%. So a very definite slow down now. There were some 4,511,100 passengers in 2017 , down from about 4,536,050 in 2016. A spokesperson for the airport said the dip was due to “a variety of factors”, including some airlines choosing to move flights to other airports, “reflecting the more challenging economic environment”. CityJet trimmed the size of its operation, while other airlines cut some routes. The busiest route from London City was Amsterdam in 2017, followed by Edinburgh, Dublin, Zurich and Milan. London City Airport plans to expand, with 7 new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway to maximise runway capacity, and a terminal extension to make room for more passengers, with completion in 2021. The project was originally expected to cost £400m, but that has now risen to £480m. The airport hopes for greatly increased passenger numbers, as it adds “much needed” capacity at peak times.
Click here to view full story…
550% increase in complaints to City Airport following introduction of concentrated flight paths
Complaints to London City Airport have gone up by 550% since the introduction of the new concentrated flight paths. The figures were revealed in the airport’s 2016 Annual Performance Report, just published. Last year there were nearly 400 complaints, up from 95 in 2015. In its report, London City admits the increase is down to the concentrated flight paths which were introduced on 4th February 2016, as part of the implementation of Phase 1a of the London Airspace Management Plan (LAMP). The release of the complaint figures comes a week after the London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for an end to the concentrated flight paths. In an answer to a question from Green London Assembly member Caroline Russell, he said, “It is clear that the concentrated flight paths introduced by London City Airport are not working. We will continue to raise the issue with London City Airport. We also continue to make the case to the CAA that there must be a fairer distribution of flight paths that will address the severe noise impacts.” At present the CAA is assessing a report from London City into the operation of the concentrated flight paths. It is expected to make its recommendations in the next month or two.
Click here to view full story…
London City Airport campaigners do cake stunt outside CAA offices, as Sadiq Khan backs calls to end concentrated flight paths
On Friday 28th July campaigners against London City Airport’s concentrated flight paths, introduced last year, staged a colourful stunt outside the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Kingsway. The campaigners from HACAN East highlighted the impact the concentrated flight paths are having on local communities. The stunt was timed to coincide with a review the CAA is conducting into the operation of the flight paths. Campaigners have won the backing of London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, in their bid to get rid of the concentrated flight paths. In written answer to a question from Green London Assembly member Caroline Russell, he said; “It is clear that the concentrated flight paths introduced by London City Airport are not working. We will continue to raise the issue with London City Airport. We also continue to make the case to the CAA that there must be a fairer distribution of flight paths that will address the severe noise impacts.” Campaigners from a wide range of places affected by the flight path changes each brought along a cake with the name of their area indicated. A cake was also presented to the CAA, along with a letter. Campaigners want the CAA to require London City Airport to replace concentrated flight paths with multiple routes, rotated, so that each community gets some relief from the noise.
Click here to view full story…
Sadiq Khan backs campaigners HACAN East, fighting concentrated flight paths in east London
Residents fighting the concentrated flight paths to and from London City Airport have welcomed the backing of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. People who have been fighting concentrated flight paths, introduced in February 2016, which have turned their communities into “noise ghettos” with much more traffic over certain areas, badly affecting the homes below. The number of noise complaints rose four-fold since then. Residents in Leytonstone have been hit particularly hard by the paths, with some saying they are considering selling their houses. Caroline Russell, Green Party Member of the London Assembly, raised the issue with Sadiq Khan on behalf of residents. Sadiq said: “It is clear that the concentrated flight paths introduced by London City Airport are not working. We will continue to raise the issue with London City Airport. We also continue to make the case to the CAA that there must be a fairer distribution of flight paths that will address the severe noise impacts.” HACAN East will stage a protest outside the CAA headquarters on Friday, July 28th to coincide with a review the authority is conducting into the changed paths. They will provide cakes, with the names of all the areas affected, and give a suitable cake to the CAA. Protesters want the CAA to make City Airport scrap the new paths and replace them with multiple routes which are rotated to ensure each area gets periods without the noise.
Click here to view full story…
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and more at London City Airport news
https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/uk-airports/london-city-airport/london-city-airport-news/
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