Government approval has been granted for London City Airport’s £344m transformation project.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, confirmed that planning permission had been granted for the City Airport Development Programme (CADP), which includes the construction of seven new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and an extension to the passenger terminal. London City Airport welcomed a record-breaking 4.3 million passengers last year and says the transformation will enable 6.5 million people to use the airport by 2025.
The planning decision was formally approved by the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid.
A statement on the airport’s website said the expansion also “opens up the possibility of more destination choice, with quieter, more fuel efficient, ‘next generation’ aircraft unlocking the opportunity to fly greater distances to destinations in the Gulf and Middle East, Turkey, Russia and the east coast of the United States”. Bombardier recently confirmed that its new CS100 airliner could fly 2,350nm from the Docklands airport, enabling the aircraft to fly non-stop to Moscow or Cairo.
London City Airport estimates that the expansion will create 1,600 airport jobs together with 500 construction jobs. The CADP could potentially contribute £1.5 billion to the UK economy by 2025.
As part of the project, the airport will invest £2.6m in additional rolling stock for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as well as funding improvements to the roads, paths and cycle routes leading to the site.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond said: “London City Airport’s ambitious growth plans will boost international connections, strengthening the City of London’s links to destinations across the world, and send a clear signal that Britain is open for business. Making it easier to visit and do business in the City of London will help drive forward our economy and further strengthen the city’s status as the world’s leading financial centre. This is a real vote of confidence in the resilience of our economy, creating over a thousand new jobs.”
The government says London City Airport will provide a “generous” compensation package to local residents affected by the increase in air traffic.
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