London City Airport welcomed a record-breaking 4.5 million passengers in 2016 ahead of £344 million development.

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.

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 five per cent year-on-year growth compared to 2015.

London City Airport chief executive 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 six miles from the City of London, means less time in transit and more time for the purpose of your trip.

“With 52 per cent of all passengers travelling for business, the five per cent 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.”

Last year was an eventful year for London City Airport with six new routes 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, 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 seven 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, OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and Wren House Infrastructure Management, the infrastructure investing arm of the Kuwait Investment Authority.

The ten commercial airlines which operate from LCY serve nearly 50 domestic, European and US destinations, with the most popular routes by passenger numbers in 2016 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.

Image courtesy: Ben Walsh