London City Airport News
Some news about London City Airport
For news stories about the airport, see HACAN East news
Public inquiry into London City Airport proposals – to resume 15th January
The first session of a public inquiry into an appeal to expand London City Airport took place on 5th December. The airport had plans to raise the annual cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million, that were rejected unanimously by Newham Council in July 2023, and subsequently appealed the decision. On 12th December the London City Airport Public Inquiry ws postponed until January because Newham Council’s barrister is ill. It will now run for 2 weeks beginning 15th January. This inquiry, which began at Stratford Town Hall, will also consider plans to extend weekend flight hours to 18:30 on a Saturday, with an extra hour during the summer. Currently planes are not permitted to fly between 12:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday, a curfew that has been in place for 25 years. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the residents’ organisation challenging the proposals, said, “These proposals are highly unpopular. People greatly value their weekend break from the noise.” There are also fears the plans would make Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target for a net-zero London by 2030 less achievable.
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London City airport expansion plans rejected by Newham – it will appeal to the GLA
London City airport is considering next steps after its local council, Newham, rejected its expansion plans. The airport wants to raise annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million by extending the operating hours on Saturdays, until 6.30pm. There would also be 3 additional early morning flights on weekdays. Concerns were raised over increased noise pollution and emissions if extra flights were allowed. Flights are not allowed from 12.30pm Saturdays to 12.30pm Sundays to provide respite for nearby residents under a long-standing curfew. The airport says it needs more flights to cope with post-Covid passenger demand, with more destinations, especially on Saturdays. The council considers that the extra flights would “result in a materially new and substantial harm” through noise pollution. The application will now be referred to the Greater London Authority for a final decision. John Stewart, of HACAN East said “People value the weekend break from the noise. It was brought in because people live so close to the airport. Newham Council was right to reject the proposal to eat into it.”
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London City Airport “consulting” on extra flights and extended operating hours at weekends
Newham Council, the planning authority for London City airport, formally started consulting on its expansion proposals on 15th February. It will last until 17th March. Newham’s Strategic Development Committee will then later this year decide whether or not to approve the proposals. The detailed application is on Newham’s website It is a very long consultation with many dozen documents, only available online and hard to plough through. Local campaign group, HACAN East summarise the key points as an extra 6 – 7 hours flying on Saturdays; an extra 2.5 million passengers a year using to the airport; and extra early morning flights. At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. London City proposes for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm in summer). It plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5m to 9m a year. It plans 3 extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30 – 7am. It is not proposing to introduce night flights, or lift the cap of 111,000 allowed to use the airport each year. HACAN East is arranging meetings for local people to find out more.
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London City airport – there may be a consultation about allowing flights on Saturday afternoons
There is speculation about London City airport consulting about changing the times on Saturday afternoons, when the airport is open. However, local group Hacan East says that, as far as they know, Newham Council has made no official announcement about the start of the public consultation into London City’s expansion plans, but they will be contacting the Council (10th February) to find out the position. The expectation is that instead of flights ending at 1pm on Saturdays, they would continue until 8.30pm. This would be deeply opposed by residents in the area, who suffer from considerable plane noise. It is thought that the airport applied for this, to Newham Council, in December. City Airport previously tried to extend Saturday flight times to 22:00, but backtracked after a public consultation in late 2022. 70% of responses to that consultation opposed any expansion. The airport also wants 12 extra Saturday flights between 18:30 and 19:30 in the summer months, and 3 more planes taking off each morning. And it hopes to increase the yearly cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million.
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LONDON CITY AIRPORT SCALES BACK GROWTH PLANS
9.12.2023 (Hacan East)
London City Airport today announced it has scaled back its expansion proposals following a consultation earlier this year.
It has:
· Reduced the hours it proposed to fly on Saturdays
· Cut back on the number of extra flights allowed in the early morning
· Abandoned plans for late evening flying
The airport will now submit a formal application to Newham Council, the planning Authority. Newham will carry out a formal consultation before masking a decision.
At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. In the consultation London City had proposed all-day flying on Saturdays. The plan now is for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm at the height of summer).
The airport proposed six extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30am – 7am. That has been scaled back to three additional flights.
Airlines will be required to use new, quieter aircraft on Saturday afternoons.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, which gives a voice to residents under the flight paths, said, “The scaling back is welcome but our members our concerned that the new planes will only be noticeably quieter on departure and only for communities within a few miles of the airport.”
The airport will now submit a formal application to Newham Council, the planning Authority. Newham will carry out a formal consultation before masking a decision.
http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/press-releases
Bristol Airport and London City Airport campaigners send video to Canadian teachers over expansion plans
Environmentalists trying to stop the expansion of airports in Bristol, London City and Copenhagen have stepped up their campaign – SOFAX (Stop OTPP Funding Airport Expansion) – with a direct message to the people who ultimately own all those airports – teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario. They have their pensions in the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan – or OTPP. See the video (6mins 30)The campaigns from Bristol, around London City Airport and 3 others around Europe, are directing their campaign at the 329,000 teachers and former teachers who work or worked in state schools in Ontario. They pay money into the OTPP, which years ago bought airports including Bristol and London City, as money-making investments. Both airports are trying to expand, increasing flights and carbon emissions. The new campaign has been organised by the UK’s biggest teachers union – the NEU – along with community and medical campaigners who live around the five airports owned or part-owned by OTPP. SOFAX is appealing to pensioners of OTPP to consider the local health and educational impacts of airports on children, as well as the climate impacts – making life in coming decades more uncertain.
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London City Airport consultation on plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million per year
People can do a quick email responses, to express their opposition to the increase in passengers, here
London City Airport has a consultation (ends 9th September) about further expansion. It wants to increase passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million per year. It wants to end the ban on flights on Saturday afternoon and evening; and operate more flights during the first hour of operation after 6.30am, and also in the late evening. The annual cap on the number of flights permitted will remain at 111,000. Earlier proposals to raise it to 151,000 have been dropped. The 8 hour night period with no flights will also remain in place. The airport will stipulate that only the “cleaner, quieter ” planes (ie. in theory, slightly lower carbon emissions, and slightly less noisy) can fly during the additional hours of operation. Hacan East says these planes will be noticeably quieter but only on departure and only within about 4 miles from the airport. The difference is negligible elsewhere. There will be “more flexibility” (ie. allowing later flights) for delayed departures and arrivals in the last half hour of operations each day (10pm – 10.30pm) – they are currently limited to 400 per year. There will be larger planes (ie. noisier), to increase the annual number of passengers (most are now leisure).
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CE Delft study shows alleged economic benefits of London City airport greatly exaggerated
In December 2020, London City Airport published its Master Plan, after various consultations. This claims: “Taking all benefits into consideration, the proposed growth could add £586 million [annual benefit in 2035] to the UK economy. Adding this impact to the £1.5bn impact that LCY is currently expected to reach under CADP, the airport could reach a £2bn annual contribution to the UK economy by 2035.” This was based on figures produced by a report for the airport by Ove Arup in April 2019. All that was in the heady days before the impact of Covid on air travel … A report by the consultancy, CE Delft, looked carefully at the figures of supposed future economic impact, and found name exaggerations and errors. CE Delft consider that the £586 million in economic impact in 2035 is an overestimate. Our study suggests the economic impact is likely to be smaller than £ 353 million + PM (plus or minus things that is impossible to calculate). This disparity in estimates is partly as local impacts are not additional at the national level, according to the UK’s transport analysis guidance WebTAG. Also that trade impacts should not be taken into account, according to WebTAG.
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London City Airport shelves plans to extend operating hours – has to focus on post-Covid recovery
London City Airport has published its long-term vision for the future today, after a consultation with residents, passengers and stakeholders. Local community campaign group HACAN East had been concerned by suggestions the airport might seek to increase flights at the weekend, as well as earlier and later each day. But due to a huge fall in passenger numbers, the airport’s CEO Robert Sinclair says the focus “has to be on recovering” for the foreseeable future. But it still has the longer term ambition of 151,000 flights per year, up from around 82,000 before Covid, which campaigners fear will have a serious impact on residents and the environment – due to noise and air pollution (as well as carbon). Mr Sinclair said the airport will keep the expansion plans “under review” as the airport recovers from the impact the pandemic. Changes in future would need to go through the necessary consultation and planning processes. HACAN East chairman John Stewart said the news was a welcome development and the result of a “huge campaign” by both residents and local councils – and “Our concern remains that they would like to lift the annual cap on the number of flights to 151,000.”
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London City Airport to put terminal expansion plan on ice, due to Covid recession
London City Airport has put its plan to quadruple the size of its terminal on ice, as the Covid pandemic has decimated demand for air travel. City Airport is shelving £170 million of expansion work, which will mean loss of jobs. But it plans to continue with around £330 million of improvements this year, including eight new aircraft stands and a new parallel taxiway that will allow more arrivals and departures. The airport had been intending to finish the work on the terminal by 2023, and it could then cater for 6.5 million annual passengers. By contrast, in 2019 it had 5.1 million passengers. The airport said the recovery in air travel demand had been slower than expected, and its recovery (if it ever returns to 2019 levels) will take more years than thought earlier. The airport is owned by a consortium of investors including AIMCo, OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure Management. secured approval for its £500 million development programme in 2016. It is aimed at providing new infrastructure to serve more customers.
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Mayor of Newham’s challenge to London City Airport’s expansion as “fundamentally flawed, due to lack of clarity & information”
Campaigners have welcomed a demand by the mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, to halt London City Airport’s consultation on expansion with more daily flights – until it shows how it will tackling noise and CO2 emissions. City Airport’s Consultation Master Plan suggests almost doubling the number of daily flights, with more early morning and late evening. The airport insists its consultation will continue till 20th September. The mayor called the consultation “fundamentally flawed because of lack of clarity and information” in a letter to the airport’s chief executive. She calls on the airport to halt the public consultation immediately until it publishes the “omitted technical details”. “The significance of the mayor’s move cannot be overstated. Newham is the planning authority for the airport,” said Hacan East chairman John Stewart. Newham Council which declared a “climate emergency” earlier this year, and is seeking more evidence about the airport’s plans to tackle CO2 emissions and air pollution. A huge number of people are already badly affected by aircraft noise. Newham already has a large number of deaths, occurring prematurely, due to air pollution. London City airport growth – pollution from aircraft – would only add to that, as well as the noise assault.
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British Airways suspends all flights from London City Airport
20.3.2020
British Airways has announced that it is suspending all flights from London City Airport from Monday 23rd March.
The suspension is initially set to run until Saturday 4th April although you would imagine that there is a high chance of this being extended.
Passengers will be transferred onto flights from London Heathrow or London Gatwick, or can claim a refund. As we discussed yesterday, anyone who chooses to cancel is being ‘encouraged’ to take a credit voucher rather than the cash to which they are entitled.
Sadiq Khan attacks London City Airport expansion plans – “unfettered growth is not an option”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has warned London City Airport that “unfettered growth is not an option” as he criticised its plans for expansion. He said residents must have a break from plane noise, and the airport should take its air pollution and environmental responsibilities more seriously. The airport, in a densely populated area of east London, is increasingly used for holiday travel – not business – and it wants to increase the current cap of 111,000 flights/year to 137,000 by 2030 and to 151,000 by 2035. It hopes for 5 million passengers this year, but wants up to 6.5 million per year. The Mayor said the current plans “would not be in the interest of Londoners”. He said noise from planes was a “fundamental issue” as changes to flight paths three years ago meant some areas were being flown over too often. Also that breaks from flights – overnight, and for 24 hours from lunchtime on Saturday – “must not be eroded” and the airport should use new technology to give residents more relief, not just to maximise profits. He said the airport must consider CO2 emissions from flights in its carbon reduction plans, as its current target of “net zero emissions by 2050 “does not include flights – only airport terminals, vehicles, and other ground operations.
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Tower Hamlets Mayor’s letter to London City Airport consultation, opposing changes that will negatively impact residents
The Mayor Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, has sent a letter to the London City Airport consultation, to express his concerns about the airport’s expansion plans. This is in addition to the more detailed response sent by the council itself. Mr Biggs says: …”the negative impacts of increasing flights at LCA would be unacceptable in terms of increasing noise levels and exacerbating climate change. The level of noise coming from aircraft needs to be tightly regulated and we believe lower thresholds for disturbance need to put in place. … To protect residents from noise disruption LCA must retain the current 24 hour closure of the airport at weekends between 12.30pm Saturday – 12.30pm Sunday to provide respite for our residents from the noise. To limit the level of disturbance caused to our residents the restrictions on early morning, late night and weekend flights should also be retained, …In Tower Hamlets we have declared a climate emergency and 40% of our residents live in areas with unacceptable levels of air quality. I would like to see further commitments by the airport on its plans to limit the amount of emissions from airport operations.” See the full letter.
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Extinction Rebellion protests at London City Airport, to highlight the threat of its higher CO2
As part of the Extinction Rebellion protests in London, as well as in around 60 cities around the world, London City Airport was a target for action. The intention to disrupt the airport, the plans were announced well beforehand. Many XR people got into the airport, causing disruption in a non-violent manner. A smartly dressed man, who had bought a flight ticket for an Aer Lingus flight, got onto his plane and then refused to sit down. He “walked down the aisle, delivering a lecture on climate change”; this caused about two hours delay to the flight. Another, a Paralympic cycling medallist James Brown, who is visually impaired, also had a ticket for an Amsterdam flights, but when approaching the plane door, instead climbed onto the roof of the BA plane About 50 arrests were made at the airport, including those who had blocking the airport entrance or glued themselves to the terminal floor. There were delays to some flights. The airport was chosen for the action because of the glaring incompatibility of the government’s legally-binding commitment to be net carbon neutral by 2050, with expanding the aviation sector. Many of the flights from London City are leisure, (skiing, city breaks, beach holidays, etc) not for business.
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Redbridge councillors agree to oppose ‘detrimental’ London City Airport expansion plans
Redbridge Councillors have agreed to oppose (43 : 10) London City Airport’s expansion plans and express serious concern about the “detrimental effect” of noise and air pollution on the health and wellbeing of Redbridge residents. Proposing the motion, Councillor Sheila Bain and Councillor John Howard spoke about the “profound noise and environmental impact” the proposals will have on residents, particularly those living directly under the flight paths. The motion also asked councillors to note a lack of evidence to support the claims that noise pollution, air quality and emissions will not be affected and the lack of adequate consultation by London City Airport with residents affected by the proposals, most of whom are unaware of the consultation taking place. Councillor Paul Donovan said: “City Airport needs to think again, listen to what people are saying and realise that whilst they may need to make more money, that the environment, health and welfare of those of us living below these flight paths is more important.”
