London City Airport welcomes record-breaking 4.5 million passengers in 2016

Expanding routes, investment in facilities and the continued convenience of the only airport actually in London has led to a record-breaking year for London City Airport (LCY). In 2016 the airport, which is located in London’s Royal Docks, welcomed 4,526,059 passengers – the largest number of passengers in its 30-year history, representing 5% year-on-year growth compared to 2015.

London City Airport CEO Declan Collier said:

“More people are travelling and making the right choice by opting for London City Airport. Our offer of a speedy and efficient passenger experience, just 6 miles from the City of London, means less time in transit and more time for the purpose of your trip.

“With 52% of all passengers travelling for business, the 5% year-on-year growth demonstrates that the appetite for business travel to and from London remains strong despite the unpredictable political climate, as we prepare to expand the airport in 2017 to meet increasing demand.”

2016 was an eventful year for London City Airport, crowned the ‘Best Regional Airport in the World 2016’ by the industry body CAPA (the Centre for Aviation). Six new routes were also added including Bergerac, Alicante, Berlin, Bremen, Cardiff, Paris Charles De Gaulle and Rennes.

Most significantly, in summer 2016, the UK Government approved planning permission for the £344 million City Airport Development Programme (CADP), construction for which begins this year.

The development will enable 6.5 million passengers to travel through the airport’s doors by 2025 and add 29,000 additional flights per year. The privately funded investment includes plans for 7 new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway to maximise runway capacity, and a terminal extension to accommodate increasing passenger numbers.

In February the airport also came under the new ownership of a consortium of international infrastructure investors: Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) and Wren House Infrastructure Management Limited, the infrastructure investing arm of the Kuwait Investment Authority.

The 10 commercial airlines which operate from LCY serve nearly 50 domestic, European and US destinations, with the most popular routes by passenger numbers including Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Rotterdam and Dublin.

The busiest ever month was also recorded in 2016, in July, during which 421,518 passengers departed or arrived at the airport.