London cITY UP FOR SALE
The owners of London City, the Canadian-based Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, has put up for sale, long with the other European airports they own: Brussels, Copenhagen, Birmingham and Bristol. The news was revealed in the Sunday Times (24/11/24). See article below.
London City Airport reports first profit since Covid after losing almost £100m but flight still down
London City Airport returned to the black for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic as passenger numbers continued to recover. It has reported a pre-tax profit of £6.6m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, having made a loss of £1.1m in the prior 12 months. London City Airport had last made a pre-tax profit when it reported a total of £47.8m in 2019. Since then it lost £48m in 2020, £45.5m in 2021 and £1.1m in 2022. But flight numbers are still down. In 2019 83,000 flights used the airport. In 2023, it was just over 50,000.
london city not to appeal planning decision
London City's CEO told the Financial Times (8/10/24) she was “disappointed” about the Government's refusal to allow Saturday flights after 12.30pm, but the airport would not appeal. .https://ft.com/content/6b04bd61-cda1-46b7-85c6-1ab9e404b217…
IMPLICATIONS OF PUBLIC INQUIRY DECISION
On Monday the Government announced its decision on London City Airport’s application to expand (see our immidate press release below). It endorsed the Public Inquiry Inspector’s recommendations:
REFUSED permission for planes to operate on Saturday afternoons
GRANTED permission to operate 3 more planes during the first half hour of operation from 6.30am till 7am
GRANTED permission to increase annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million a year
Full judgment: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals#recovered-planning-appeals
The preservation of the weekend break is a big win for communities, Newham Council, the planning authority and the many MPs, GLA members and councils who fought to preserve the break from the noise between 12.30pm on Saturday and 12.30 on Sunday.
At the Inquiry City Airport argued that Saturday afternoon flying was central to its strategy to attract 'high value' leisure passengers to replace the diminishing business market. That argument was not accepted by the Inspector.
Remember, City was not applying for permission to operate more planes. There is a cap of 111,000 per year. In due course, any extra passengers will largely be accommodated on larger planes. These planes will cause less climate emissions. But they will not be significantly quieter. Although they will be quieter on departure close to the airport, they are unlikely to be noticeably quieter elsewhere. Private jets did not feature in City's application.
What are the implications of the decision?
The weekend break will remain
If the market is there, the airport may reach its annual ceiling of 111,000 within about 6 or 7 years. But there is considerable doubt whether the market will be there. In 2019, the last full year of operation, there were 83,000 flights. Last year it was just over 50,000.
New planes will be gradually phased in. They will be larger (though, because of where the airport is sited, there is a limit to the size of plane that can be accommodated - Ryanair and Easyjet plans, for example, are too big for it. The will be marginally quieter, though the difference in most places will be so small that it will be imperceptible to the human ear; only on departure close to the airport will there be a noticeable difference. They are likely to be more fuel-efficient than the current planes and so emit less CO2 emissions.
HACAN EAST IN THE NEWS
HACAN East Committee member Jackie Laidler
Following the announcement of the expansion decision, HACAN East has featured prominently in the media. We appeared on BBC London News, ITV London News, and were quoted in the Times, Telegraph and Financial Times as well as many of the local papers.
BREAKING 19TH AUGUST: PUBLIC INQUIRY DECISION
PRESS RELEASE
19/08/24 for immediate use
BIG WIN FOR LONDON CITY AIRPORT RESIDENTS
The Government has just announced that it has rejected a key part of London City Airport’s to expand. It has refused permission for planes to operate on Saturday afternoons (1).
It has granted the airport permission to operate more planes during the first half hour of operation from 6.30am till 7am and to increase annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN East which gives a voice to communities impacted by London City, said, “This is a big win for residents. It maintains their weekend break from the noise between 12.30pm on Saturday and 12.30 on Sunday.”
