London City Airport has received planning permission from the UK Government for its £344 million (€409m) expansion, which will enable the airport to welcome 6.5 million passengers and potentially add £1.5 billion (€1.7bn) into the UK and London economy by 2025.
The City Airport Development Programme (CADP) is a privately-funded investment, which includes plans for seven new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and passenger terminal extension.
The development will transform the airport, one of East London’s largest employers in London Royal Dock, enabling the airport to welcome quieter, next generation aircraft and add more capacity. Last year, the airport welcomed a record-breaking 4.3 million passengers.
“Today the new government has shown it is ready to act in the best interests of the British economy,” comments Declan Collier, CEO London City Airport. “Expansion at London City Airport will create more than 2,000 new jobs in East London, add much-needed aviation capacity in the South East, and generate an additional £750 million (€900m) per year for the UK economy. As the airport serving by far the highest proportion of business travellers in the UK (52%), who do some £11 billion (€13bn) of trade in Europe annually, today the government has sent a strong message that London and the UK are very much open for business.”
Moreover, the construction phase of the development will create 500 jobs and a further 1,600 jobs once completed. Under the plans the airport can add approximately a further 32,000 flights by 2025, movements which are already permitted, helping to unlock more air capacity within London’s airport system in advance of a new runway for the South East of England.
It will also open up exciting opportunities for airlines for long-haul destinations, including the Gulf and Middle East, Turkey, Russia and the east coast of the United States.