London City Submits Planning Application to the London Borough of Newham

  • Application submitted to the London Borough of Newham for changes to the airport’s existing planning permission after reflecting feedback from 10-week consultation exercise 
  • Airport requesting increase in its annual passenger cap from 6.5 million to 9 million and to fly on Saturday afternoon until 6.30pm, with an additional hour in Summer for arrivals only  
  • No increase to the annual number of permitted flights, which will remain at 111,000, and no change to the existing 8 hour night time curfew  
  • If consented, the proposals will create almost 2,200 new jobs across London by 2031 and boost business recovery post pandemic by contributing to productivity, growth, and investment. Overall, the proposals would contribute an additional £702 million in Gross Value Added to London’s economy.   
  • A substantial mitigation package accompanies the application including a mandate that only cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft can fly in any extended hours; improved noise mitigation for local residents; a £3.8 million community fund, and plans to invest in improved public transport services
  • It is expected that the London Borough of Newham will commence a 30-day public consultation on the proposals from mid-January 2023

London, UK – 19 December, 2022 

London City Airport today submitted an application to the London Borough of Newham to make changes to its existing planning permission. 

The application follows an extensive 10-week local consultation carried out by the airport and includes: 

  • Increasing the current planning cap on the number of passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers per annum by 2031  
  • An extension to the operating hours on Saturday from the current closing time of 12.30pm to 6.30 pm, with an additional hour in Summer for arriving flights only, up to a maximum of 12
  • Allowing three additional flights in the first half hour of operations on Mondays to Saturdays (6.30am-6.59am) with a new limit of 9 flights instead of the current limit of 6 flights
  • A requirement that all aircraft operating in the newly extended hours on Saturday or additional flights in the first 30 minutes must be cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft, operating to the highest noise and emissions standards 

What will not change as part of the application: 

  • The airport is not seeking any increase to the annual number of permitted flights, which will remain at 111,000 
  • No change to the existing 8-hour nightly curfew  
  • No additional infrastructure  
  • Sunday operations will be unchanged, commencing from 12.30pm until 10.00pm 
  • No change to the restrictions in the last 30 minutes of operations which will remain capped at 400 per annum for late departing or arriving aircraft 

In a first for a UK airport, London City will mandate that only cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft will be allowed to operate in any newly extended hours on a Saturday, and for any new flights in the first half hour of the day.  

This will result in airlines replacing their older fleets with new generation aircraft in order to benefit from any increased flexibility, which in turn will accelerate the benefits of quieter aircraft for local residents throughout the week as the airport becomes home to one of the youngest, most modern, aircraft fleets in the country.  

The proposals have been developed in close consultation with the airport’s major airlines who support the sustainability ambitions in the plans.

With East London, and Newham in particular, facing up to the stark challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, the airport will, as part of the plans, offer a new Community Fund of £3.8 million over ten years to be distributed directly to local good causes via the established Trust. Currently, the airport’s Community Fund awards £75,000 per year. The growth in passenger numbers to 9 million annually and increased flexibility will also create almost 2,200 additional jobs across London, with 1,340 being created at the airport itself.  

The plans include further enhancements to the airport’s sound insulation scheme, which is already one of the most generous in the UK.

In addition, the airport plans to create a Transport Fund which could be used to improve bus connections between the airport and the Elizabeth Line and enhanced DLR operations in the mornings, benefiting staff, passengers, and local residents.  

Commenting on the plans, the airport’s Chief Executive, Robert Sinclair, said: “As we bounce back from the pandemic and demand increases, we need to ensure London City can accommodate the increase in business and leisure passengers forecast over the next decade or so, particularly as East London grows, and more and more passengers choose to fly through London’s fastest and most convenient airport. Most importantly, the proposals have been very carefully designed with input from our airlines to ensure that flying from London City becomes more sustainable, with more new generation aircraft, reducing noise impacts and emissions per passenger. 

“We are committed to working with our local community to ensure our plans work for residents as well as our airlines and passengers. We have listened to the feedback provided in our extensive consultation, and have adjusted the proposals to reflect concerns raised, including reducing the proposed increase in operating hours on Saturdays, reducing the proposed increase in flights in the first 30 minutes and retaining the existing limit on flights in the last 30 minutes. Our proposals will create more jobs, invest more money into the local community, fund better transport connections and improve sound insulation for local residents.” 

More detail on the proposals will be available once the London Borough of Newham have checked the application details and publicise their statutory consultation on the proposals. This is expected to run from mid-January 2023.

Ends.  

Notes to Editor

  • London City Airport’s non statutory 10-week consultation took place between July 1st and September 9th, 2022, in which it received over 5000 responses from a range of stakeholders.
  • In the consultation process, concerns were expressed about a potential Saturday closure of 10pm and a potential increase of flights from 6 to 12, in the first 30 minutes of operation (06.30 – 06.59). However, there was significant support for the principle of more new generation aircraft using the airport, particularly in any extended operating hours.
  • The airport consequently adjusted its proposals, as detailed in the above release, coming forward with a proposed Saturday closure of 6.30pm (with an additional hour in Summer for arrivals only up to a maximum of 12) and an increase of only 3 flights in the first 30 minutes of operation.
  • Newham, as the local planning authority, will be responsible for the next round of consultation. Following validating the airport’s submission, consultation will likely begin in mid-January. All of the supporting documents, compiled by the airport, will then be available on the Newham website.