A Brief History

Queen Elizabeth II opened London City Airport in November 1987 and it since has become recognised as one of Europe's leading airports for business travel.

Just dropping a commercial airport into congested airspace was a challenge for the National Air Traffic Service. In the event, a new airspace authority, Thames Radar, was established to provide a radar control service and provide safety for London City arrivals and departures.

It has become a useful addition to London's other airports, especially for Docklands, and has broken even in recent years. It is an important element in the local labour market and, together with the nearby ExCeL Exhibition Centre, has stimulated a local surge of hotels.

Traffic

Over 1.9 million passengers used the airport in 2005. and its management believes that economic development nearby will sustain a potential for over five million passengers per year.

Domestic routes to Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Dundee, the Isle of Man and Jersey complement international services