by London City Airport is seeking to increase passenger numbers by three million a year by applying to raise its customer cap.
The Docklands-based airport has asked Newham local council to increase from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers a year by 2031.
The bosses also asked to extend the Saturday closing time from 12:30 to 18:30. They are also looking to extend operating hours by 30 minutes on weekday mornings and evenings to allow for the runway to be used between 6:30 and 7:00.
Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said the proposals were designed to “ensure flying from London City becomes more sustainable” and were developed in “close consultation with key airline customers”.
He added in a statement: “As we recover from the pandemic and demand increases, we need to ensure that London City can accommodate the increase in business and leisure passengers expected over the next decade or so, particularly as East London grows, and more and more passengers are choosing to fly through London’s faster and more convenient airport”.
The application follows a 10-week consultation and no changes to the current eight-hour curfew, which sees flights halted overnight, will be implemented, he said.
In addition, the number of flights will remain limited to 110,000 per annum, but increased schedules will allow London City to reach this capacity and the wider choice of schedules could lead to higher ticket sales.
Furthermore, there will be no further infrastructure and Saturday flights will have the latest, greenest and most energy efficient aircraft. Sunday hours would remain from 12:30 to 22:00.
London City is also looking to leverage its connections from the DLR by installing bus links to stations on the Elizabeth line, which runs to Heathrow Airport.
Sinclair added in his statement: “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 impact 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.”
The application is expected to be posted on Newham Council’s planning portal from January, with an opportunity for borough residents to comment.
