Wednesday, August 21, 2024 London, UK – London City Airport (EGLC) is set to significantly increase its passenger capacity, moving from 6.5 million to 9 million annually. This development follows a decision by the UK government, which overturned an earlier veto by local authorities, as revealed in a public inquiry concluded on Monday.
While the expansion permits a higher number of passengers, it will not result in more aircraft movements, thus ensuring that business aviation at the downtown airport remains unaffected. The airport, a key hub near London’s financial district, will see three additional flights during the early morning hours on weekdays, although a request to extend Saturday operating hours was denied. The current operating hours—6:30 a.
m. to 10:30 p.m.
on weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.
m. on Saturdays, and 12:30 p.m.
to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays—will remain unchanged.
The additional provision allows for flights delayed earlier in the day to take off or land in the final 30 minutes of operation. This expansion comes in the wake of reduced passenger numbers in recent years, with last year’s figures showing a decline to 3.4 million from a peak of 5.
1 million in 2019. EGLC has committed to using only the latest, environmentally friendly and quieter next-generation aircraft during these extended hours, while ensuring no new infrastructure is added to the existing site..