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Mayor of Newham’s challenge to London City Airport’s expansion as “fundamentally flawed, due to lack of clarity & information”
Campaigners have welcomed a demand by the mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, to halt London City Airport’s consultation on expansion with more daily flights – until it shows how it will tackling noise and CO2 emissions. City Airport’s Consultation Master Plan suggests almost doubling the number of daily flights, with more early morning and late evening. The airport insists its consultation will continue till 20th September. The mayor called the consultation “fundamentally flawed because of lack of clarity and information” in a letter to the airport’s chief executive. She calls on the airport to halt the public consultation immediately until it publishes the “omitted technical details”. “The significance of the mayor’s move cannot be overstated. Newham is the planning authority for the airport,” said Hacan East chairman John Stewart. Newham Council which declared a “climate emergency” earlier this year, and is seeking more evidence about the airport’s plans to tackle CO2 emissions and air pollution. A huge number of people are already badly affected by aircraft noise. Newham already has a large number of deaths, occurring prematurely, due to air pollution. London City airport growth – pollution from aircraft – would only add to that, as well as the noise assault.
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HACAN East new major campaign against London City’s expansion plans, asking people to fill in postcard responses to the consultation.
HACAN East has launched a major campaign against London City’s expansion plans. It is encouraging people to fill in postcards opposing the expansion plans, and send them in to Freepost LCY MASTER PLAN CONSULTATION. People can also download and display posters. The postcards call on residents to back the existing 24 hour weekend ban on aircraft using London City. HACAN East wants the airport drop its proposals to end the 24 hour break as well as its plans to almost double flight numbers from today’s levels and to increase flights in the early morning and late evening. The postcards say: I SUPPORT the 24 hour London City Airport weekend flight ban. I DO NOT want up to 40,00 more flights. I DO NOT want more early morning or late evening flights. I DO NOT want more climate damaging airport expansion. Overall, I DO NOT support the plans in the draft master plan.
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Caroline Russell: Action is needed on aircraft noise
Caroline writes in a blog that in parts of London, people are now living with severe levels of noise disruption. This is not acceptable, and urgent, decisive action is needed across the board to alleviate it. For some, the onslaught from Heathrow planes is made worse by the addition of London City planes using narrow, concentrated routes. The noise has significant health impacts for many. A report by the London Assembly’s Environment Committee, which Caroline chairs, concluded that the Government and CAA should regulate noise disturbance more stringently. They should use lower thresholds for noise disturbance (taking into account WHO guidelines and the need for residents to keep windows open) and mapping the combined effect of all London’s airports, especially Heathrow and City. The WHO guidance is that 45dB is the threshold for health impacts, but the UK government persists with 54dB as the ‘disturbance’ threshold. Also that flight paths should be rotated, to give relief to those under concentrated flight paths – and flight paths should be designed to minimise noise impacts, including avoiding overlapping flight paths. Increasing exposure to aircraft noise is unacceptable, and must be challenged
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What is driving London City Airport’s expansion plans? John Stewart comment
John Stewart, from Hacan East, has looked at why London City Airport is planning huge expansion. The airport Master Plan wants to lift the current cap of 111,000 flights allowed each year to 137,000 by 2030 and to 151,000 by 2035. He says the airport is aiming to promote itself as a major player on the aviation scene, and a key driver of the regional economy, not just a niche business airport. It now often holds receptions at the party conferences, and is raising its profile to get backing for its growth plans. The current owners bought the airport for £2 billion in 2016, and want to make a good return. Business passengers used to be about 60% of the total, but now 50% – with the plans suggesting 36% by 2035. Most business passengers fly in the morning and evening, so leisure flights use the hours in the middle of the day. It can’t offer budget flights because Ryanair and EasyJet planes are too big to use the airport. London City has set out to change to portray itself as a key driver, maybe even the key driver, of the economic development of East, NE and SE London. It is pushing this to MPs and also local authorities in its regions in order to convince them it is in their interest to back expansion.
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RESIDENTS DISMAYED BY LONDON CITY AIRPORT EXPANSION PLANS TO DOUBLE FLIGHT NUMBERS
London City’s Master Plan has been released, for consultation, and it is very bad news for local residents who suffer from the noise of its planes. It is proposing to double the number of flights by 2035; to end the break when currently there are no flights between 12:30pm on Saturday and 12.30pm on Sunday; and to bring in more planes in the early morning and late evening. Residents are dismayed by the London City expansion revealed in its Master Plan published today. The airport wants to lift the current cap of 111,000 flights allowed each year to 137,000 by 2030 and to 151,000 by 2035. Last year there were just over 75,000 flights. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, which gives a voice to residents under the airport’s flight paths, said, “For all its green talk, this plan would be disastrous for residents. Flight numbers could double from today’s levels.” Increasingly the airport caters for leisure passengers, not business. The consultation ends on 20th September. The airport would need to go to a Planning Inquiry to get permission for any proposals it intends to take forward, after applying to Newham Council for its plans. Newham borough has pledged to make the borough “carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050”. The airport will not be helping with that.
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London City airport to introduce £600 fines for the noisiest planes breaching noise limits
London City Airport is going to fine airlines £600 each for breaching noise limits, after a surge in complaints from residents (due to the concentrated flight paths that started in February 2016). It has started a “penalty and incentive” scheme for planes breaching its rules, and will name and shame them online. The noise is now concentrated, as planes try to cut fuel use, to save money; therefore the same people get overflown all the time, creating highly unpleasant noise pollution. Many residents, from Leyton to Lewisham, have complained about the noise since the changes. This new charging emerged at a hearing at the London Assembly, when AMs questioned London City airport and Heathrow staff about the environmental impacts (noise, air pollution, carbon emissions) of their airports. Tessa Simpson, environment manager at City airport, told the Assembly yesterday: “We have set noise levels that are some of the most stringent in the country.” They have to, as the airport is located in, and surrounded by, densely populated areas. The money will go into a “community fund” to be “shared amongst community projects.”
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London City airport – Noise Action Plan Consultation (ends 5th Sept) for next 5 years, 2018 – 2023
London City airport is now updating its 2013 – 2018 Noise Action Plan (NAP). The new plan will cover the next 5 years, 2018 – 2023. The airport has a consultation that runs from 25th July to 5th September. People can comment on the current plan, and say what they think should be changed. The draft plan is at Noise Action Plan 2018-2023. “The main purpose of the NAP is to establish the noise impact of the airport in order to consider whether the current noise management measures are sufficient to protect the local community adequately, particularly those worst affected. In order to demonstrate this LCY’s noise impact has been assessed by qualified independent consultants and is documented in Appendix A.” … The airport has a limit of 120,000 permitted aircraft movements per annum, based upon noise factored aircraft movements. For 2013, London City Airport had a total of 77,377 noise factored movements (based on 73,642 aircraft movements).
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Profits and number of passengers using London City Airport fell slightly in 2017 (not the expected growth)
Annual profits at London City Airport have fallen by more than 10% as the number of flights fell last year. Accounts show a fall in turnover from £113.7m to £112.0m in the year to December 2017. Net profit before tax fell to £35.7m and, following a £2m increased tax charge, profit for the year decreased from £32.0m to £28.5m. The number of passengers fell by 0.3% to 4.5 million, and the number of flights fell by 5.8% to 75,781. About 56% of its passengers are business travellers (compared with 33% at Heathrow), so almost half are on leisure trips. The airport is developing so it can handle up to 6.5 million passenger per year, with up to 111,000 annual flights – a massive increase on today’s number, and inappropriate in such a built up area. First proposed in 1981, commercial flights started at London City in 1987. It was sold to a consortium including insurance giant AIG and Global Infrastructure Partners in 2006. London City was then bought in 2016 by a quartet of infrastructure investors: OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Wren House Infrastructure Management and Alberta Investment Management Corporation.
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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.”
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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.
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HACAN East presents London City Airport with a 30th Birthday cake – it’s time for it to clean up its act
Campaigners at local group HACAN East want London City airport to stop growing, cap the number of annual flights & end concentrated flight paths, to protect residents from the noise and the pollution. Today was London City Airport’s 30th birthday. Campaigners – dressed up as bakers – presented the airport will a beautiful cake. They say that now it is 30 years old, it should CLEAN UP ITS ACT. The campaign wants London City to be a better neighbour – the airport is in a totally inappropriate location, surrounded by such densely populated areas that are home to so many people. The airport should NOT be allowed to grow further, as it affects too many people. There is a moving film, with people affected by the airport speaking out. One lady says: “We have lived in our house in Mottingham, SE 9, for over 35 years, Then last year without any consultation or warning we suddenly found we had low flying, noisy planes coming over our house from early morning till late at nights. These flights are devastating to me. I sometimes hate living in my house and I want to move. But the thought of moving away from family and friends at this stage in our life is just too hard to do.” A sad reflection on how aviation impacts people’s lives.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Three left in race for £50m City Airport construction job
28 JUNE, 2017 (Construction News)
One joint venture and two individual contractors are left in the race for the £50m contract to build a 7.5 ha concrete deck at City Airport. Bam Nuttall, Vinci and a joint venture between Graham and Lagan Construction Group are the three bidders left competing to build the deck for the airport next to the King George V dock.
The winning team will install 1,000 piles to depths of more than 20 m in length to support massive concrete beams, as part of the east London airport’s £350m expansion.
Procurement for the contract was launched last October following the transport secretary Chris Grayling’s decision to give the green light for the expansion in July.
The original procurement documents estimated that work would have begun at the end of March, but this has been pushed back.
The work will be the first significant piece of construction work as part of the expansion programme.
Mr Grayling, along with the chancellor Philip Hammond and communities secretary Sajid Javid, gave the go-ahead last July after years of delays in getting the project off the ground.
In March 2015, the then mayor of London Boris Johnson refused to grant the project a compulsory purchase order saying the development of the airport would “blight the lives of thousands of people”.
Less than a week after being elected London mayor in May 2016, Sadiq Khan dropped the Greater London Authority’s objection to the CPO, paving the way for the government to give the expansion the go-ahead.
Lagan Construction Group has previously worked at City Airport, having scooped the multi-million-pound contract to overlay the existing runway and widen the airports taxiways March 2016.
In July 2014 a Graham / Lagan Construction Group JV was awarded the contract to carry out the construction Hull’s £100m Green Port on the Alexandra Dock.
Recent airport jobs for Bam Nuttall and Vinci include both firms securing places on Gatwick’s £750m construction framework, with Bam Nuttall securing a place in the civils lot and Vinci landing a spot in the buildings lot.
London City Airport’s flights to be controlled from 70 miles away using new system
Manned air traffic control towers at airport may start to be phased out. Technological advances are allowing arrivals and departures to be monitored from miles away using live streams of high-definition video. One of the first to use this technique is London City Airport, where the 50-metre control tower will be populated by a suite of HD cameras instead of people, from 2019. The screens and cameras will link directly to NATS at Swanwick, Hampshire. Controllers there will be able to see in detail all that is going on at London City, and direct planes accordingly. “While staring out of the virtual window at an incoming plane, the controller can see all the identifying flight and radar information in the skies alongside it.” The new system enables, at night, the contours of the runway to be highlighted with graphics. In low light, visibility can be improved. And should cameras detect anything that is not authorised traffic, that could be a drone, they can track it. Digital control towers are so far only in operational use in two small airports in Sweden. NATS say the system is no more hackable than current aircraft control, and no less safe. Controllers can expect to be retrained to work at more than one airport, though the Prospect union warned of impacts on the staff if asked to control more than one runway at a time. (Job cuts in future?)
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Advertising Standards Agency confirms that Heathrow and Gatwick aren’t actually in London
A complaint was made (it is not clear by whom) against an advert by London City Airport in June 2016. The advert stated that “Business or pleasure, time is on your side when you fly from London City Airport … Fly with British Airways or Flybe from Edinburgh, or from Glasgow with British Airways, to the only airport actually located in the city of London….” etc. The complaint was its claim that London City is the only airport in the city of London. It is, of course, not in the square mile of the City of London. The ASA accepted that “the city of London” was intended to refer to inner London, as opposed to the “square mile” City of London. City airport has an E16 postcode, which Heathrow has a TW6 postcode. The ASA said the primary message of the ad was the time that could be saved by flying from or to London City Airport, which they accepted. They therefore said the ad would not mislead, dismissed the complaint, and it was not in breach of advertising codes. Many airports call themselves “London” airports, regardless of the length of journey to get to them from central London.
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Nine “Black Lives Matter” activists who blocked London City runway get conditional discharges
Nine Black Lives Matter activists who staged a protest that blocked the runway at City Airport for 6 hours on 6th September have been given conditional discharges. The protesters got access to the runway, by crossing the Royal Dock on inflatable rafts and climbing up steps. They set up a tripod, locking themselves onto it with arm locks. Some 131 flights were delayed or cancelled, some were diverted to Southend and Gatwick. At Westminster magistrates court the nine activists all pleaded guilty to aggravated trespass with intent to obstruct a person engaged in lawful activity. A second charge of aggravated trespass and an allegation of being unlawfully airside within a restricted area of an aerodrome were dropped by the prosecution. Mike Schwartz, representing some of the group, spent several minutes explaining to Judge Elizabeth Roscoe the reasons for the protest. The Judge said the protest appeared to have “mixed motivations” as she imposed 18-month conditional discharges on seven of the group, and longer terms for two with previous convictions. All have to pay £95 each. She said: “It’s quite clear this caused a lot of disruption to a great many people, doubtless many of whom were the people you were aiming at.” She said it was obvious the protesters had deeply-held beliefs, especially about climate change, but added that she could not see the link to the Black Lives Matter movement.
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London City Airport runway blocked by protesters in support of “Black Lives Matter”, who got there by dinghy
Flights at London City Airport were disrupted this morning after a group of protesters occupied the runway. Earlier reports said they were from Plane Stupid, but later reports say they are in support of “Black Lives Matter”. Police were called to the airport at 5.40am to reports of demonstrators getting onto the runway. They got to the runway by using a small rubber dinghy to get across the Royal Docks. A statement released by the group said: “This morning activists in support of Black Lives Matter UK shutdown London City Airport… This action was taken in order to highlight the UK’s environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally. As the largest per capita contributor to global temperature change and yet among the least vulnerable to its deadly effects, the UK leads in ensuring that our climate crisis is a racist crisis.” The protesters were chained together, as the Plane Stupid group were in their protest occupation of the runway at Heathrow (13th July 2015). All flights due to land at London City airport were diverted to Southend and Gatwick airports. The runway was closed for around 6 hours, and a number of passengers had inconvenient delays to their travel. All 9 protesters were arrested and held in police custody. Black Lives Matter have carried out other protests recently.
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Flood of complaints from people upset by newly concentrated flight paths at London City airport
London City Airport’s decision to concentrate all its flights paths earlier this year, with changes from 4th February, has resulted in a flood of complaints. HACAN East, which speaks for residents under the flight paths, has launched a short report outlining some of the complaints they received in just one month. With hot summer weather and people being outdoors more, or opening their windows more, the problem of aircraft noise is at its worst as people are most aware of it. HACAN East said the newly concentrated flight paths have brought complaints from many areas for the first time. The complaints have come from vast swathes of east and south east London. Hundreds of people have said they did not have flights in the past, but now get them sometimes as often as every 3 minutes. People who moved to the area are now subjected to a level of noise they could not have expected, and they are affected by Heathrow arrivals as well as London City flights. People are especially upset if they moved from a noisy area, hoping they had moved to a quieter one. John Stewart said that HACAN East has met airport representatives who said they “have not closed their mind” to looking again at the concentrated flight paths but will not do so until next year after the Government (DfT) has issued its forthcoming consultation on national airspace policy.
