London City Airport History

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London City Airport History


London City Airport is one of the UK’s newest and most modern airports, with the original proposal for an airport in the London Docklands Area put forward in only 1981. With continued expansion and growth since then, including a branch of the Docklands Light Railway providing direct rail access to the airport and the introduction of transatlantic flights in 2009, London City Airport has flourished amidst its heavyweight competitors, London-Heathrow and London-Gatwick. 2011 will see London City Airport celebrating its 30th birthday with plans for further expansion.

London City Airport Timeline

  • 1981 – Proposal for the construction of London City Airport is made on the basis of providing an airport for the London Docklands Area
  • 1985 – Planning permission granted for London City Airport by the Secretary of State for Transport
  • 1986 – Foundation stone for the terminal building laid by Prince Charles the Prince of Wales
  • 1987 – First aircraft lands at London City Airport and commercial services begin operating in October
  • 1988 – First full year of operation, London City Airport handles 133,000 passengers
  • 1990 – Airport handles 230,000 passengers before numbers decline after the Gulf War
  • 1992 – Extended runway opened
  • 1993 – Passenger figures recover with London City Airport handling 245,000; almost quarter of a million
  • 1995 – Half a million passengers now travelling through London City Airport per year
  • 2002 – New jet centre opened for corporate aviation
  • 2003 – New holding point established for aircraft awaiting take-off
  • 2005 – New branch of Docklands Light Railway opened to provide direct rail access to London City Airport
  • 2006 – Airport sold to consortium consisting of insurer AIG and Global Infrastructure Partners
  • 2008 – Work completed on four additional aircraft parking stands
  • 2009 – First transatlantic flights to New York JFK scheduled from London City Airport with British Airways

Airlines at London City Airport

More than 10 airlines operate flights out of London City Airport, including British Airways’ Cityflyer Airline, which provides flights to 16 UK and European mainland cities. Smaller airlines include Luxair and Aer Arann, providing limited services, while CityJet, operated by Air France also flies to a number of European cities. Popular destinations from London City Airport include Zurich, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Geneva.

History at London City Airport

London City Airport serves a large number of business passengers flying from the UK capital to a variety of UK and European mainland destinations. With good transport connections and modern services and facilities, the airport’s relatively short history makes it one of the most convenient to travel from in the UK. Airparks offer a great range of London City Airport Parking options, which can be pre-booked online at discounted prices.