London City airport bids to hike annual passenger numbers to 9m

London City airport is bidding to raise annual passenger numbers by 3.5 million to 9 million.

An application has been submitted to the London Borough of Newham to make changes to its existing planning permission.

The application follows an 10-week local consultation carried out by the airport.

It now wants to increase the current planning cap on the number of passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers a year by 2031.

An extension to operating hours is also being sought on Saturdays from the current closing time of 12.30pm to 6.30pm, with an additional hour in summer for arriving flights only, up to a maximum of 12.

The airport also wants permission to allow three additional early morning flights on Mondays to Saturdays between 6.30am and 6.59am with a new limit of nine flights instead of the current limit of six.

All aircraft operating in the newly extended hours on Saturdays or additional flights in the first 30 minutes must be cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft, operating to the highest noise and emissions standards.

London City pointed out that is not seeking any increase to the annual number of permitted flights, which will remain at 111,000 or to change an existing eight-hour nightly curfew.

Sunday operations would also be unchanged, commencing from 12.30pm until 10.00pm.

London City will mandate that only cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft will be allowed to operate in any newly extended hours on a Saturday, and for any new flights in the first half hour of the day.

The proposals have been developed in close consultation with the airport’s major airlines who support the “sustainability ambitions” outlined.

As part of the plans, the airport will offer a new community fund of £3.8 million over ten years to be distributed directly to local good causes up from £75,000 a year.

The growth in annual passenger numbers to 9 million and increased flexibility will create almost 2,200 additional jobs across London, with 1,340 at the airport itself, according to London City.

The plans include further enhancements to the airport’s sound insulation scheme.

The airport also plans to create a transport fund which could be used to improve bus connections to the Elizabeth Line and enhanced DLR operations in the mornings.

More detail on the proposals will be available once the London Borough of Newham has checked the application details and publicise their statutory consultation on the proposals. This is expected to run from mid-January 2023.

Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said: “As we bounce back from the pandemic and demand increases, we need to ensure London City can accommodate the increase in business and leisure passengers forecast over the next decade or so, particularly as east London grows, and more and more passengers choose to fly through London’s fastest and most convenient airport. 

“Most importantly, the proposals have been very carefully designed with input from our airlines to ensure that flying from London City becomes more sustainable, with more new generation aircraft, reducing noise impacts and emissions per passenger.

“We are committed to working with our local community to ensure our plans work for residents as well as our airlines and passengers.

“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. 

“Our proposals will create more jobs, invest more money into the local community, fund better transport connections and improve sound insulation for local residents.”