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Government (Chris Grayling and Sajid Javid) approve expansion of London City airport
The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, and Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, have announced they are allowing the expansion programme at London City Airport. The plans are for an extended terminal, new aircraft taxiway and parking spaces for planes, which will enable more, larger, noisier planes to use the airport. The government is hoping this is a symbol of Britain “being open for business” and increasing connections with Europe, at a time of great fears about the impact of Brexit. With government fears for the economy, they are trumpeting the expansion as creating “1,600 airport jobs for staff, together with 500 construction jobs” and huge benefits to the economy. All three ministers made extravagant and excited statements about the positive impact of this expansion. Boris Johnson earlier turned it down on grounds of unacceptable noise levels for Londoners. Hacan East, the local campaign, is very concerned indeed about the noise. They say residents will now face a double whammy. Earlier this year, in February, London City concentrated all its flight paths, and now the people under these flight paths face the prospect of more and larger planes.” Cait Hewitt, from the Aviation Environment Federation, said: “It is hard to see how an increase in aircraft and in passengers travelling to and from London City can be compatible with the Mayor’s ambitious plans to tackle air pollution in London.”
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Secretary of State will decide on expansion of London City Airport on or before 28th Sept 2016, on the outcome of the public inquiry, held in April and May.
HACAN East meets CAA to thrash out noise problems caused by newly concentrated routes
June 18, 2016
John Stewart and Rob Barnstone from HACAN East at London City Airport had a 2 hour meeting with the five members of the CAA, to discuss the new concentrated flight paths-causing intensified noise. The CAA is aware of the unhappiness amongst communities and local authorities at their decision to allow flight path changes in February 2016. One of the most unpopular changes is concentration of the departures route, in westerly winds, that takes off towards the west and turns north and east. The other change is for arrivals, in easterly winds, when planes approach from east, south of the airport. Most of these communities are also overflown by Heathrow planes on the days there is a westerly wind. Both these have led to intensified noise for thousands of people. London City Airport had argued that they could get away with minimal consultation on these changes because the changes were “not significant.” However, there has been a definite change since February. HACAN East pointed out that the CAA that there was no mechanism to look at changes over time. There were many many changes made in 2008 when the flight paths were changed to accommodate the larger planes which needed to make a much wider turn. HACAN East stressed that respite was important to local communities. People are encouraged to contact the CAA and the airport, to express their views on the noise issue.
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Decision on London City Airport expansion does not rest with Sadiq Khan, but with the Planning Inspector and Secretaries of State
May 11, 2016
Sadiq Khan, the new Mayor of London, in one of his very first acts, has instructed the Greater London Assembly’s GLA Land to withdraw its objection to London City Airport’s Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of Royal Docks Land, following ‘new’ evidence supplied by the Airport. However, a final decision on the airport’s expansion is not in the Mayor’s hands. The decision rests with the Planning Inspector, who will make a recommendation to both Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Communities Secretary Greg Clark, following the main planning inquiry into expansion of City Airport that concluded on 5th April. A decision is not expected till the summer. The airport wants to CPO 26.4 hectares of GLA land to facilitate their CADP1 expansion programme which includes parts of the London Plan protected Blue Ribbon Network. of waterways and bodies of water. GLA Land was one of four remaining objectors to the expansion plans. However, its change of heart is not critical. The current Inquiry into the CPO has been adjourned until Tuesday 17 May as negotiations between the airport and the DLR continue, with agreement considered likely. The previous Mayor, Boris Johnson, refused permission for expansion on noise grounds.
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After just a few days as Mayor, Sadiq Khan drops GLA objection to compulsory purchase of land for London City Airport expansion
May 10, 2016
Within the first few days as London Mayor, Sadiq Khan has re-opened the possibility of expansion at London City Airport. He has dropped the GLA objection to a compulsory purchase order of 26.4 hectares in the Docklands, owned by City Hall. The airport will get the result of its recent appeal against refusal of expansion plans, by Boris Johnson, later this year. The GLA said: “The Mayor continues to support the case for improved noise mitigation measures that will be considered by the Secretary of State when he decides on the planning appeal in due course.” Khan had said in November 2015, during his election campaign, that he would look again at the prospect of the airport expanding. Boris had rejected it, on noise grounds. Meanwhile the owners of London City Airport paid themselves a £27.7m dividend payout last year after the airport attracted its highest ever number of passengers, increasing profits by almost 20%. The airport, while being considered to have the largest proportion of business passengers, in increasingly for leisure trips. London City’s higher customer numbers last year were in part driven by its new travel routes including Berne, Hamburg, Mykonos and Santorini (all just holiday destinations) and extra flights to Edinburgh, Luxenbourg, Geneva and Guernsey.
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BA warns London City Airport not to raise landing charges, or it might pull out
May 7, 2016
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of IAG, owner of British Airways has issued a further warning to the new owners (a Canadian consortium) of London City that moves to raise landing charges for the airlines operating form the airport will be resisted. He said: “The airport is good, there’s good demand for it, but the off peak demand is very price sensitive and there’s no way you can serve that sort of demand if it’s very expensive to operate from there.” BA currently has about 40% of the flights at London City airport. Walsh said: “They paid a high price. It’s a good airport, but it’s as expensive as Heathrow in terms of passenger charges. The reason it has grown so strongly is because of us. We are the number one operator from there. We have 18 aircraft there. It’s principally a leisure airport, but there’s only so much you can do for leisure flights. We’d have no problem moving away from London City. There’s no way we’re going to be held hostage there and if the charges go up we’ll move the aircraft. That’s the great thing about aircraft – they’re portable, you can take them somewhere else.” Walsh said earlier that the £2 billion price would mean a multiple of 44 times London City’s earnings (EBITDA), though the airport said it was a multiple of 28.
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London City Airport gets new PR manager – fresh from 10 months as press officer at the DfT
April 13, 2016
London City Airport has strengthened its comms team with the appointment of the Department for Transport’s Andrew Scott as PR Manager, “as the airport develops plans for expansion and prepares to mark its 30th anniversary in 2017.” Andrew Scott joins City Airport’s four-strong comms team and will be responsible for campaigns “which promote the airport’s time saving and convenience proposition to customers.” His role will also include oversight of the UK and 6 key European markets, which are supported by PR agency Grayling. Scott was a press officer at the DfT for 9 -10 months since July 2015, before that a media officer at the Museum of London, and before that at WPP (a huge advertising and PR company). Barclaycard’s Kimberley Hayden has also joined City Airport’s comms team as internal comms executive, and will be “responsible for employee engagement, including production of Airport Life magazine, 500 free copies of which are circulated internally each month.” The head of comms has been Charlotte Beeching, since December 2014. The airport now has new owners – Canadian pension funds – and is hoping to be allowed expansion “which would enable up to 6.5 million passengers by 2025.”
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HACAN East wins concession at London City Airport expansion public inquiry
5th April 2016
Hacan East press release
On the last day of the Public Inquiry into London City Airport’s expansion plan, local residents group HACAN East won an important concession, requiring Newham Council to hold a council meeting each year to explain how it is overseeing City Airport’s commitment to provide sound insulation for local residents, if the plans are approved. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN East, said: ”This is an important concession. In the past, Newham Council has not ensured that City Airport fulfilled all its promises to provide agreed insulation for local people.” The Inquiry closed on 5 April and the result is expected to be known in the summer. The Planning Inspector will make a recommendation to the Government, who will make a final decision to either grant or refuse permission for the Airport to expand. If City Airport is allowed to expand, it will build a new taxiway to allow larger planes to use the airport. HACAN East is opposed to the expansion, but welcomed the decision that, if approval is granted, Newham Council will be held publicly accountable for enforcing City Airports commitments to provide better sound insulation for residents.
http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/press-releases/2016/4/5/residents-group-wins-concession-at-city-airport-expansion-public-inquiry
At London City Airport Inquiry, HACAN East calls for noise insulation to match the best in Europe
March 22, 2016
HACAN East, the resident-led group opposing expansion of London City Airport called for insulation offered by City Airport to match the best in Europe. The call came during the opening week of the Public Inquiry into the airport’s expansion plans. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN East, said: “If expansion goes ahead the number of people overflown by City Airport planes will be higher than that of any airport in the UK, other than Heathrow and Manchester. Airports like Frankfurt or Charles de Gaulle in Paris are twice as generous with the insulation schemes offered to residents as London City.” City Airport wants to enlarge its infrastructure to allow use by larger aircraft. Newham Council gave permission for the airport to expand in February 2015, but this was overturned by Boris Johnson on noise grounds the following month. The airport appealed against his decision. The result is this public inquiry. Lawyers for the Mayor argued in the opening week of the Inquiry that City Airport should compensate more people than it is prepared to do, if its expansion is allowed. HACAN East said they are concerned about the residents and communities outside the 57LAeq 16hr contour. Many of these people experience significant aircraft noise, but there is nothing in the airport’s application to deal with those impacts
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London City Airport appeal on expansion starts 15th March – blog by Alan on why Hacan East are fighting for the local communities
March 15, 2016
Newham Council granted planning approval in February for London City Airport’s plans for expansion, allowing an increase in the number of flights from 70,000 per year to 111,000 and almost double the number of passengers, up to 6 million a year by 2023. In March 2015 Boris Johnson refused the plans, on noise grounds. The airport appealed, and the hearing starts on 15th March. Alan Haughton, from the local campaign group Hacan East will be speaking at the appeal, against the airport’s plans, representing the interests of the local community. Alan has worked for many years, to oppose the high handed manner in which the airport (owned till very recently by GIP, as a means to make quick, huge, profit) rides roughshod over the interests of local people. In a blog, Alan explains why he and Hacan East have worked so hard, unpaid, to give their community a voice. Alan says: “What we see happening at London City Airport is happening across London. Developers and businesses, working closely with Local Councils, are forcing their will on Communities for profit. … We attend the Planning Enquiry with no QC, no legal representation, no ‘experts’. We can’t afford those. … For me though, it’s about justice, about community, about local residents and community groups standing together to defend our local environment.”
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HACAN East starts crowdfunding appeal for campaign to fight altered London City Airport flight paths
March 10, 2016
Local resident-led group HACAN East has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fight the new, concentrated flight paths for planes to and from London City Airport. HACAN East is seeking to raise £25,000, in order to campaign to reverse these changes – which they describe as Noise Ghettos – within 12 months, when the CAA will review airspace changes. In February, new concentrated flight paths began operating over many parts of east & south-east London, leaving parts of many boroughs with levels of aircraft noise not previously experienced. HACAN East know that taking on the might of the aviation industry is not easy. It is only by the local community coming together that residents can win, to get the flight paths changed – and the noise reduced. People in the noise affected areas feel these “noise ghettos” are completely unacceptable. City Airport did not consult residents about the flight path changes. The levels of aircraft noise and pollution have increased to unacceptable levels – reducing people’s quality of life. At busy time of the day, planes can be coming over one every minute or so. They also suffer from Heathrow flights. Crowdfunding details here, if you are able to help.
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London City airport sold to Canadian Pension funds, for £2 billion (bought by GIP in 2006 for £760 million)
February 26, 2016
A Canadian-led consortium of pension funds has beaten rivals to buy London City airport, from GIP, which paid £760 million for it. So that is a hefty profit. The valuation has proved controversial because the largest airline at City airport, BA, threatened to pull most of its aircraft out of the airport if the new owner raised airline charges to cover the high sale price. Willie Walsh, CEO of BA’s owner IAG, considers £2 billion a foolish price. GIP owns 75% of the airport, and Oaktree Capital own 25%. The consortium that has bought the airport is led by the Ontario Teachers’ pension fund. It includes Borealis Infrastructure, which manages funds for one of Canada’s largest pension funds, and also Japanese pension funds. The consortium also includes AimCo and Kuwait’s Wren House Infrastructure Management, which is an investment vehicle owned by the Kuwait Investment Authority. The Canadian Teachers’ pension fund has $160bn in assets, and already owns 4 airports (share of Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels and Copenhagen). HS1 Ltd is jointly owned by Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, both Canadian pension funds. GIP bought the airport for an estimated £750m in 2006 from Dermot Desmond, the Irish financier, who paid just £23.5m for it in 1995 from Mowlem.
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Could Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing buy London City Airport in £2bn deal?
15 February 2016
Asia’s richest man and Hong King billionaire Li Ka-Shing is rumoured to be interested in buying London City Airport for £2bn.
Ka-Shing’s Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI) is reportedly going to make a bid as early as this week. Ka-Shing is among five interested bidders who want to snap up the airport. The others include:
1. Kuwait Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund
2. British investor Hermes
3. Canadian funds Borealis Infrastructure
4. The Alberta Investment Management Corp, a Canadian pension fund
The airport is owned by Global Infrastructure Partners, and was put up for sale at the end of last year. Credit Suisse has been hired to facilitate the sale of the airport. London City Airport had over 4.3 million passengers in 2015, an 18.38% increase on 2014, to set a new passenger number record. The airport’s most popular destinations were Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dublin, Zurich, and Rotterdam.
Changes brought in by NATS on February 4th means new noise ghettos in east London
February 4, 2016
On 4th February, NATS implemented the first phase of its LAMP (London Airspace Management Programme). It says this was approved by the CAA in November 2015. It means that routes into and out of London City airport will be altered, and routes will be concentrated – using PR-NAV (precision navigation). The changes involve use of a “point merge” system for arrivals, with the joining points to the ILS out at sea. They will mean all the planes from Westerly departures will be routed over for Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Redbridge, Barkingside, Collier Row and Harold Hill. For Easterly departures, all the planes will be routed over Barking Riverside, Dagenham, Elm park and Hornchurch. And for Easterly arrivals, all the planes will be routed over Bexley, Sidcup, New Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. The changes are described by NATS in glowing terms – about “more efficient flights, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions, reducing noise, keeping aircraft higher for longer and minimising areas regularly overflown.” And, of course, enabling more flights to be crammed into crowded airspace – to enable the aviation industry to increase the number of flights. HACAN East is talking to its lawyers about a JR against the CAA for failure to consult.
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London City Airport’s price tag under scrutiny after BA threatens to pull out most flights
February 4, 2016
The sale of London City Airport could be in jeopardy after British Airways, the largest airline based there (40% of the flights), threatened to pull out most of its aircraft. The second largest airline there has about 20% of the flights. The airport was put up for sale by GIP in in August 2015. BA fears that the high price of £2 billion could force its new owners to raise landing fees, and BA says it is not prepared to pay. Willie Walsh said the £2 billion price would mean a multiple of 44 times London City’s earnings (EBITDA), though the airport said it was a multiple of 28. Walsh said the airport had “very high” airport charges of £19 per passenger, one of the most expensive after Heathrow, and with higher charges he would not make enough profit. The number of passengers at London City airport has grown from 2m in 2005 to an estimated 4.3m in 2015. The airport’s value could also be limited by its battle to get planning permission for a £200m development that would increase the number of passengers to 6m by 2023. The plans were blocked last year by Boris, over aircraft noise concerns. London City is appealing against this. The introduction of Crossrail in 2018, which will cut down the journey time from Canary Wharf to Heathrow, could be a real threat to the airport.
