London City Airport: A Brief History of Its Origins and Development

London City Airport is a regional airport in the Royal Docks in the Borough of Newham, east London. It serves mainly business travellers who need convenient access to the financial centres of London, such as the City of London and Canary Wharf. It also offers some leisure destinations in Europe and beyond. In this blog post, we will explore the history of this unique airport, from its inception to its present-day operations.

• How London City Airport became a hub for business travellers
• The evolution of London City Airport from a docklands airstrip to a modern terminal
• London City Airport: A brief history of its development and expansion
• The origins and growth of London City Airport in the heart of the capital
• A timeline of London City Airport’s milestones and achievements

The Proposal and Construction

The idea of building an airport in the Docklands area was first proposed in 1981 by Reg Ward, the chief executive of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC). The LDDC was responsible for regenerating the former industrial area that had suffered from decline and decay since the 1960s. Ward discussed his proposal with Sir Philip Beck, chairman of John Mowlem & Co, an engineering company with experience building airports. They agreed that an airport would be beneficial for attracting investment and development to the Docklands.

In 1982, a survey of residents found that most of them supported the idea of an airport in their neighbourhood. However, there were also some objections from environmental groups and local councils who feared that an airport would cause noise pollution and disrupt wildlife habitats. The LDDC applied for planning permission for the airport in 1983, but it was rejected by Newham Council, which argued that an airport was incompatible with residential development.

The LDDC appealed against this decision and eventually won planning permission from the Secretary of State for Transport in May 1985. The detailed planning permission was granted in February 1986, and construction began three months later. Prince Charles laid the foundation stone for the terminal building in July 1986.

The construction involved reclaiming land from King George V Dock by infilling part of it with rubble from demolished buildings. The runway was built on a concrete raft floating over steel piles driven into the dock bed. The platform was supported by 3,000 steel piles driven into the dock bed and covered with 500,000 tonnes of concrete and asphalt. Initially, the runway was 1,080 metres long but extended to 1,508 metres in 1992. R Seifert and Partners designed the terminal building to resemble a dockside warehouse.

One of the main challenges of the construction was to create a runway that could accommodate short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, which were the only ones capable of flying at the steep approach angle required by the airport.

The first aircraft to land at London City Airport was a de Havilland Canada Dash 7 operated by Brymon Airways on May 31st 1987. The first commercial flight took place on October 26th 1987, when Brymon Airways flew to Plymouth. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the airport on November 5th 1987.

The Growth and Expansion

London City Airport started with a single runway measuring 1,080 metres long and a single terminal building with four stands for aircraft parking. Due to noise restrictions and space limitations, it could only accommodate small turboprop aircraft that could perform steep approaches and short take-offs and landings. The initial airlines that served London City Airport were Brymon Airways, Eurocity Express and Air France subsidiary Air Charter.

The airport soon proved popular among business travellers who appreciated its convenience and speed compared to other London airports. The passenger numbers grew steadily from around 133,000 in its first year of operation to over one million by 1993.

To cope with this demand, London City Airport embarked on several expansion projects over the years:

• In 1992, it extended its runway by 428 metres to allow larger aircraft such as BAe-146 jets to operate at London City Airport.
• In 1994-95, it built a new pier with six additional stands for aircraft parking.
• In 2002-03, it enlarged its terminal building by adding a new departure lounge, check-in desks and baggage reclaim area.
• In 2008-09, it further expanded its terminal building by adding more security lanes, retail outlets and catering facilities.
• In 2016-17, it upgraded its runway lighting system and installed new navigational aids to improve safety and efficiency.
• In 2019-20, it completed a major redevelopment project that included building a new passenger pier with eight more stands for aircraft parking; constructing a parallel taxiway to reduce runway occupancy.

One of the most distinctive features of London City Airport is its steep approach angle, which is necessary to comply with noise restrictions and avoid the surrounding buildings. The airport can only accommodate aircraft specially certified to fly at 5.5 degrees, compared to the standard 3 degrees at most airports. This makes landing at London City Airport a unique and thrilling experience for pilots and passengers alike.

FAQs for London City Airport history

London City Airport is one of the most convenient and accessible airports in the UK, located just six miles from central London. But how did it come to be? Here are some frequently asked questions about the history of London City Airport.