London City Airport plans to increase flights
(18.9.2007 BBC)
London City Airport plans to increase flights by 50% over the next 3 years.
But some local residents under the flight path are not happy at the prospect of
increased noise levels. The flights would increase from 80,000 to 120,000 a year.
The airport is not planning to build more runways but increase the frequency of
daytime travel. By 2030 that number could increase to 171,000 annual flights.
The majority of passengers passing through London City Airport are business travellers.
The Airport operator says it is not planning to get low cost airlines such as
Easy Jet and Ryan Air to use the airport. Currently 12 airlines fly to 31 European
destinations. It’s likely those carriers which include British Airways and Air
France will increase their flights and destinations.
The airport will still continue to close for 24 hours at weekend and there will
still be no night flights. Instead they will use the normally quiet period in
the middle of the day to have extra take offs and landings.
Chief Executive Richard Gooding explained: "It will be at those times when most
people are at work or at school.”
The increase in flights they say is a response to the growth in business coming
East London particularly in the build up to the 2012 Olympics.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/08/28/greenwich_airport_video_feature.shtml