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Green Party argue that site of London City Airport should become a multi-use development, for homes and businesses
January 18, 2016
The idea of closing London City Airport and using the huge amount of land it takes up for more intensive, and useful, purposes is not new. A report was produced in April 2014 by NEF, setting out very persuasive reasons why this is not a crazy idea. Now Sian Berry, the Green Party Mayoral Candidate, has again suggested this. The plan she proposes is for the site, which is currently up for sale, into a new quarter for homes, businesses and innovative industries. The Greens propose a consortium with City Hall, councils, business and academia to buy the airport. They are urging potential purchasers to look seriously at the compelling business case for changing the use of the site. The land taken up by the airport, and land around it which is in the Public Safety Zone (for crash risk) and so cannot be used, could create far more economic activity, and far more jobs. This might amount to some 16,000 more jobs than the airport provides and add an additional £400 million to the UK’s economy. The land is in a key geographical location, and would be easy to link to transport networks. It could create thousands of new homes within easy reach of central London, helping to ease the housing crisis. As a writer from Estates Gazette says: “London is crying out for more big sites like this where mixed-use schemes can be built.” The site is wasted as a small airport – especially when Crossrail makes the trip from the Docklands area to Heathrow easy and fast.
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Despair in East London as CAA approves new concentrated flight paths – there may be a legal challenge
November 27, 2015
Many residents in East London are in despair following the CAA announcement that it will allow London City Airport to concentrate its flight paths. Campaign group HACAN East is considering legal action against the CAA. Departure routes will be concentrated over places like Bow, parts of Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Dagenham and parts of Havering. Areas of South London will also experience more concentrated routes. The decision follows uproar at the lack of consultation on the proposals last year. City Airport just put a technical document on its website and informed the Consultative Committee. It was left to HACAN East to hold public meetings in the areas which would be affected. The airport argued it only had to carry out a minimal consultation. Local people, backed by many local authorities, MPs and members of the GLA, said that a full consultation should have been carried out as some areas would get 30% more planes than now. The CAA was inundated with letters calling for a fresh consultation, but the new announcement means it has ruled this out. For those who barely had planes over them in recent years, facing living under a concentrated flight path indefinitely is a miserable prospect. The CAA is not fit for purpose, and being funded largely by the airlines, it should not make these decisions.
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Sadiq Khan would reconsider block on London City Airport expansion
5 NOV 2015
BY GILES BROADBENT (The Wharf)
Labour’s mayoral candidate is against expansion at Heathrow but says the Docklands hub is an exception because of its size and economic impact
Labour mayoral candidate – and former transport minister – Sadiq Khan has said that he would consider allowing the expansion of London City Airport if he took over at City Hall.
The City Airport Development Programme would lift the ceiling on the number of flights from 70,000 to 111,000 a year, doubling the number of passengers by 2023 a year, as well as make major adaptations to the airport to extend the terminal and build a parallel taxi lane.
The changes, the airport says, are necessary to accommodate a new generation of aircraft which is more fuel efficient and will add £750million a year to the economy. The airport, which predominantly serves Canary Wharf and the City, is currently accepting bids to buy the business from its US owners which could generate £2billion.
Mr Khan, who has previously come out against Heathrow expansion, worried about air quality, said that the Docklands hub was a special case because of its size and economic impact.
He said: “When you look at what London City Airport is doing for the local community, the jobs they’re creating, but also the jobs they’re creating around London I think what you can’t do is play politics with decisions about people’s jobs and business.
“What I would do if I was mayor of London is reconsider the decision by the mayor of London to oppose the plans.”
“City Airport is very small in comparison to major airports like Heathrow and Gatwick and would remain so even after this expansion.
“We need to make sure that key environmental and noise tests are met, but the proposals would provide the City with a capacity boost and I’m willing to look again at this.”
His view is in contrast to that of his main rival for City Hall. Conservative candidate and environmental campaigner Zac Goldsmith said he was “very strongly inclined” to follow the Johnson line.
London City Airport is appealing against the overrule and Mayor Boris Johnson has set aside £525,000 to defend his decision. The appeal will be heard in March.
http://www.wharf.co.uk/news/local-news/sadiq-khan-would-reconsider-block-10392207
Comment from Twitter: “Sadiq will protect rich West London but damn poor East London to a noise ghetto hell.
Sadiq Khan backs Gatwick runway (+ London City Airport expansion) knowing he’d have no chance of being Mayor backing Heathrow
November 20, 2015
Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan (MP for Tooting) had decided he will back a 2nd Gatwick runway, knowing he would have no chance of being elected mayor if he did anything other than oppose a Heathrow runway. He has done a publicity stunt, charm offensive, visit to Gatwick, being given the celebrity treatment. His view is to prevent the noise, air pollution, congestion etc problems caused by expanding Heathrow, and instead make “Heathrow better, not bigger”. Previously he backed a Heathrow runway, until realising he could not maintain that line and have any chance of being London Mayor. He has also recently said he would consider allowing the expansion of London City Airport if he took over at City Hall. Boris had blocked expansion earlier this year, on noise grounds. The London City scheme, if approved, would increase the number of flights from 70,000 to 111,000 per year, doubling the annual number of passengers by 2023, as well as extending the terminal and building a parallel taxiing lane. He said London City Airport was “a special case because of its size and economic impact.” Bearing in mind his support for Gatwick, he appeared oblivious of the irony of this statement: “I think what you can’t do is play politics with decisions about people’s jobs and business.”
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Canadian Borealis Infrastructure (Channel Tunnel rail owner) and German Allianz (insurer of Thames Tideway tunnel) consortium interest in London City Airport
August 30, 2015
A Canadian pension fund that co-owns the Channel Tunnel rail link has joined forces with the German insurer behind the Thames Tideway Tunnel (super sewer) project to enter the £2 billion bidding war for London City Airport. GIP announced at the start of August that it is selling. Borealis Infrastructure, which manages investments for the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, is understood to have teamed up with Germany’s Allianz to make a consortium approach. They are rivals to buy the airport, including another Canadian investment giant, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), which has partnered with the sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait and Hermes to submit an offer for the airport. Australia’s Macquarie is also thought to be considering a consortium bid. Borealis and Allianz are already large investors in British infrastructure, and they have worked together on transactions, including a huge deal to buy RWE’s Czech gas pipeline business and the company that owns German motorway services. Some bankers reckon £2 bn is a top-end valuation for the airport but feasible given the current frothy nature of the market for infrastructure assets.
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The sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait & Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan interested in buying London City Airport
August 19, 2015
The sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait is teaming up with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Hermes to bid for London City airport, while Macquarie is leading a rival consortium. The airport has been valued at £2 billion. Wren House Infrastructure Management is a massive sovereign wealth fund, one of the world’s largest, owned by the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA). The KIA is the world’s fifth largest sovereign wealth fund with some $592bn in assets. The current owners of 75% London City Airport, GIP, hired Credit Suisse to handle the sale. Oaktree Capital owns the remaining 25% of the airport, and has agreed to the sale. London-based Wren House was set up in 2013 to facilitate direct infrastructure investment by Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund already owns Bristol airport (bought Sept 2014 from Macquarie) and holds a stake in Birmingham Airport, as well as other non-airport assets. Despite growth in passengers at London City airports, the sale is likely to be complicated by uncertainty over its £200m planned expansion.
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GIP to put London City airport up for sale this year – might raise £2 billion?
August 6, 2015
London City airport is to be put up for sale by GIP by the end of the year, who want to capitalise on the rising global demand for air travel. GIP owns 75%, with Oaktree Capital owning the remainder, but both have agreed to the sale. GIP also has the main stake in Gatwick airport, and Edinburgh but say they are not selling these now. It is thought the airport might fetch as much as £2bn, which the FT says would be a multiple of over 60 times the company’s EBITDA in 2014. GIP bought the airport for about £750m in 2006 from Dermot Desmond; he had paid £23.5m for it in 1995 from Mowlem. The airport is trying to get planning consent for work to increase the annual number of passengers to 6 million per year by 2023, (4.1 million in 2014) but this has been blocked by Boris, due to noise. London City is appealing against this and may hear the outcome next year. City airport has already been granted permission to increase ATMs from 70,000 to 120,000 per year. It is widely believed that GIP would sell Gatwick soon, after the government makes a decision on if/where there might be a new runway. Last month, GIP said it would be prepared to give a legally binding promise that it will not sell out for a quick profit if the government decides to opt for a runway at Gatwick.
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London City Airport challenges Boris’ decision to block its expansion plans, over ‘noise ghetto’ fears
May 20, 2015
Boris Johnson blocked London City Airport’s expansion plans in late March, as he said it would create a “noise ghetto” for people living under the flight path. Now, as expected, London City Airport has appealed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Greg Clark, against the decision. On March 26th Boris ordered Newham council to reject the plans on the grounds of noise disturbance and because the airport was intended for business rather than leisure. Under the plans, take-offs and landings were expected to increase from 70,000 a year to 111,000,with passenger numbers doubling to 6 million by 2023. It would also be able to accommodate larger planes, (and be more profitable). This coupled with the airport’s plans to use new PBN technology to create a much narrower and concentrated flight corridor over Wanstead, Leytonstone and Leyton had prompted fears that noise could become an issue. The airport says it is appealing because of the jobs it creates, and its economic impact. The decision by Greg Clark could take 5 months.
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Newham Council lacks the bravery of Boris to turn down unsuitable developments like City Airport expansion
April 26, 2015
On Saturday 25th April there was a local celebration party for people living in the Royal Docks area, close to London City Airport. They held their party to celebrate the fact that the London Mayor Boris Johnson had overturned Newham Council’s decision to grant permission for London City airport to expand. Local children have formed a lively choir, and they entertained the assembled guests. People who suffer from the noise from the airport are delighted that Boris has helped them, and opposed the airport’s environmentally-destructive plans that have been backed by the (Labour) Newham council. Though Newham argues that the airport would bring jobs for local people and local economic benefits, it actually provides little of either. No more than about 500 Newham residents are employed directly by the airport. The business passengers don’t linger round the airport, but head off to business meetings in the City or the West End. It was clear at Saturday’s event that the local community regards the airport on their doorstep not as a benefit but as problem which brings noise, air pollution and blight. They feel they might be better off with something else there. Compared to the nearby Excel Centre it provides far fewer jobs or wider economic benefit.
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Campaigners at London City Airport demand true noise measurement – combining Heathrow + London City flight noise
April 7, 2015
Campaigners at London City Airport are calling for a change in the way aircraft noise is measured, and more needs to be done to protect people living under noisy flight paths. The group’s chair, John Stewart, says the problem is partly down to a lack of measurement of the cumulative noise produced by flight paths from several airports (Heathrow and London City here) which both affect one area. He believes separate measurements of just each airport’s noise fail to give a true picture of the impact on residents, resulting in official statistics that underestimate aircraft noise levels. Both need to be combined in order to get a figure for the total noise in order to get an accurate assessment of the real noise levels experienced by residents. John said: “In the areas of east and south east London, where people get planes from both London City and Heathrow, noise levels will be a lot higher than official statistics show.” The concerns remain despite mayor of London Boris Johnson’s blocking of London City Airport’s proposed expansion. HACAN East says the Greater London Assembly backed cumulative noise readings, from both airports combined, two years ago, and that the airport should recognise this. It suits the aviation industry to deliberately keep the noise figures separate.
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Boris turns down London City Airport expansion plans on noise grounds
March 27, 2015
Boris Johnstone, the Mayor of London, has refused London City Airport’s plan to expand on noise grounds. In a letter he has instructed Newham Council, who had approved the application, to refuse it. The Mayor says the application does not “adequately mitigate and manage its adverse noise impacts.” Newham’s decision was always dependent on the Mayor’s approval. London City Airport wanted permission to build new taxiways to permit larger planes to use the airport. It also wanted more car parking spaces. The decision will be a bitter blow to the airport as it will now no longer be able to bring in the larger planes it wanted to serve new destinations. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, which campaigned against the expansion plans, said “The airport is paying the price for being so cavalier about noise. Quite simply, Boris did not believe its claims that it was dealing adequately with noise. We salute his decision”. The decision appears to be final, and it is unclear whether London City Airport can appeal to the Secretary of State. They may do so.
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City Airport wants to press ahead with controversial flight changes despite only 3% support in recent consultation
February 16, 2015
London City Airport wants to press ahead with controversial plans to concentrate flight paths despite only 3% of people backing them in the recent consultation. Its consultation ended in November 2014, and the airport produced a report report on the consultation on 13th February. The report now goes to the CAA for approval. London City Airport’s consultation was widely criticized in 2014. The airport had refused to leaflet or hold meetings in the areas that would be worst affected by the new concentrated flight paths. It justified its minimal consultation on the grounds that the changes it was proposing were not significant. Despite criticism from MPs, local authorities, residents’ groups and members of the Greater London Authority, London City has defended its consultation in its report to the CAA. It is also refusing to withdraw or modify its original plans. Residents’ organisation HACAN East, which coordinated much of the opposition to the changes, believes the airport has been typically arrogant and unresponsive – and not given any consideration to the possibility of respite for various areas, at different times of day. London City Airport expresses very little concern for its neighbouring communities. HACAN East say the fight by residents will continue, and they will be pressing the CAA to order the airport to carry out a fresh consultation.
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London City Airport expansion plan gets go-ahead but campaigners say it will create ‘noise ghettos and misery’
February 4, 2015
Newham Council has granted planning approval London City Airport’s plans for an extended terminal, a new taxi-way and additional parking stands for larger aircraft. A new six-storey four-star hotel with up to 260 bedrooms will also be built on site. The expansion will increase the number of take-offs and landings at the airport from 70,000 a year to 111,000 and will almost double the number of passengers to 6 million a year by 2023. The number of aircraft stands will increase from 18 to 25, and the newer, larger planes they will accommodate will expand the airport’s reach from destinations in western Europe to Russia and North Africa. It has been described as a boost for London’s aviation capacity, while the arguments for and against a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick (or neither) continue. There are claims for a large number of jobs, and Newham believes many will be for their residents – and there are claims of huge economic benefit for the local and UK economy. The expansion involves the tripling of the size of the terminal to 51,800 ft square and will see the number of flights increase from 38 to 45 during peak morning and evening rush hour times. Building work, subject to final planning approval being given by Boris, is expected to start by the end of 2015, with the first new aircraft seen on the runway in 2016.
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3rd February: Newham to hear City Airport expansion application
On 3rd February Newham Council will hear City Airport’s application to expand. This, despite the fact that the latest public consultation on the application only closed on 23rd January. Clearly Newham council officers are quick readers! The agenda is with the Planning Officers report, in which they recommend to grant the planning application both for the hotel and the infrastructure, can be found at http://mgov.newham.gov.uk/ieAgenda.aspx?M=10678.
Time 6.00 p.m.
