Tuesday, August 20, 2024 The UK government has approved London City Airport’s request to increase its annual passenger capacity from 6.5 million to 9 million, marking a significant expansion for the East London airport. This decision follows an appeal by the airport against Newham Council’s initial rejection of the expansion plan in July 2023.
The approval includes the addition of three extra early morning flights during weekdays but rejects the airport’s application to extend its operating hours on Saturdays. London City Airport, which serves as a key hub for business and leisure travelers in the capital, had been pushing for the capacity increase to accommodate growing demand. The airport had also sought to extend its Saturday operating hours from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm, but this proposal was turned down by the government, maintaining the 24-hour weekend curfew starting at 12:30 pm on Saturdays.
In response to the decision, Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport, expressed mixed feelings. “While we welcome the approval to increase our passenger numbers, we are disappointed with the government’s decision to reject our proposal to fly from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Saturday afternoons,” said FitzGerald. She added, “As the government has recognized in its decision, rejecting our request to extend our Saturday afternoon operating hours will slow down airlines bringing cleaner, quieter next-generation aircraft to the airport.
” As part of the approval, London Cit.