London City Airport wants to increase number of flights Published duration 28 June 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption London City Airport predicts passenger demand could rise to 11m a year by 2035

London City Airport wants to increase the number of its flights to meet "increased passenger demand".

The current annual limit of 111,000 should be increased by 36% to 151,000 by 2035, according to a draft master plan out for consultation. This could mean an extra 110 flights per day.

Campaigners described the plan as a "disaster for residents".

The airport pledged up to 2,500 new jobs and that sustainability was "central" to its thinking.

There were 75,000 flights carrying more than 4.8m people at the airport in 2018 and passenger numbers have increased by 42% over the past five years.

The draft plan forecasts that by 2030 passenger demand to use the airport in the Royal Docks, east London, could increase to 9.8m per year and to 11m by 2035.

'Flights could double'

Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said the proposal was a "long-term vision for London City Airport, detailing how London's most central airport can meet continued demand sustainably, create jobs and opportunities for east London, and support the capital as a major global city for tourism and business".

"These proposals reflect the airport's changing role, with an increasing proportion of leisure passengers choosing the airport, and east London's continued transformation."

John Stewart, chair of Hacan East which campaigns about the impact of the airport on local communities, said: "For all its green talk, this plan would be a disaster for residents.

"Flight numbers could almost double from today's total."

The airport insists it will retain its eight-hour night-time closure and not permit any noisier aircraft than those currently operating.

Newham Council, which would decide on any bid to increase operational caps, said it remained "committed to improving air quality in Newham" and pledged to make the borough "carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050".