London City Airport may well be the most challenging in the country for pilots. The runway is short – just 1,500 metres, which is less than half the length of those at Heathrow – and approaching aircraft must descend steeply above the capital’s skyscrapers.

But in this video, taken from the cockpit of a British Airways plane, it's made to look routine.

Karen Atherton, a pilot for 26 years, and one of just 27 BA captains qualified to land at London City, walks viewers through it, highlighting London’s landmarks, including the London Eye, the Shard and Tower Bridge, while explaining what various cockpit noises signify.

London City Airport has one of the smallest runways in Britain Credit: GETTY

The views of the city are superb for ordinary passengers – the airport approach is regularly described as one of the most spectacular in the world – but the video offers an entirely new perspective.

A timelapse of the approach can be seen below.

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“The views flying into London are breathtaking, and are a constant reminder of what an incredibly beautiful city it really is,” says Atherton, who is joined in the clip by Senior First Officer Paul Riglar.

“The level of training required is demanding, and rightly so, but the flying is extremely rewarding.

“I have one of the best commutes home in the world, and it’s great to be able to share the experience with our customers with this video.”

BA flies a specially modified Airbus A318 to the airport, with spoilers on the wing to produce enough aerodynamic drag to maintain the approach speed.

The airline offers a twice-daily business class-only service from London City to New York JFK using the airline’s old Concorde flight designation numbers – BA0001, BA0002, BA0003, BA0004. Follow this link for more information on BA flights to and from the airport.