London City seeks permission to up passenger cap to nine million
James ChappleLondon City airport has launched its bid to increase passenger numbers by more than a third and extend flight operations on Saturdays.
The airport has submitted an application to London’s Newham council to modify its existing operating conditions following a 10-week consultation.
City wants to increase its annual passenger cap from 6.5 million to nine million a year by 2031.
It also wants to extend flight operations on Saturdays through to 6.30pm, and to 7.30pm in the summer – with the extra hour being reserved for arrivals only, up to a maximum of 12.
Saturday flight operations currently end at 12.30pm.
If its request to the council is successful, City will also win permission for an additional three flights in the first half hour of operations Monday-Saturday (between 6.30am and 7am) raising the limit from six to nine.
All aircraft operating during City’s proposed extended hours during the week and on Saturdays will be required to be "cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft" operating to more modern noise and emissions standards, in what City claims is a first for a UK airport.
"This will result in airlines replacing their older fleets with new generation aircraft in order to benefit from any increased flexibility, which in turn will accelerate the benefits of quieter aircraft for local residents throughout the week as the airport becomes home to one of the youngest, most modern, aircraft fleets in the country," City claimed.
City said it was not seeking to increase its annual number of permitted flights, currently 111,000; to change its existing eight-hour nightly curfew; to alter Sunday operations (12.30pm to 10pm); or to introduce any additional infrastructure.
Restrictions on aircraft movements in the final 30 minutes of operations each day will remain capped at 400 a year for late departing or arriving aircraft.
City said the proposals would create more than 2,000 new jobs across London by 2031, 1,340 of which would be at the airport itself, and boost business post-pandemic, with the changes likely to contribute more than an additional £700 million to London’s economy.
Other ambitions, said City, would include improved noise mitigation for residents local to the airport, the creation of a community fund worth £3.8 million over ten years, and planned investment in public transport.
A new transport fund would be used to improve bus connections between the airport and the Elizabeth line (Crossrail), which connects with Heathrow, as well as enhanced operations on London’s DLR.
Newham is expected to launch a fresh 30-day public consultation on the proposals in mid-January, said City.
Growth plans
Robert Sinclair, London City chief executive, said the plans would ensure the airport is ready to accommodate the anticipated rise in business and leisure passenger over the next decade and beyond, growing in line with east London.
"The proposals have been very carefully designed with input from our airlines to ensure flying from London City becomes more sustainable, with more new generation aircraft, reducing noise impacts and emissions per passenger," said Sinclair.
Sinclair said working with the community local to the airport would be vital. "We have listened to the feedback provided in our extensive consultation, and have adjusted the proposals to reflect concerns raised – including reducing the proposed increase in operating hours on Saturdays, reducing the proposed increase in flights in the first 30 minutes and retaining the existing limit on flights in the last 30 minutes."
City said it received more than 5,000 responses to its 10-week consultation in the summer.
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