London City Airport

London City Airport File:LCYlogo.jpg
IATA: LCY ICAO: EGLC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	AIG, GE Capital and Credit Suisse
Operator	London City Airport Ltd.
Serves	London, England
Location	London Docklands
Elevation AMSL	19 ft / 6 m
Coordinates	51°30′18″N 000°03′19″E
Website	www.londoncityairport.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 10/28 1,508 4,984 Grooved Concrete
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft Movements 79,436 Passengers 2,358,184
Source: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK CAA

London City Airport (IATA: LCY, ICAO: EGLC) is a single-runway airport, intended for use by STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) airliners, and principally serving the financial districts of London. It is located on a former Docklands site, directly opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in East London, England, and was developed by the engineering company Mowlem in 1986/87. London City is the fifth-largest international airport in size serving the London area after Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton.

London City Airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P728) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction, subject to an aircraft being approved for a 5.5 degree or steeper approach.

The airport has produced a master plan outlining their vision for growth up to 2030. The plan shows a phased expansion of the airport to a maximum capacity of 8 million passengers per annum, without the addition of a second runway, or significant expansion of the current airport boundaries.

London City Airport was purchased from the Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond, in October 2006 by a consortium comprising AIG Financial Products Corp. and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for an undisclosed sum. Speculation suggests the sale is valued at over £750 million. In 2007, London City Airport experienced a record 2.9 million passengers; a 23 percent rise over 2006.

Since 1996 the airport has been managed by its Chief Executive, Richard Gooding OBE.

History of the airport

Proposal and construction

The airport was first proposed in 1981 by Reg Ward, who was Chief Executive of the newly formed London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) that was responsible for the regeneration of the area. He in turn discussed the proposal with Sir Philip Beck (Chairman of John Mowlem & Co plc) and the idea of an airport for Docklands was born. By November of that year Mowlem and Brymon Airways had submitted an outline proposal to the LDDC for a Docklands STOLport city centre gateway.

On 27 June 1982 Brymon Captain Harry Gee landed a de Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft on Heron Quays, in the nearby West India Docks, in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the STOLport project. Later that year the LDDC published a feasability study, an opinion poll amongst local residents showed a majority in favour of the development of the airport, and Mowlem submitted the application for planning permission.

A 63 day planning enquiry started on 6 June 1983. By the middle of the following year, the Secretary of State for Transport had indicated that he was disposed to agree the application, but asked for further details. After the failure of a court case brought by the Greater London Council in 1985, outline planning permission was granted in May of that year, followed by the grant of detailed planning permission in early 1986.

Construction began on the site shortly after permission was granted, with the Prince of Wales laying the foundation stone of the terminal building on May 29 1986. The first aircraft landed on May 31 1987, with the first commercial services operating from October 26 1987. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened London City Airport in November of the same year.

Placing a commercial airport into congested airspace (the London Terminal Area (TMA)) was a challenge for the National Air Traffic Services (NATS). In the event, a new airspace authority, Thames Radar, was established to provide a radar control service and provide safe separations for London City arrivals and departures.

Operation and extension

Looking east to London City Airport from Royal Victoria Dock

In 1988, the first full year of operation, the airport handled 133,000 passengers. The earliest scheduled flights were operated to and from Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. With a runway of only 1080 metres in length, and a glideslope of 7.5 degrees, the airport could only be used by a very limited number of aircraft types, principally the Dash 7 and the smaller Dornier Do 228. In 1989, the airport submitted a planning application to extend the runway, allowing the use of a larger number of aircraft types.

In 1990 the airport handled 230,000 passengers, but the figures fell drastically after the Gulf War and did not recover until 1993 when 245,000 passengers were carried. By this time the extended runway had been approved and opened (on March 5 1992). At the same time the glideslope was reduced to 5.5 degrees, still steep for a European airport, but sufficient to allow a larger range of aircraft, including the BAe 146 regional jet liner, to serve the airport.

By 1995 passenger numbers reached the half million, and Mowlem sold the airport to Irish businessman Dermot Desmond. Five years later passenger numbers had climbed to 1,580,000, and over 52,000 flights were operated. In 2002 the new jet centre catering for corporate aviation was opened, along with additional aircraft stands at the western end of the apron. In 2003 a new holding point was established at the eastern end of the runway, enabling aircraft awaiting takeoff to hold there whilst other aircraft landed.

By 2006, more than 2.3 million passengers used the airport. On December 2 2005, London City Airport DLR station opened on a branch of the Docklands Light Railway, providing rail access to the airport for the first time, and providing fast rail links to Canary Wharf and the City of London. On November 30 2006, the airport was sold to a consortium consisting of insurer AIG and Global Infrastructure Partners.

