London City Airport to Increase Passenger Capacity by 2.5 Million


The annual passenger cap at London City Airport will rise from 6.5 million to 9 million under government-approved plans. However, a separate proposal to extend the airport's Saturday flight curfew from 12:30 to 18:30 was rejected following an appeal decision, as published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Alison FitzGerald, the airport's chief executive, expressed approval of the increased passenger cap but stated she was "disappointed" by the refusal to alter the curfew.
Greenpeace criticised the decision, claiming it "undermines the UK’s climate leadership" and would primarily "benefit an elite of wealthy frequent fliers."
Weekend Respite
The increase in the passenger cap will be accompanied by more morning flights between 06:00 and 09:00, with the stipulation that quieter aircraft are used during these hours. The airport had proposed allowing only "cleaner, quieter, next-generation aircraft" during the extended period.
Newham Council's strategic development committee unanimously rejected the airport’s proposals in July 2023, leading to an appeal being brought to the Planning Inspectorate. A key concern raised by the committee was the potential impact on the long-standing "weekend respite" rule, which has been in place for 25 years.
The Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, voiced her concerns about the increased aircraft noise affecting residents but welcomed the government’s decision to maintain the Saturday curfew. She stated, "I remain deeply concerned that our residents will be seriously harmed by the impact of further air-flight noise with today’s decision to allow an increase in flights in the early mornings throughout the rest of the week. We will be studying the decision notice carefully and considering all options as we remain concerned about the detrimental impacts on the health and quality of life of our residents."
Ms FitzGerald remarked, "The refusal to extend our Saturday afternoon operating hours will hinder the introduction of cleaner, quieter next-generation aircraft at the airport. Local residents would have benefited from these aircraft operating throughout the week, not just during the extended hours."
The decision was made by Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Louise Haigh, the Secretary of State for Transport. In a letter outlining their decision, they stated, "The Secretaries of State also agree that reducing the curfew would not contribute to a reduction in overall noise impact."
The cabinet ministers concurred that the increase in the passenger cap is necessary to accommodate growing demand at the airport.
'Clumsy Misstep'
Paul Morozzo, a climate campaigner for Greenpeace UK, criticised the decision, calling it "a surprisingly clumsy misstep from our new government." He noted that "over half of the destinations served by the airport can be reached by train in under six hours, with Amsterdam and Edinburgh among the most popular routes."
Posted on 20 August 2024