Venue: Main Hall, Old Town Stratford, 29 Broadway, London E15 4BQ
Campaign group back’s Boris’s bid to have final say on flight numbers at London City Airport
January 14, 2015Campaign group HACAN East supports Mayor Boris Johnson’s bid to have the final say over flight numbers at London City Airport. The group is backing Boris to have the final say over the number of planes which are allowed to use the airport., and he wants to have the authority to veto any future proposals to do away with existing cap of 120,000 aircraft a year. The Mayor has said this in his response to the airport’s current consultation on its plans for expansion. HACAN East chair John Stewart, said, “We fully support the Mayor’s request. It is a nonsense that one London borough, Newham, should decide how many planes can use the airport when the impact of the airport affects vast swathes of London.” The current consultation does not involve any request by London City to increase flight numbers. What it wants is permission to build an extended taxiway and bigger parking stands so that larger aircraft can use the airport. It also wants to double the size of the terminal and provide more car parking spaces. The consultation closes on Friday 23rd January, with Newham expected to make a decision later in the year.Click here to view full story…
Flybe suspends Inverness-London service
2.1.2015 (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-30660982
HACAN East’s official response to London City Airport’s flight path consultation
November 26, 2014
London City Airport has a public consultation on changes to its flight paths, which ends on 27th November. The consultation has been widely regarded as inadequate, as there is insufficient detail, and among those criticising the consultation are several councils. The community group representing people under London City Airport flight paths, HACAN East have published their consultation response. It says concentration of flight paths, without respite, is inequitable and will subject thousands to significantly more noise. They say this concentration without respite is contrary to Government policy, as the CAA itself states: “When seeking opportunities to provide respite for those already affected by aircraft noise it is important that decisions about respite should always be made after considering the specific local circumstances and through engagement with the local community.” HACAN East also complains that the quality of the consultation has been poor. The airport did not directly tell local authorities, MPs, GLA or local residents, and refused to hold public meetings in, or leaflet, the affected areas. They are unimpressed at the claims flight path changes would contribute much in savings of carbon emissions.
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Packed public meeting in Wanstead calls on London City airport to reconsult over flight path changes
November 4, 2014
There is growing anger in areas affected by London City Airport flight paths, because of the inadequate consultation they have launched – it ends on 27th November. On 3rd November, there was a packed meeting in Wanstead, which called on the airport to re-consult. Over 200 people crammed into Wanstead Library and gave London City Airport a very tough time over its failure to consult local people, and even their local councillors, over its plans. The airport wants to concentrate departing flights in a narrow band over Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Collier Row and Havering. Planes arriving over South London will also be concentrated. Most councillors knew nothing about the plans until contacted by HACAN East. The plans are on the airport website, but the airport has not put out leaflets or held any public information sessions. Roger Evans, the GLA member for Redbridge and Havering said, “The decent thing to do is to re-run this consultation.” The CAA has been criticised for allowing this poor consultation. People have been encouraged to write to the CAA and the Government calling for a fresh consultation, and sign a petition against concentrated flight paths.
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People in Waltham Forest have criticised London City Airport for not informing residents on proposed flight path changes
October 17, 2014
London City Airport has a current consultation on the use of high-tech satellite navigations (RNAV) in planes, which would result in a narrower flightpath over Wansted, Leytonstone, Leyton and Barking. Under the plans, most planes travelling to and from the airport would use a ‘flight corridor’ over Waltham Forest and Redbridge, leading to concerns over noise disturbance. Campaign Group HACAN East called on the CAA to stop the process, which it says has not directly consulted people living in either area. Now the deputy leader of Waltham Forest council has written to the head of City Airport and urged him to contact residents. The airport is claiming there is hardly any change, as it is just that planes will follow routes more accurately. The reality is that they will be concentrated along a narrow line, at the centre of the previously wide path swathe. HACAN East is organising a public meeting on 3rd November in Wanstead, as the airport has neither leafleted affected areas, nor arranged a meeting.
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Open letter to London City Airport asking that they consult properly on flight path changes, and treat people fairly
October 12, 2014
London City Airport is proposing to concentrate flight paths, in the same way that other airports have been doing recently. This is how air traffic controllers, NATS and the CAA want airspace to be used in future, in order to fit more aircraft into our already very crowded skies. However, London City Airport decided not go give any prior notice to anyone about the changes, except their Consultative Committee, or any warning about the substantial increase in aircraft noise for those unlucky enough to be under one of the new concentrated routes. It seems even local councils were not notified. Local community group, HACAN East, have now written an open letter to the airport, to complain. HACAN East says the flight path proposals will have a profound effect – for the worse – on the lives of tens of thousands of Londoners. This is deeply inequitable. While the airport makes out that the proposed changes are not significant as the planned flight paths are not noticeably different from the current routes. That is incorrect. There is now a concentrated line. Thousands living in Bow, Leytonstone, Wansted, Catford, Brixton and Vauxhall are very well aware there is a significant change. And that these are seen as unfair.
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HACAN East suggested letter of objection to London City Airport re: its plans to concentrate flight paths
October 12, 2014
London City Airport are conducting a consultation on airspace changes, which started on 4th September. It ends on 27th November. It aims to concentrate flight paths, in line with the intentions of UK air traffic control service, NATS. Concentrating flights along narrow corridors is more efficient for air traffic control. Instead of a swathe of perhaps 2 miles wide along which planes are directed, they can now follow a 100 metre track. This means fewer people in total are overflown; but for those unlucky enough to live under the new concentrated route, the noise can be deeply unpleasant. London City airport chose not to give any warning about the changes to local councils or local residents. It is not leafleting any areas, nor holding public meetings to explain the proposals. The areas particularly affected are Bow, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Colliers Row, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Catford, Dulwich, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. It is deeply inequitable. Local campaign group, HACAN East, will be holding a public meeting. They also have a simple template letter people can send in, to express their views. The lengthy consultation document is hard for laypeople to clearly understand.
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Planning system ‘too democratic’ says City Airport chief Declan Collier
September 15, 2014
The CEO of London City Airport, Declan Collier, has said that because so many groups are consulted during the planning process in the UK, it takes twice as long to get a decision than it does in Europe. He said: “We are all frustrated by the delays. In the UK, the problem is that the planning system is too democratic, it takes too long to consult and to make a decision.” Mr Collier is paid to make the most profit he can for his airport, and so he promotes the usual opinions about allegedly huge costs to the UK if it delays building more runways etc. The aviation industry has never been shy about making extravagant claims about the supposed benefits it brings the country, while being coy about the difference between profits for the industry, and benefits to the UK as a whole. On the democracy issue, in December 2013 David Cameron said: “It is frustrating sometimes that we can’t do things faster in Britain but we have a planning system, we have democratic accountability for that planning system, we have a need for everyone to have their say and make their point. That’s very important in the British system.” In a country as crowded as the south of England, planning decisions need to be democratic, and to be seen to be so.
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Campaigners call on CAA to suspend consultation on City Airport flight paths
Date added: September 8, 2014
Campaign group HACAN East has written to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ask it to suspend the current consultation being carried out by London City Airport into flight path changes in East London. HACAN East argues that the tens of thousands of residents who are in line to get more planes over-head if the flight path changes go ahead are not being told about them. London City is proposing to concentrate the flights taking off from the airport in a narrow corridor, but its location is not being made clear enough. Areas directly under the favoured flight path will be Bow, Hackney Wick, Leyton Midland Road, Leytonstone, Barkingside and Colliers Row – but the airport is not leafleting these areas. People will just not realise the full impact till it is too late. New computer technology can now guide aircraft much more accurately [like satnav for planes, enabling an aircraft to fly a very exact route] when landing and taking off. It gives airports the option of varying the routes the planes use in order to give all residents some respite from the noise or of concentrating all the planes on one route. London City has chosen to concentrate the aircraft.
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London City Airport accused of creating a “noise ghetto” with proposed concentrated flight paths
September 8, 2014
London City Airport have started a consultation on airspace changes (4th September to 27th November) as it wishes to alter flight paths. The change will be because instead of less accurate navigation by aircraft, they now can fly using a very accurate form of satnav for planes. This is referred to as RNAV, meaning precision navigation, by which aircraft can all fly a course accurate to within a few hundred metres. The effect is concentration of flight paths, so most fly the exact same route, and anyone living under that route gets all the planes, and all the noise. Campaign group HACAN East has accused London City Airport of failing to spell out to tens of thousands of residents in East London that they are in line to get many more planes overhead if proposed flight path changes go ahead. The consultation does not make this clear. Areas directly under the favored flight path – and the concentration -will be Bow, Hackney Wick, Leyton Midland Road, Leytonstone, Barkingside and Colliers Row. The effect will be to create a noise ghetto. Air traffic controllers like concentration of flight paths. However, it is often better – less unfair – to share out the noise burden, so many people get some flights, rather than a few getting them all.
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THE FUTURE WATCHES THE AIRPORT – 21st July at 11am
There will be a protest against the expansion of London City Airport. Newham Council will soon decide whether it should expand. A group of local campaigners, working with the affected local community, plans to protest – to show the airport that whatever the Council’s decision – there will be uproar if they try to expand.
If Newham Council allow the airport to expand it will mean more air pollution, more noise pollution and more road traffic – especially for the communities who live around the airport – who are some of London’s most vulnerable. It will also mean that people will lose their homes to allow for the airport’s expansion.
Details of the protest Here and details on Facebook
Newham Council warns London City Airport over night time disruption, for 3 years, for its building works
Campaigners against London City Airport expansion fear years of night time disruption if a planning application is approved. The group “Stop City Airport” say long-suffering residents in the area are already facing increased noise issues due to Crossrail works and from the proposed Chinese business park by ABP (Associated British Ports). Stop City Airport raised its latest concerns after a letter from Newham Council was made public, expressing fears over night-time construction work. Campaigner Alan Haughton said: “There will be no relief for residents. Aircraft noise all day long and as soon as that finishes, non-stop piling for three years at least.” The council’s senior development manager Chris Gascoigne said the airport was proposing a construction programme lasting up to 7 years, with 3 of those being 24 hours a day. He commented: “In our view the proposed night time construction noise impacts are not acceptable and represent a potential reason for refusal of planning permission.” The airport has been asked if it can reduce operation hours, to do construction during the day, but council officers have yet to get a reply. The airport’s plans include 7 new aircraft parking stands, a 3-storey passenger pier, noise barriers and a 260-bedroom hotel.
London City Airport now re-consulting on its expansion planning application
London City Airport has a planning application, initially submitted in July 2013, originally with 28th October as the comment deadline, for “Works to demolish existing buildings and structures and provide additional infrastructure and passenger facilities at London City Airport without changes to the number of permitted flights or opening hours previously permitted pursuant to planning permission.” The comment deadline was extended to 18th December. The local authority, Newham Council, has now announced that it will be re-consulting on the application. The deadline for comment is now 10th July, with the application expected to go to committee on 23rd July 2014. There have so been 1,282 responses to the application, all of which appear to be objecting to it. The airport said last year they were extending the deadline so”as many local people and wider stakeholders as possible can make their voices heard.”
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CityJet plane makes emergency landing at London City airport as section of wing became partly detached
A CitryJet flight from London City airport to Florence, carrying more than 60 people had to turn back after take-off because part of its wing became partly detached in mid-flight. The pilot of the Avro RJ85 plane had to abort the CityJet flight and circle above the Thames Estuary [burning off fuel?] before landing again at London City airport with a damaged wing. After take-off at about 7.25am today, passengers heard a loud bang and a section of the left wing, about six foot long, partly detached from the plane. The section is a cowling, made of plastic or fibreglass, which would have come down if the rods holding it had broken. The piece detached is aerodynamic, not vital for flight, but there could have been worse problems if it had fully fallen off. This is yet another incident of a plane with technical problems landing at London airports, flying miles – damaged – over highly populated areas. There will be an investigation into why the rods broke, and the section came away. Only 6 weeks ago the engine of a Swiss plane ‘blew up’ on runway just before take-off at London City airport
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Local elections 2014: City Airport focus of hustings for prospective Newham councillors
London City Airport will be the focus of an election hustings on 12th May, 10 days before the local council election in Newham. The husting will be attended by representatives of all parties standing in Newham. The expansion of City Airport is under consideration, with a decision due to be made by Newham Council this summer. John Stewart, the chairman of HACAN East, which has oranised the meeting, said: “There is much concern about the continuing expansion of the airport, not just amongst Newham residents but much further afield. The large jet planes now using the airport are causing noise problems for people living many miles from the airport. This public meeting will be a chance to question budding politicians.” The hustings will take place at Britannia Village Hall, West Silvertown, at 7.30pm
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Flybe to start routes from London City Airport to UK and European destinations
Date added: April 24, 2014
Flybe is to offer more flights from London City Airport – from October – after signing a 5-year deal. There will be routes to and from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Inverness and Exeter. Flybe hopes these will carry about 500,000 passengers a year. Exeter-based Flybe is seeking to revive its fortunes after losses forced it to shrink its operations, close regional bases and cut hundreds of jobs. It also sold 25 pairs of arrival and departure slots at Gatwick to Easyjet for £20m. In its last set of financial results, Flybe reported pre-tax profits of £13.8m for the 6 months to 30 September, compared with a loss of £1.6m a year earlier. Earlier this year, the airline raised £150m to help fund expansion. Flybe currently operates 171 routes in 16 countries. It will also introduce to services to European ski resorts from London City airport (vital business links??), as well as to destinations in France and northern Spain.