The airport today

LCY

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The location of London City Airport within Greater London

Operations

The airport has stringent rules imposed on the noise impact from aircraft operations. This, together with the physical dimensions of the runway and the steep glideslope, limits the aircraft types that can use London City Airport.

Mid-range airliners seen at London City include the ATR42, DHC Dash 8, BAe-146 Whisperjet, Dornier 328, Embraer ERJ 135, Embraer E-Jets, Fokker 70, Fokker 50 and Saab 2000. Successful compatibility testing for the Airbus A318 was undertaken in 2006.

Corporate aircraft such as the Beechcraft Super King Air, Cessna Citation, Hawker 400, Hawker 800, and variants of the Dassault Falcon bizjet are increasingly common. Helicopters are denied access for environmental reasons.

The size and layout of the airport and overall complexity caused by the lack of concrete mean that the airport gets very busy during peak hours. The Air Traffic Controllers have to deal with over 38 flights an hour on a runway requiring a lengthy backtrack for each aircraft wishing to depart.

Operations are restricted to 06.30 to 22.00 Monday to Friday, 06.30 to 12.30 on Saturdays and 12.30 to 22.00 on Sundays. The closure of the airport between 12.30 on Saturday and 12.30 on Sunday is in order to give local residents some relief from noise.

The size of the airport, constrained by the water-filled Royal Albert and King George V docks to the north and south respectively, means that there are no covered maintenance facilities for aircraft.

Terminal facilities

London City Airport is small compared with the other four London international airports. Users include business travellers from London's Docklands and financial district, and leisure passengers. Inside the terminal there are 22 check-in desks plus 12 self-service kiosks for Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa and SAS. There are ten gates at London City Airport, with a further five stands to the west and four stands to the east connected via an airside bus.

It has become a useful adjunct to London's larger airports, particularly for workers in Docklands, and has met its operating costs in recent years. It is an important element in the Newham labour market and, together with the nearby ExCeL Exhibition Centre, has stimulated a local surge of hotel building. On the other hand the airport flight path restricts the maximum height of new skyscrapers in and around Canary Wharf, and the management keeps a close watch on planning applications for tall buildings in the area.

London City Airport is the closest private jet centre to central London. In 2005 the centre was voted the best corporate aviation passenger handling facility in Europe by European Business Air News.

LCY is at its busiest during the winter months, when a rise in total passengers is seen due to flights to ski resorts run by Swiss International Air Lines.

Airlines and destinations

• Air France
  • operated by CityJet (Dublin, Geneva, Nice, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Zurich)
  • operated by Scot Airways (Dundee, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Strasbourg)
• Air One
  • operated by Transwede Airways (Milan-Linate)
• Austrian Airlines
  • operated by Austrian Arrows (Vienna [ends 18 August])
• British Airways
  • operated by BA CityFlyer (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Glasgow-International, Madrid, Nice, Warsaw, Zürich)
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
  • operated by KLM Cityhopper (Amsterdam)
• Lufthansa
  • operated by Augsburg Airways (Frankfurt, Munich)
  • operated by Contact Air (Düsseldorf, Hamburg)
  • operated by Eurowings (Berlin-Tegel, Frankfurt)
  • operated by Lufthansa CityLine (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Luxair (Luxembourg, Saarbrucken [begins 1 September])
• Scandinavian Airlines System
  • operated by Atlantic Airways (Copenhagen)
  • operated by Transwede Airways (Oslo, Stockholm-Arlanda)
• Swiss International Air Lines
  • operated by Swiss European Air Lines (Basel/Mulhouse, Geneva, Zürich)
• VLM Airlines (Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg, Manchester, Rotterdam)

Ground transportation

London City Airport DLR station

London City Airport is linked to both London's new financial district at Canary Wharf and to the traditional financial district of the City of London via the Docklands Light Railway, and with interchange to the London Underground at various stations. London City Airport DLR station is situated immediately adjacent to the terminal building, with enclosed access to and from the elevated platforms.

The airport is served by London Bus services 473 and 474 running to local East London destinations, however the express shuttle buses that formerly ran to various destination were withdrawn after the DLR line was built. The airport also has both short and long term car parks, both within walking distance of the terminal, and a taxi rank immediately outside the terminal door.

Future of the airport

Apron extension

London City Airport was granted planning permission to construct an extended apron with four additional aircraft parking stands and four new gates to the east of the terminal in 2001. Work is almost completed with the four stands now operational and the gates to open on the 30th May 2008. They are carried on piles above the water of the King George V Dock.