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Study suggests London City Airport site could be put to more economically & socially efficient use by closing the airport
April 11, 2014
A new report from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) makes the case for closing London’s City Airport and redeveloping the site to create more jobs, boost local business and build new homes. The report looked at the actual contribution, and the restrictions, caused by the airport on the surrounding area, and it has come to some conclusion that may seem surprising. They found London City Airport creates little value to the UK economy – despite occupying 500,000 square metres at the heart of London. Its direct contribution in 2011 was £110m – compared to £513 million generated by the nearby ExCeL Centre. It provides relatively few jobs, and restrictions on development near the airport due to the public safety zone and height restrictions in the nearby area limit many potentially more efficient uses of the land. Local residents bear all the costs but reap few of the benefits – the average salary of a London City Airport passenger is over £90,000, while 40% of Newham residents earn less than £20,000. Only about 28% of the airport jobs go to Newham people. London’s transport no longer needs City Airport – City Airport’s passengers account for just 2.4% of London’s total flight demand. These passengers could be readily absorbed by Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. By 2019 Crossrail will allow City workers to reach Heathrow in just 30 minutes. Click here to view full story…
Swiss plane engine ‘blew up’ on runway just before take-off at London City airport
March 29, 2014
It has been reported that an engine blew up on a Swiss International Airlines plane waiting to take off from London City airport, while it was powering up its engines seconds before it was due to leave start its take off. The airport said that 4 people needed treatment for minor injuries after Geneva-bound LX437 (an Avro RJ100) with 74 passengers and 4 crew on board suffered an engine problem. The pilot aborted the take off. A passenger reported that “There was a large bang and flames which grew and grew and large chunks of what looked like chunks of red-hot metal started flying up. People started freaking out…..In about 20 seconds we would have been in the air.” The runway at the east London airport was closed for more than an hour after the incident at 3pm on Thursday. Three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries by the London ambulance service. It is not the first incident to feature an RJ100 at the airport. In February 2009, a BA flight from Amsterdam crash-landed when one of its wheels failed. Click here to view full story…
Public consultation on London City Airport planning applications extended to 18th December
October 30, 2013 Newham Council are extending their public consultation on London City Airport planning applications to midday on 18 December 2013. The deadline had been 28th October, but the application is mainly online, and the council planning website was down during some of the time. The planning application was presented in such an impenetrable manner on the Newham website that it was effectively impossible for ordinary people to understand what was proposed. Now Newham says that : “Due to the number of responses to the London City Airport planning consultation, including many who have asked for extra time to submit a response, we have decided to extend the deadline…. The major planning applications propose additional infrastructure, passenger facilities and a new hotel at the airport. We will shortly be publicising the extended consultation deadline including writing to more than 25,000 homes in the local area.” Local campaigners welcomed the extension and said the impacts of the expansion by London City Airport will affect the local area for generations to come, so it is important that local residents have the opportunity to get their voices heard. Click here to view full story…
London City Airport expansion plan – inadequate consultation by Newham – but campaigners have produced guidance on how to respond
October 26, 2013 London City Airport applied back in July for expansion. While the application does not propose to increase the number of flights, it crucially changes the split between scheduled jets and jet centre movements leading to a change in the 2010 baseline public safety zone. The application is to demolish some buildings and structures, and upgrade four aircraft stands, adding 7 new aircraft parking stands. It would also mean extension and modification of the existing airfield, including the creation of an extended taxi lane.There would be changes to parking and vehicle access, and an extension to the terminal building. The consultation in on the Newham Council website (though on some days it has not bee accessible) – it ends on 28th October. There is a huge list of documents, with no accessible detail, making comment by ordinary people nearly impossible. London City Airport campaigners have located the key information, and produced a simple response email which anyone can (adapt and) use. There are real fears of more noise from the airport and building space removed form the enlarged public safety zones. Do send in a reply if you agree these proposals should be opposed. Click here to view full story…
London City Airport submits expansion plans – to enable 50,000 more aircraft movements per year – to Newham Council
September 19, 2013 .London City Airport has submitted its expansion plans to Newham Council. The plans could see an extra 50,000 flight movements each year, from the current level of around 64,000 in 2012 to around 120,000 (the level that was permitted by Newham in July 2009). The planned expansion could see the airport handling up to 6 million passengers per year, compared to around 3 million in 2012. The plans (costing some £200 million) would include 7 new parking stands, parking stands enlarged to cater for larger aircraft, due to arrive in 2016, a new eastern passenger pier and associated works on a platform over the King George V Dock. Plans also include an extension to the aircraft taxiway running along the eastern length of the runway, and a new passenger forecourt in front of the terminal building, an extension of the terminal, a new office building (to replace City Aviation House) and a hotel. Passenger and staff car parking will re-organised. The airport says it needs these, as morning and evening business flights were almost at capacity. .Click here to view full story…
Residents seek caste-iron guarantee that new planes will be quieter as City Airport seeks to expand
July 27, 2013 HACAN East, the organisation which represents residents under the London City and Heathrow flight paths, is concerned that that City Airport’s expansion plans, to be announced soon, will result in more noise across East and South-East London. The airport is proposing to undertake a lot of work on its runway and taxiways to allow bigger planes to use the airport. It is also proposing to expand the terminal, build a hotel and create more parking. HACAN East chair, John Stewart, said, “City Airport claims that the new planes will be quieter than the large aircraft currently using the airport. But residents need a caste-iron guarantee that the planes will actually be quieter. People need assurances after 25 years of broken promises by the airport. It opened by telling residents that the airport would only use ‘whispering’ jets.” London City’s expansion plans now go to Newham Council, the planning authority for the airport, for approval. Click here to view full story…
Odyssey Airlines orders aircraft for London City flights
London City Airport starts consultation on infrastructure to accommodate yet more flights
March 26, 2013 London City Airport is starting a second round of public consultation on proposals to increase the number and size of planes using the airport. The airport already has permission for up to 120,000 flights per year using the airport. It now wants permission for 7 additional aircraft parking stands, with an extended terminal building and a new eastern passenger pier. These will be to accommodate more flights and more passengers. The airport, as usual, says this will create and secure jobs etc etc and says it is important in regenerating East London etc etc. There will be three 4-hour consultation sessions on the plans, for local residents. The plans do not appear to be visible online. The airport wants to be able to handle aircraft the size of the Bombardier C-Series, [110 to 130 seats] so it can have flights to medium haul destinations like the Middle East and the east coast of the US by 2016. It has ambitions of having 10 million passengers per year. The airport is very close to housing (Map ) and causes a great deal of local noise disturbance. Click here to view full story…
Boris Johnson’s ‘Floating Village’ plans for homes slammed as a titanic mistake
March 12, 2013 Boris Johnson has announced that he is launching an international competition to find developers to design and deliver a scheme for a “floating village” at Royal Docks, Newham, close to London City Airport. Homes there would be in, or very close to, the Public Safety Zone (PSZ) for the airport, and would be subject to enormous amounts of aircraft noise. It would not be a desirable place to live for anyone bothered by noise – or indeed the risk of wake turbulence. Stop London City Masterplan, the local campaign group, have accused Boris of gross negligence because of these plans for housing close to the PSZ. The floating village would be under and close to Boris’s economically unsuccessful Cable Car. Safety concerns were raised during the building of the Cable Car which is in the Crash Zone with the Mayor of London being forced to launch a safety probe. A planning application will soon be submitted by London City Airport to increase the size of it’s stands so bigger jets can be used at the site. Click here to view full story…
London City Airport plans for larger aircraft and increased capacity – to local criticism
December 15, 2012 London City Airport already has consent to increase the number of flights per year to 120,000. The airport is now planning to submit a planning application to Newham Council in spring 2013 to allow “major infrastructure changes” (not including a runway extension) that could allow the airport larger planes. It wants to be able to handle aircraft the size of the Bombardier C-Series, [110 to 130 seats] so it can have flights to medium haul destinations like the Middle East and the east coast of the US by 2016. The plans are apparently “in their early stages, with the airport set to consult with local residents in the coming weeks.” The airport, which currently handles around 3.2 million passengers a year, and some 73,000 flights. It has ambitions to increase capacity to 10 million travellers and 120,00 flights annually. The airport announced separate plans for €19 million investment on buildings, gates etc last month, with work starting in early 2013. Click here to view full story…
London City Airport expansion plans take off in cloud of criticism
8.11.2012 A £15 million expansion programme announced by London City Airport to mark its 25th anniversary has been criticised by campaigners over the increasing number of flights—double the restrictions imposed when it first opened. London City Airport is to submit a planning application shortly for more infrastructure to allow for expansion and for medium haul flights. But the expansion year-on-year goes against the original planning when the airport was opened on November 5, 1987. Only 4 airlines operated from the airport in 1987, with flights to just 3 destinations—Plymouth, Paris and Brussels. Today, 25 years on, 10 airlines fly to 42 destinations across the UK and Europe, as well as twice-a-day to New York. Hacan East, which represents families living under the flight paths across east London, has accused airport bosses of broken promises. The government inspector at the original airport public inquiry in the 1980s restricted aircraft to quiet turbo-props rather than the jets that proliferate today, and flights limited to 30,000 a year.
London City Airport complains that Southend airport is calling itself a London airport
August 6, 2012 London City Airport has hit out at IATA’s decision to allow Southend to call itself “London Southend”, stating “what’s next, London Basingstoke?” Southend is 45 miles from central London, and an hour by train. That means quite a trip into London for passengers. There are also bizarrely named London Ashfore (= Lydd) and “London Oxford”. Of course, though Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are all, realistically, London airports, London City Airport wants to be the only London one, as the only airport with a London post code. LCY said: “You have to feel for the visitor who expects to land in London and ends up in a field on the east coast.” So much for Birmingham airport hoping to substitute for a London airport runway. Click here to view full story…
Declan Collier wants to increase London City Airport passengers from 3m to 7m by 2016
June 12, 2012 Declan Collier took over as MD of London City Airport in March. He plans to expand the 130-acre site’s runway area and invest in new stands as part of a drive to reach 7m passengers annually by 2016 (it handled 3.3 million at its peak in 2008). There was a serious decline in passengers since 2008, though they increased by 7% in 2011 compared to 2010, but are still only around 3 million. Collier wants to put in place an investment and infrastructure plan to facilitate growth, and this may involve new investors coming in and current infrastructure fund owners GIP and Highstar Capital diluting their holdings. There are plans to increase the number of stands from 18 to 23, and “build a new runway area to increase ‘movements’ from 36 to 41 an hour “and introduce a new generation of aircraft to increase passenger numbers. Click here to view full story…
Private jet business travel. Who uses it and why?
May 13, 2012 In a long article on who is using private business travel, and why, ABTN gives a lot of information on how the industry works. Private flying has fallen significantly since 2008 and the financial crisis. The banking sector used to use more business jets when they launched new IPOs (initial public offerings) when executives wanted to make many presentations in different places, the same day. They also say companies want the private space on the plane to continue their discussions, as well as the very fast transfer from car to plane, and plane to car, with the minimum of hassle. Rock bands etc, now make a higher proportion of their money from tours, so they like using private jets for painless travel. And the remote locations where some natural resources and minerals are found are more quickly accessed by private flights to small airports, rather than large planes to main airports. And more …. Click here to view full story… And while London City Airport had 15,000 business jets in 2007, it was down to 7,000 in 2011 and may be around 7,500 in 2012.
Jenny Jones, the Green Party London mayoral candidate, says close London City Airport
April 20, 2012 The Green Party’s candidate for London mayor has said City Airport should be shut down. Speaking to the BBC’s Daily Politics, Jenny Jones said the airport should be closed and replaced with “something useful” such as housing or allotments. Britain should follow Europe by “expanding” rail travel, not aviation: “We should start to understand that short haul flights have got to be overtaken by rail travel… We are very greedy and we take up more than our fair share of the earth’s resources. We have to learn to adapt and survive.” A spokesman for London City Airport said it “directly contributes over £0.5bn a year to the UK economy” (evidence for that??) and connects London with 30 destinations in the UK, Europe and America. The other candidates have not mentioned London City Airport. Click here to view full story…
New report claims poor environment, not lack of airport capacity, threatens London’s status as top city to do business
January 31, 2012 A new report produced by HACAN shows that though the excellent transport links to the rest of the world make it Europe’s premier business city, London fares less well on other issues which influence businesses in deciding where to locate. The annual survey by Cushman & Wakefield in 2011 “London is still ranked – by some distance from its closest competitors – as the leading city in which to do business.” However London performed badly in all the surveys on the quality of life it offered, scoring particularly poorly on air pollution and traffic congestion. HACAN says the message is clear. London has got to clean up its act if its wants remain the top city for business. London First’s Connectivity Commission is due tomorrow to release its report “the policy and investment required to secure London’s road, rail and air links, for the capital to remain globally competitive and support the UK’s long-term growth.” Click here to view full story…
London City Airport expected to be sold by GIP later this year or 2013
January 23, 2012 The Chief Executive of London City Airport, Declan Collier, has been asked to review the options for selling the airport. About 60% of its passengers are on business trips, so the airport is seen as of value to the City. However, the local residents in the area, some living very close to the airport and under its flight paths, derive little benefit from the airport and suffer its adverse impacts. This comes at a time of unprecedented upheaval for the airport industry. Edinburgh is up for sale, Stansted could be soon, and the Government is proposing an airport in the Thames estuary.The airport opened in 1987. It was bought by Dermot Desmond for £23.5m in 1995 after it had struggled to build business in its early years. It was then sold by Mr Desmond in May 2006, for about £750m, to a consortium of the American insurer AIG and GIP. AIG then sold its 50% stake to GIP in 2008. The prospect of the 2012 Olympics raised its price. At present it is unlikely to sell for much more than the £750m, but in a buoyant market, its owners GIP and the current minority stake partner Highstar Capital could expect as much as £1.25bn. Click here to view full story…
Aircraft noise measurements over London ‘inaccurate and misleading’
January 2, 2012 HACAN East, the new group representing residents affected by London City Airport, says that the way the government currently measure aircraft noise over much of London is both inaccurate and misleading. Now that aircraft approaching Heathrow join the approach path much further to the east than they used to, residents affected by planes using London City Airport are also overflown by planes descending to Heathrow. But the noise data for flights using each airport are measured separately and not combined. This problem has been known since 2007, and recognized as underestimating the total noise heard by residents. If the noise levels are combined, aircraft noise levels in parts of East London matches those in West London Click here to view full story…
Are environmental safeguards for London City Airport strong enough?