Terminal Redevelopment

As part of the expected growth in passenger numbers, the airport is increasing the amount of airside space. The Meridian Business Centre which was a conference facility was closed in December 2007. This former landside space has now being re-developed and opened on the 4th May 2008 as part of the departure lounge. The new departure lounge area contains new shops, a bar and additional seating.

Airport masterplan

In response to the UK government white paper The Future of Air Transport, the airport operators have produced a master plan outlining their vision for growth up to 2030. The plan was subject to public consultation during spring 2006, and has been republished incorporating comments from this consultation. The master plan shows a phased expansion of the airport, giving the capability of handling 8 million passengers per annum by 2030. It does not propose the addition of a second runway, or significant expansion of the current airport boundaries.

Phase 1 of this development would be undertaken by 2015. It would include the currently in progress construction of the eastern apron extension and provision of a finger pier to the south of this apron to provide passenger access to aircraft using the new parking stands. The terminal building would also be extended to use the triangle of land between it and the railway station. The existing jet centre serving corporate aviation would be extended, a new hangar built to allow aircraft maintenance, and a replacement fire station provided.

Phases 2 and 3 would be undertaken between 2015 and 2030. Further aircraft parking stands would be built to the east of the terminal, and a taxiway would be constructed alongside and to the south of the runway, to avoid the need for aircraft to back-track on the runway. Both these developments would involve further reduction in the water area of the King George V Dock. The existing fuel farm would be relocated to a site at the east of the airport, where it could be supplied by barge, and linked to a hydrant based supply system, thus eliminating both road tanker deliveries and on-airport fuel bowser movements. The existing surface car park would be replaced by a multi-storey car park, allowing extension of the vehicle drop-off and pick up area. The jet centre and hangar facilities would be further extended. Finally the existing terminal building would be replaced.

In line with phase 1 of the master plan, London City Airport made a planning application to the London Borough of Newham in August 2007. This would allow it to increase the number of flights per year from 80,000 to 120,000 by 2010.

In July 2008, the Planning Officer for Newham Council, Mr Sunil Sahadevan produced a report on the Planning Application.. He recommended to grant planning permission from 80,000 to 120,000 per annum.

The decision was deferred by the Council's Development Control Committee at their meeting on 30th July 2008, following a request from the Mayor for London that the decision be delayed until after a study by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has been published.

Transatlantic services

On 1 February 2008 British Airways announced their intention to operate the first scheduled transatlantic flights from the airport, with a service to New York using Airbus A318 aircraft commencing in 2009. The aircraft will be configured with 32 seats in an all business class cabin with lie-flat beds. The departing New York-bound flight from London City will stop to refuel at another airport (most likely Shannon, Ireland), but the eastbound flight into London City will be non-stop. The airport to be served in the New York area has yet to be determined, but will be either John F. Kennedy or Newark, depending on the availability of takeoff and landing slots.

Planning History

There is extensive Planning History association for the London City Airport. However the following is recent planning history.

	Application No	Description	Flight Limit
May 1985	Ref No. N/82/104	Outline planning permission granted (subject to s106 agreement for LCY (or "STOLport as it was known then	30,160 air transport movement
Sept 1991	Ref No. LRP4/G57501/01 LRP219/J9510/917	Planning permission granted for the extension of the extention of the existing runway and the variation of conditions attached to the original 1985 planning permission.	36,000 noise factored movements per year
July 1998	Ref No. P/97/0826	Planning permission granted subject to s106 agreenment for the variation of conditions attached in the oruginal 1985 planning permission Ref. P/97/0826	73,000 Air Traffic Movements (ATM) and 73,000 noise factored movements per year
Feb 2003	Ref No. P/00/1323	Planning permission granted for operational improvements including construction of runway 28 hold, with associated protective boom, eastern apron extension, association link to runway, extension of pier/noise mitigation barrier. This permission is in the process of being implemented.
Jan 2007	Ref No. P/06/01310/VAR	Planning permission granted (subject to s106 agreement) for the variation of conditions 13 of the 1998 planning permission. Varies Daily limit of 73,000 ATMs. Consent is for 3-year temporary period, expiring 11 July 2010. It was made temporary to allow the Council an opportunity to consider the actual impacts.	73,000
July 2007	07/01510/VAR	Planning Application to allow up to 120,000 total aircraft movement (Pending outcome)

Controversy

The current planning application, which seeks to increase flight movements to 120,000 per annum, has attracted local controversy. The "Fight the Flights" campaign group argues that "It would mean excessive noise levels will go over an additional 46,000 residents across Newham, Greenwich and Tower Hamlets". Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has intervened to delay the decision while aviation authorities study the issue further.

External links

• London City Airport Official Website
• London City Airport Consultative Committee
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