December 1, 2011 On 1st December the GLA’s Environmental Committee will meet to look at how well new environmental controls around the City Airport are currently working, and if they would continue to be effective if the number of flights increases. The LCY now has permission from Newham Council to increase the number of flights from the current level of 73,000 to 120,000 per year, subject to tougher environmental controls for air quality and noise levels – which is likely to adversely affect residents in many London boroughs. Click here to view full story…
New chief executive – Declan Collier – for London City Airport
Date Added: 15th November 2011
London City Airport chief executive, Richard Gooding, is to step down after 15 years and join the board as a non-executive director. Declan Collier, now chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority, will take over in early 2012. Declan is involved with Airports Council International, where he is currently president, ACI Europe. Declan used to work at ExxonMobil in Ireland and abroad. Click here to view full story…
04.10.11 BA celebrate two years of London City – New York flights
01.10.11 Iberia to maintain BA’s London City – New York service planes
26.09.11 BA plans all business flights to Boston and Washington
16.09.11 CityJet adverts to promote London City Airport flights
09.09.11 SkyWork increase London City – Swiss flights
08.09.11 London City could have 7m passengers by 2020
20.08.11 London City Airport raise £39,000 for local hospice
29.07.11 London City Airport campaign group joins HACAN
24.07.11 CityJet cut Dundee – London City flights citing ‘no demand’
16.07.11 BA celebrate record passenger numbers; new plane at London City Airport
06.07.11 Private pilot slots restricted during Olympics
30.06.11 BA launch Faro and Malaga flights from London City Airport
23.06.11 BA offer new premium arrivals service at London City Airport
01.06.11 CityJet add two French routes from London City Airport
24.05.11 Swans moved from near London City Airport
04.05.11 BA London City – Faro flights to take off next month
20.04.11 BA boost London City – Ibiza flights
14.04.11 BA add flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh from London City Airport
07.04.11 SkyWork put larger planes on new London City – Bern route
31.03.11 SkyWork launch London City – Bern service
27.03.11 BA launch London City – Ibiza flights
19.03.11 Cable car over Thames near London City Airport approved
15.03.11 London City – Pau flights for CityJet
06.03.11 BA increase summer sun flights from London City Airport
02.03.11 Blue Islands announce Jersey – London City Airport route
22.02.11 NATS confirm cable car near London City Airport safe
16.02.11 Cable car project delayed over London City Airport safety zone concerns
11.02.11 Report says London City Airport worth £500m a year to economy
09.02.11 CityJet launch transfer facility at London City Airport
22.01.11 CityJet add two new French routes from London City Airport
21.01.11 Residents lose London City Airport flights increase challenge
09.01.11 Three new routes take off from London City Airport
Fight the Flights (London City) and HACAN to merge with FtF becoming HACAN East London
10th July 2011 HACAN, the organisation which represents residents under the Heathrow flight paths, and Fight the Flights, which fought the expansion of London City Airport, are to merge. Fight the Flights will become HACAN East London. The move makes a lot of sense as both airports affect London in a growing way. These days hundreds of thousands of residents are affected by flights to and from both airports. The merger will happen during July. Click here to view full story…
Swans moved on from City Airport amid safety fears
9th June 2011 Bosses at London City Airport have been dealing with a serious threat to aircraft — wild swans. The number of birds congregating close to the Silvertown airport has increased to “unmanageable levels” in recent months. “Bird strikes” are the most common cause of aircraft accidents. The City Airport swans have been transferred to a new home at Windsor. The airport wants residents to avoid feeding wild birds, as it encourages them to settle. Click here to view full story…
New law enables Met Police to recover London City Airport security cost
3rd May 2011 New legislation could mean the Met Police can recoup some of the cost of securing the airport. Changes instituted on April 1 mean the onus is now on UK airports to fund policing, which at London City is estimated to cost around £5.5 million. London City would not comment on how much of the bill it will pick up, citing confidentiality over security. Opponents have long argued it is unfair for the taxpayer to pay for policing a privately-owned airport. Click here to view full story…
Group claims London City Airport’s Crash Zone ‘Corporate Conspiracy of Silence”
Boris Johnson’s cable car application decends into chaos
New York Aviation report on the (alleged) £500 million annual benefit from London City Airport
Publicity article in Docklands on Richard Gooding and London City Airport
10th February 2011 A bit of publicity for the airport and its Chief Executive, Richard Gooding OBE. Gooding reiterates the airport is upfront and very clear about its plans to expand. “There is not yet the market for that expansion. We need to see it grow”. Gooding will add new upmarket leisure routes. Malaga and Faro will start in spring and there are still some untapped business travel markets like Scandinavia, Germany and cities such as Stockholm. Click here to view full story…
Olympic cable car ‘at risk from City Airport planes’
Calls for Boris Cable Car route across London City airport PSZ to be scrapped
City Airport boss, Richard Gooding, supports Mayor’s air travel debate
23rd January 2011 City Airport’s chief executive Richard Gooding said he welcomed the report by Boris Johnson to business leaders last week, which he said will stimulate debate over aviation growth in London – and support a new airport in the Thames Estuary. City Airport likes the prospect of debate about growth of aviation for London. Part 2 of the report is due in 6 months’ time, setting out more specific development options. Click here to view full story…
Dismay as Judge allows Newham green light to London City Airport expansion
20th January 2011 A High Court judge has refused to overturn Newham Council’s decision to expand London City Airport. Campaigners are now considering an appeal. Residents, represented by FoE’s Rights and Justice Centre, took the council to court in Novemberafter it decided to allow a 50% increase in flights. Fight the Flights argued that Newham Council failed to consider changes to Government policy on climate change and did not properly consult boroughs and residents in the surrounding area. Click here to view full story…
BA launches new route from London City to Chambery (for skiing not business)
29th November 2010 BA is extending its route network from London City Airport with the launch of a new flight to Chambery, the gateway to the French Alps, on December 18. It operates 4 times a week each way till March. The airport said it “is ideally set up to give our customers the opportunity to spend a long weekend, a full week, or even longer, skiing on some of the world’s best slopes and resorts.” Strange for an airport devoted to helping business flyers. As its Ibiza route. Click here to view full story…
London City Airport protest as High Court hearing begins
Jobs claims by London City Airport shown to be highly inaccurate
Fight the Flights judicial review against London City Airport expansion set for Thursday
London City Airport campaigners say Greenwich Council fail to hear aircraft noise
New research reveals sky-high noise levels from London City Airport – worse than living near Heathrow
1st November 2010 Research carried out by Fight the Flights in alliance with UCL and London 21’s Mapping For Change has shown that some residents living under London City Airport flight paths are experiencing noise levels much higher than people under the Heathrow flight path in West London. Residents found sound readings from 35 – 87 decibels (87 is worse than in Kew Gardens). Readings taken during the volcanic ash period in April prove the extent of the noise due to planes.Fight the Flights starts
its legal challenge on 18th November. Click here to view full story
London City Airport investor may be seeking an exit
in London City Airport, two people familiar with the matter said, a sale that
could fetch up to £200 million. New York-based Highstar, which bought its stake
from GIP in 2008, is now looking for an exit and has approached infrastructure
and pension funds. GIP, which owns 75 % of the airport, has taken important steps
to increase capacity and improve profits, but Highstar may be focussed on the
growth prospects which will be tested by the forthcoming legal challenge. (Reuters) Click here to view full story…
BA plans major transatlantic push at London City Airport
21st September 2010
BA plans to expand its transatlantic flight routes from London City airport perhaps
to to Boston, Washington or Chicago. Walsh said the BA direct route from London
City to New York – launched Sept ’09 – had been “hugely successful”. BA wants
to order more Airbus A318 planes, which have to be modified to cater for the short
runway. Walsh said: “we can put more flights on at peak times which we couldn’t
do at Heathrow because of capacity”. (Standard) Click here to view full story…
“End Domestic Flights” demos at London City and Manchester Airports
calling for an end to domestic flights. There are currently around 38 flights
per day between Manchester and the London hubs. The day began with a rally in
the morning at London City Airport, with speakers including Murad Qureshi and
Darren Johnson from the Greater London Authority. They then went by train to Manchester
for a similar protest. (Fight the Flights and SEMA) Click here to view full story…
BA and Solena plan to “create 1,200 London jobs” at biofuels plant
BA hopes to source much of the aviation fuel needed by one or other London airport
from a waste-to-biofuels plant in east London, which will burn plastics, paper
and food leftovers – which are not recycled in a better way. Two potential locations
near Dagenham have been proposed. 200 jobs might be created at the factory. BA
hopes to buy 16 million gallons of fuel for 10 years and hopes production could
start in 2014. Solena is seeking sources of finance. Click here to view full story…
London Assembly opposes any increase in flights at BAA’s London airports.
of flights operating from BAA’s London airports. It expressed concern that following
the Government’s decision to reject a 3rd runway at Heathrow, BAA may try increase
the number of flights from its airports by the back door, by operational and regulatory
changes like allowing mixed mode operations and increasing the number of night
flights. (These would be strongly opposed). Click here to view full story…
See also page on London.gov.uk
British Airways Launches New Ibiza Route from London City
to fly direct from the Docklands to the Balearics for holiday breaks. This is
not a business flight. The flight takes 2 hours and 15 minutes on the new Embraer
190 aircraft. Flights depart and return on a Monday, Friday and Sunday. For July
and August only, a Wednesday service has also been added. Click here to view full story…
London Assembly meeting on City Airport deferred to autumn
at London City Airport has been deferred to the autumn. The deferral of the June
meeting enables the Committee to conduct further background work, including a
site visit. It also allows the Committee to await the outcome of the current JR
of the decision to permit expansion and assess how it will impact on operations
at the airport. Click here to view full story…
London City air route from Devon and Cornwall scrapped
6th May 2010
Air SouthWest is scrapping its service between Newquay and Plymouth and City
Airport. The twice-daily route was launched last year but Air SouthWest said it
had not paid its way. Their 4 daily flights to London Gatwick wil continue. (BBC)
Click here to view full story…
London City: Quiet sky raises Fight The Flights’ challenge to politicians
27th April 2010
Residents across east and south east London who live beneath the flight paths
of London City and Heathrow Airports were given 6 days of respite during the no
flight ban due to the volcanic eruption. Residents have been monitoring noise
levels as part of a project set up by Fight the Flights in alliance with UCL.
The results, to be released next week, will compare the difference in noise levels
between the flight ban and normal flight activity over the area. (FtF) Click here to view full story…
Plane Stupid targets Red Bull-sh*t over London City Airport plan
of soft drink giant Red Bull. Three activists, dressed as ‘avenging air hostesses’in
Red Bull’s colours, crowned the mound with placards reading: ‘Red Bull-sh*t’,
‘Red Bull gives you (plane) wings’ and ‘No second runway by stealth.’ The move
was prompted by the revelation that Red Bull has applied for planning permission
to build an aerodrome opposite London City Airport. Click here to view full story…
GLA: London City Airport – Mayor’s Worst Planning Decision Award
in London, according to London Assembly member Darren Johnson. Doubling the number
of flights through the airport has won Boris Johnson the coveted 2010 &lquot;worst planning decision&rquot; award. Darren makes the award each year for the planning decision he considers to be the most damaging, in parallel to the Mayor’s London Planning Awards. The trophy is an inscribed breeze-block. Click here to view full story…
Urgent review needed on decision to increase City airport flights
24th February 2010
The London Assembly has called on the Mayor to conduct an urgent review of the
decision by Newham Council to give permission for a 50% increase in flights at
City Airport. In a unanimously agreed motion the Assembly points out the growing
concern that increased flight numbers, and changing flight paths, will add to
existing nuisance from overflights experienced by residents in many boroughs.
Economic benefit must be balanced against the problems it causes.
Click here to view full story…
80 Dassault Falcon 7X pilots qualify for London City operations
24th February 2010
More than 80 Dassault Falcon 7X pilots have completed the flight training required
to operate at London City airport. To operate at City, the approved aircraft and
flightcrew must demonstrate proficiency in the steep angle 5.5 ° approach and must
be capable of operating from the airport’s short runway – 1,320m (4,327ft) for
landing and 1,200m for take-off. The EASA has certified the 7X for London City
and may be able to fly from the US direct. (Flight Global) Click here to view full story…
BA considering more London City – US routes
City Airport. Destinations being considered including Boston and Washington after
the airline confirmed that it is regularly filling 75% of the seats on flights
between City and New York. (UK Airport News) Click here to view full story…
London City Airport crash jet ‘not properly serviced’
down at London City Airport had not been properly completed. Smoke filled the
British Airways Avro 146 jet, carrying 67 passengers, as it landed on 13 February
2009. A fatigue crack led to the landing gear fracturing. Improvement work on
the plane had not been fully finished even though records at the American maintenance
firm responsible showed it had been. (BBC) Click here to view full story…
Baboo plans to be first into London City with Embraer 190
into London City Airport, with a service next week. BA CityFlyer and Lufthansa
CityLine are also planning to introduce services with the type shortly. Baboo
currently uses the Bombardier Q400 on the London City route. The Embraer 190 is
now certified for the steep approach into City. They want to experiment with its
potential. (Flightglobal) Click here to view full story…
Boris backs call for public review of controversial new City Airport flight path
19th January 2010
At a packed meeting in Ilford on 18th the London Mayor Boris Johnson backed calls
for a public review of the controversial new London City Airport flight path introduced
last year. The CAA will review the flight path later this year but local residents
fear it will be carried out in private. MPs and local authorities have been inundated
with complaints from residents since the introduction of the new flight path.
(FtF) Click here to view full story…
High Court Gives Fight the Flights Green Light to Judicial Review on London City Airport Expansion
7th January 2010
The High Court has granted permission for Fight the Flights to take their legal
challenge against Newham Council to a full hearing in the High Court. The Judicial
Review will look at the legality of Newham Council’s decision to approve the expansion
of London City Airport. The Court granted permission to proceed on all 3 limbs
of FtF’s case, saying that all aspects of the case were properly arguable. The
3 points are that Newham failed to take account of climate change, failed to consult
relevant neighbouring local authorities, and also the residents of those boroughs. Click here to view full story…
City Airport Expansion Oppostion Lines Up for Parliamentary Adjournment Debate
City airport. He is concerned about the changes to flight paths that were recently
made by NATS, even though the rest of the changes they proposed in the Terminal
Control north consultation have been withdrawn. The changes were requested by
the CAA, making the whole NATS consultation process pointless, with regard to
London City airport. (from Hansard, and Fight the Flights) Click here to view full story…
NUJ slams photographer’s arrest at London City Airport
10th December 2009
In a week when the police’s treatment of photographers made front page news the
National Union of Journalists expressed shock that another journalist has been
obstructed by officers from doing his job. On Sunday an NUJ member was arrested
by two armed police officers at London City Airport for an alleged assault on
a member of airport security. The photographer fully denies any wrongdoing and
the NUJ has instructed lawyers to defend him. Click here to view full story…
Climate Refugee Santas in London City Airport Protest
departures lounge by police and security guards. Presents of cartoon books about
the problems with carbon trading, carbon ration books, and toy trains were left
undelivered. These were meant for the passengers on the final flight to Copenhagen.
So why are they FLYING to Copenhagen? Click here to view full story…
28.11.09 CityJet named London City’s most punctual airline
18.11.09 London City Airport protesters plans flash mob
Legal challenge to London City Airport clears first legal hurdle
to Newham’s decision allowing increased flights from London City Airport. Without
costs protection, Fight the Flights would have been at risk of unlimited costs
liability and could not have proceeded with the case. Costs protection is only
normally given where the Court recognises the public importance of the case.
Click here to view full story…
Plane crazy as skies get busier with planes from City over Havering
over their homes quite literally shake them from their sleep. The increase is
partly due to London City Airport redirecting its flight paths over Havering,
a spokesman admitted this week. A resident has kept a log of the flights and says
they are most frequent between 7.30am and 9.30 and 4.30pm and 7.00pm, sometimes
jetting overhead every four minutes. (Romford Recorder) Click here to view full story…
Oil rich sheikhs to fund ‘Boris Island’ airport in middle of Thames estuary
£40billion plan to build an airport in the middle of Thames estuary, according
to its supporters. The project might be entirely bankrolled and owned by Gulf
states such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and even the Chinese
are interested. It would replace Heathrow and plans show it would dwarf the capacity
of Heathrow’s existing two runways. (Mail) Click here to view full story…
BA all-business flight grounded by engine fault on second day
to much fanfare yesterday, has been struck by an engine fault. The problem left
the aircraft grounded at London City Airport for nearly two hours on only its
second day. It was carrying mainly travel press. The part was an engine sensors
which had to be delivered from Gatwick and then tested. (Times) Click here to view full story…
Newham Council sued on City flights rise
before allowing a 50% increase in flights from City Airport. Fight the Flights
said it was suing because the council approved the expansion in October without
consulting residents and other affected boroughs – and failed to consider the
government’s policy to reduce aviation emissions to below 2005 levels by 2050.
They say councils should have a duty to cut emissions. (BBC) Click here to view full story…
Campaign group takes council to court over expansion of London City Airport
to allow a 50% increase in flights at London City Airport without considering
changes to Government policy on climate change or consulting local people. Fight
The Flights says that before approving the airport’s expansion in July this year,
the council should have considered the Government’s intention to reduce aviation
emissions to below 2005 levels by 2050. (FoE) Click here to view full story…
City Airport noisy protest as “Son of Concorde” all business flight launches
29th September 2009
Protestors at London City Airport gave the new BA all business, luxury service
to New York a noisy send off. The flight, which has to refuel at Shannon on the
way because City’s runway is too short for a fully fuelled plane, will bring yet
more misery to those affected by the airport. The new flight is one of the least
fuel efficient means there is to get to New York, in plane designed for 110, but
converted for only 32 full length bed seats. Click here to view full story…
BA’s new luxury, all-business New York flight taxis for take-off from London City Airport
29th September 2009
BA is defying the aviation gloom to launch a luxury, all-business class transatlantic
service to New York from London City Airport today. It is BA’s first ever to New
York from City. BA will use two specially configured A318 aircraft and use the
BA001 flight number made famous by Concorde. The planes are equipped with just
32 flat-bed seats (the plane could fit in over 110) that can lie flat, and the
latest OnAir communications technology. (Telegraph) Click here to view full story…
New York service helps to put London City Airport on flightpath to growth
to launch a high-end executive service from London to New York appears to fly
in the face of common sense. BA’s new service when it launches on Tuesday. Two
A318 aircraft have been fitted out with just 32 fully-flat beds, and at more than
£4,000 a return ticket will be four times the price of the cheapest business-class
equivalent. (Telegraph) Click here to view full story…
London City Airport job creation estimate halved
it has been reported. In July the airport was given the go-ahead to expand flights
from 80,000 to 120,000 by the end of 2010 on the back of projections that the
development would bring 1,000 new jobs to East London. However, in a recent letter
to Newham MP, Stephen Timms, Newham Council said the airport had now acknowledged that only 480 new jobs will be created. (UK Airport News) Click here to view full story…
14.09.09 MP slams airport parking ‘rip off’
13.09.09 London City Airport job creation estimate halved
12.09.09 London City Airport plans terminal improvements
11.09.09 BA hail successful trial of London City – New York flights
04.09.09 BA take delivery of first plane for London City – New York service
04.09.09 CityJet launch £4m London City Airport advertising campaign
31.08.09 Climate change protest at London City Airport
26.08.09 London City Airport appoint online marketing firm
20.08.09 VLM axe London City – IOM route
15.08.09 £540 for 2 weeks – airport parking!
14.08.09 London City Airport clean air certificate
09.08.09 Liberal Democrats back London City Airport flights fight
04.08.09 London City Airport win training award
23.07.09 Campaigners to challenge London City Airport flights increase
18.07.09 BA refuse to disclose booking levels on new London City – New York route
10.07.09 London City Airport flights cap increased
04.07.09 London City Airport runway designation changes
02.07.09 Airport ID cards trials axed
Campaigners to challenge London City Airport flights increase
to increase the number of flights over east London from London City Airport.
Earlier this month residents were outraged when Newham Council agreed to allow
an extra 50,000 plane journeys from the busy airport, bringing City’s annual flight
total to 120,000. The increase will lead to greater pollution and noise for people
living nearby and under the airport’s flightpaths. (local Guardian) Click here to view full story…
London City Airport – Critic of airport under attack
too late in a battle to stem the number of aircraft flying over Havering. Cllr
Georgina Galpin and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell launched a petition last week
in Hornchurch against the expansion of City Airport after receiving scores of
complaints from local residents. Earlier this month Newham Council agreed to allow
the terminal to increase flights by 50%. (Recorder) Click here to view full story…
BA refuse to disclose booking levels on new London City – New York route
19th July 2009
BA has declined to disclose bookings for its new London City Airport – New York
flights, which are scheduled to start 29 September, Flightglobal reports. The
airline’s reasons for refusing it that, at this point, the niche business travellers
targeted by the flight are not prepared to book flights for travel later in the
year. This probably means the figures are not good. (UK Airport News) Click here to view full story…
Campaigners blast ‘brazen’ expansion of City Airport
9th July 2009
Newham Council confirmed the planning application to expand City Airport, to
accommodate nearly 50,000 extra flights per year after the project is complete.
Campaigners have criticised the decision to increase the number of flights in
and out of the airport to 120,00 from 73,000. They warn about the exaggerated
claims made by the council about job increases, and theoretical benefits to the
local economy. Flights would be capped at 120,000 per year. (Standard) Click here to view full story…
London City – New fleet to cut environmental impact, says Cityflyer
news for everyone connected with the airport”. Cityflyer, a subsidiary of BA dedicated
to the Royal Docks airfield, is replacing its older RJ100 planes with new generation
Embraer jets later this year. The managing director said: “It will be a big benefit.
Bigger cabins, lower CO2 emissions, lower noise levels and they will also be 56%
more efficient so it will save us on fuel.” Click here to view full story…
BA still set to fly long haul from London City
City Airport. Flights start on September 29. The new all-business class service
is a daily return to New York JFK except Saturdays when London City airport is
closed, increasing to two flights a day from mid-October. The aircraft Airbus
A318s, the largest aircraft that can be flown from City. It is designed for more
but fitted with just 32 seats. (TravelMole) Click here to view full story…
June 2009
23.06.09 September launch for BA London City – New York flights
16.06.09 Private jet passengers up 44% in May at London City
11.06.09 Plane Stupid protest at London City Airport
05.06.09 VLM brand to be phased out
Climate campaigners chain themselves to jet at London City airport
private jet flights at London City airport by locking themselves to an aircraft.
They chained themselves to the wheel of the business jet forming a human wheel
clamp around one of the airport’s business jet fleet at the west end of the runway.
Plane Stupid said they broke through the site’s perimeter fence at around 2.30am
to protest at the “selfishness of private jet use”. Small jets emit 5 – 10 timmes
more CO2 per passenger than commercial flights. 10.6.2009 More …..
Fight the Flights’ response to the Plane Stupid action at City Airport
airport have commented on today’s action by Plane Stupid. They say FtF is not
a direct action group, but fully appreciates the frustration the climate change
activists feel in getting their voices, and concerns heard on aviation expansion.
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of CO2 emissions. Local residents
in Newham are suffering constant nuisance from the airport. Click here to view full story…
Air pollution – Big Stink at London City Airport
as police investigated poisonous fumes possibly coming from the ladies’ loos.
Now it seems the cause might not have been the drains, but the planes. The airport
operates a unique parking system for aircraft with the tail exhaust pointing directly
into the buildings. Not only does this pollute much of the air of east London,
but staff working there report various health problems. (Guardian) Click here to view full story…
Airline scraps Manchester to London City route
The airline, part of Air France/ KLM group, also flies to both Antwerp and Rotterdam
from Manchester, but those services have not been affected. The route has been
heavily loss-making and, a spokesman said they are impeded by unfair competition
from a subsidised rail network and airline ticket taxes that often make up over
50% of the overall fare. (Crains) Click here to view full story…
London City Airport – Flightpath talk was blocked – claim
flightpaths over the borough. Residents were furious that the council twice delayed
debate on proposals for increased flights over Hornchurch. Under the NATS plan
2 flight paths from City Airport would be re-directed over Hornchurch, and with
the airport’s plan to increase flights by 50% this could be 40 more flights per
day over the borough. (Recorder) Click here to view full story…
20.04.09 Air Southwest Newquay – London City Airport flights take off
31.03.09 74% of London City Airport flights on time
30.03.09 Air France juggles London City – Strasbourg flight times
27.03.09 Air France to launch London City – Nantes flights
12.03.09 No lounge for BA London City all business passengers
09.03.09 Air Southwest announce Plymouth – London City Airport flights
06.03.09 BA axe London City – Dublin route
04.03.09 Flash protest planned over London Mayor’s support for London City expansion
Airline announces new Plymouth to London City route
9th March 2009
Air Southwest has today announced it is ‘set to revolutionise travel between
Plymouth and London’ with a new route flying direct from Plymouth to the London
City airport. It will be a twice-daily direct service from which the airline pledges
will ‘fly to the heart of London in just over an hour’. The new service will provide
a full business day in London, which is ‘quicker and cheaper than the train’,
with all-in fares from just £29. (This is Plymouth) Click here to view full story…
London City airport – Fight the Flights Flash Mob Outside People’s Question Time
Time in Bethnal Green. Its purpose is to send a clear message that residents
in and beyond East London deserve a good quality of life and need to be treated
equally rather than being ignored. The want Boris Johnson to change his mind and
change the lives of local residents on London City Airport. (Fight the Flights) Click here to view full story…
London City Airport crash: BA Avro RJ jets have experienced problems before
14th February 2009 This incident is the 2nd time in a week that a BA CityFlyer jet has closed the
runway at London City Airport. As well as the hard landing at City airport on
13th, on February 5 an Avro RJ suffered minor damage to its nose wheel. The Avro
RJ-100 is a medium-sized commercial aircraft with room for 4 crew, and between
85 and 100 passengers. In the past there have been two major incidents involving
the Avro RJ-100 with a combined total of 99 casualties. (Telegraph) Click here to view full story…
British Airways jet in ‘hard landing’ at London City airport
13th February 2009 A BA jet from Amsterdam has been involved in an incident at London City Airport.
Eyewitnesses say the front wheels by the aircraft’s nose collapsed when the plane
made a hard landing. The aircraft skidded to a halt on the runway and its 67 passengers
and 5 crew were evacuated using the plane’s emergency chutes. Six ambulances were
called to the scene but there have been no reports of any major injuries. (BBC)
Click here to view full story…
Havering Council motion:
to full Council: “This Council condemns the Administation’s dereliction of its representative
duty
a) in not informing or consulting Council members or local residents about the
significant increases in flights proposed form LCA; and
b) its failure to consult with or inform local residents, or provide any response
to the flight path changes proposed by NATS which will together with the increase
in flights have a substantial and detrimental environmental impact particularly
in respect of noise and air pollution in many parts of the Borough.”
motion curtailing business after 9pm due to “inclement weather”. The Labour
Group withdrew the motion, so it wasn’t lost and it will go onto next Full Council
Agenda
BA claim new fuel efficient aircraft fleet for London City airport
23rd December 2008 BA have ordered 11 new Embraer aircraft for its CityFlyer operation at London
City Airport. They will be delivered in September 2009. BA claim they will be
much more fuel efficient. However, the net emissions will be higher, due to an
anticipated doubling in flight numbers. (BA info … with some greenwash warnings)
Click here to view full story…
Hazel Blears ignores local residents and environmentalists by giving the go-ahead
for thousands more flights at City Airport
18th November 2008 A decision by Sec of State Hazel Blears NOT to demand a public enquiry following
an application by City Airport to increase the number of flights from the airport
from 76,000 to 120,000 per year is undemocratic and environmentally unsound, according
to local people. The decision was made despite the fact that the initial application
did not contain accurate data on noise going back nearly a decade, in breach of
planning agreements. (SW Essex Greenpeace) Click here to view full story…
Green light for City airport flights 50% expansion
9th October 2008 London City airport has won planning permission to increase the number of take-offs
and landings by around 50%. The airport has grown rapidly in recent years with
passenger volumes rising by more than 20% a year in both 2006 and 2007. Growth
of both commercial passenger numbers and corporate jet movements has been hit
hard by the turmoil in global financial markets, however. The airport hopes passenger
numbers could rise to more than 3.9m a year. (FT) Click here to view full story…
Uproar as Newham Council gives go-ahead to City Airport Expansion
increase in flights despite the admission by the airport that all the noise measurements
it has taken since 2000 are unlikely to be accurate. Airport representatives told
the Council’s Planning Committee that, because of technical difficulties, they
had not been able to take accurate noise measurements for the last 8 years. A
legal challenge is likely. (FtF and HACAN) Click here to view full story…
January 2009
23.01.09 BA to offer text / internet on London City – New York flights
22.01.09 New London City – Denmark flights
15.01.09 London City owners to bid for Gatwick
10.01.09 VLM prepare to launch London City – Eindhoven link
07.01.09 Record year for London City Airport
December 2008
24.12.08 BA axe London City – Warsaw flights
22.12.08 BA place regional jets order
12.12.08 London City Airport changes for Air France / KLM
November 2008
28.11.08 London City Airport policing costs revealled
24.11.08 No inquiry in to London City Airport flights expansion
23.11.08 Aer Arann to launch London City – IOM flights
17.11.08 BA London City – NY passengers to pre-clear US immigration
October 2008
31.10.08 Eastern plans London City – Amsterdam flights
25.10.08 OFT clears Air France-KLM / VLM merger
20.10.08 New plane to make London City Airport trials
17.10.08 Profits up 50% at London City Airport
12.10.08 London City Airport wins ERA award
09.10.08 London City Airport expansion approved
08.10.08 London City Airport claims jobs rise
05.10.08 London City Airport not interested in Southend; could bid for Gatwick
03.10.08 Greenpeace plan London City Airport flashmob protest
September 2008
28.09.08 AIG ‘to sell stake in London City Airport’
19.09.08 BA increase Glasgow and Frankfurt flights from London City
13.09.08 London City Airport delays continue
in flights. Newham Council delayed the planning decision last month after Mr Johnson
intervened, saying he wanted the project to meet certain conditions first. He
is now happy to back the proposal, which would see an increase in the number of
flights from 80,000 to 120,000 a year by 2010. Green Assembly member Darren Johnson
criticised the Mayor’s decision. (Standard) Click here to view full story…
August 2008
31.7.2008 City flights decision is delayed
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7533193.stm |
30.7.2008 Planning application decision expected this week
10.07.08 Austrian cut London City Airport flights
London City airport launches bid for Essex neighbour – Southend
airport. The sale is taking place amid a civil war in the aviation industry, with
airlines, unions and politicians fighting over whether the airport holdings of
the market-leading operator BAA should be broken up. (Indy) Click here to view full story…
March 2008
16.03.08 London City launches bid for Southend
14.03.08 Air France gives CityJet €180m to purchase VLM
10.03.08 Lufthansa launch personal assistant service at Heathrow and London City
06.03.08 BA Cityflyer to replace RJ100 fleet by early 2009
06.03.08 London City Airport a ‘superbrand’
February 2008
29.02.08 London City Airport defend expansion plans
21.02.08 Fog disrupts London City Airport flights again
21.02.08 New airport flight paths proposed
19.02.08 BA axe London City – Milan flights
06.02.08 London City named best UK airport
02.02.08 BA’s new business only flights seen hurting Eos more than Silverjet
01.02.08 BA plans London City Airport – New York all business flights
London City Airport – Sun man unveils runway ‘bomb’
UK airport with a &lquot;bomb&rquot; — exposing the lax security that could put passengers
at risk of a terror attack. The reporter — posing as a workman — was able to pose
unchallenged with a fake explosive alongside passenger jets and fuel tanks. (Sun)
Click here to view full story…
25.01.08 Livingstone and businesses at odds over London City Airport19.01.08London City Airport expansion ‘benefits homeowners’18.01.08London City Airport marks ‘coming of age’17.01.08New London City Airport – Berlin flights take off
07.08.07London City Airport wants to increase flights by 50%
All articles in reverse date order