Full judgment: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals#recovered-planning-appeals
PASSENGERS SLOW TO RETURN TO LONDON CITY
Latest figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show passenger numbers at London City are still well short of their pre-pandemic levels. During May 2024, 319,262 passengers used the airport, down from 450,000 in May 2019 - that's a drop of over 100,000. That means flight numbers are down. Last year there were just over 50,000 flights compared with around 83,00 in 2019. City is the outlier amongst UK airports. Passengers are returning to most airports. Heathrow is the stand-out. More passengers are now using it than at any time in its history.
public inquiry ends…….WHAT HAPPENS NOW
Thank you to everybody who helped us make our case against London City Airport's expansion plans at the Public Inquiry. It ended on 2nd February. The Inspector had 3 months to write her report & recommendation. It then went to the Secretaries of State for Transport and Levelling Up for decision. The previous Government said the decision would be made public by 19th August but the new Government have not confirmed this. There is the possiblity the decision could be challenged through a Judicial Review but only on the grounds that due process had not been followed, so a challenge is unlikely.
ACTION TO TAKE:
HACAN East has written to the Secretaries of State for Transport (Louise Haigh) and Levelling Up (Angela Rayner) who will jointly make the decision on the planning application. The more people they hear from, the better. Below is the sort of letter you may wish to email to them:
Dear Rt Hon Angela Rayner (or Louise Haigh)
Re: Public Inquiry into London City Airport planning application
I am writing to you because you are the Secretary of State, along with the Rt Hon Louise Haigh, making the decision whether or not to further increase flights from London City Airport.
Labour run Newham Council rejected the airport’s request to increase flights yet again. That led to a Public Inquiry which ran from December 2023 to February 2024. The Inspector’s report is with you now.
The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms spoke at the Public Inquiry, pointing out that the airport was built with the guarantee that all the London boroughs under its flight path would benefit from a 24 hour weekend respite.
37 years later, the population of London has massively increased as has the number of flights from City. We have accepted growth over all those years, until now. We have reached our limit and enough is enough. City now want to steal our invaluable respite from their noise and air pollution. It would also encroach on Labour’s Net Zero manifesto pledge.
You may be aware of global studies, proving the harm caused by aircraft noise and air pollution; stress, sleep deprivation, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, dementia, etc
Quieter planes are often promised but have never materialised.
I appreciate how many priorities you have. However, I hope you will consider the additional harm London residents face IF this airport was allowed to further increase its early morning flights and extend Saturday flights till 8:30pm.
Thank you for your time in reading this letter and considering the impact your decision will have on all Londoners trapped under London City Airport flight paths.
Yours sincerely
FULL NAME
FULL ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER
For Angela Rayner email correspondence@communities.gov.uk and for Louise Haigh email louise.haigh.mp@parliament.uk
To send by post: Postal : House of Commons, London, SW1 0AA
The remainder of the information about the Public Inquiry has been moved to our London City Public Inquiry Page. It includes videos, links to key evidence, and a full explnation of the Inquiry - why it took place, who were the key players
Our Newsletters Page contains a snappy summary of the Inquiry.
Still on this page, though, are the details of the consultations which took place prior to the Inquiry - scroll down
UPDATE ON THE CONCENTRATED FLIGHT PATHS
The Public Consultation is now not expected until late 2025/early 2026. All airports in the UK are required to change their flight paths as ait traffic control moves from a ground-based system to a satellite system. The change needs to take place in a co-ordinated way. London City concentrated its flight paths in 2016. The airport sees the coming consultation as a chance to alternate its flight paths so as to give people a break from the noise.
Read people's stories about life under the concentrated flight paths: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/HACAN-East-booklet.pdf
A bit of background
London City, along with all UK airports, will be changing its flight paths. This is happening because air traffic controllers are moving from using a ground-based system to a satellite system to guide aircraft. It will mean narrow, concentrated flight paths known as Performance-Based Navigation (PBN).
London City had already introduced PBN routes in February 2016 when it concentrated all its flight paths, leading to a 5-fold increase in complaints. It is required now to look again at these routes in order to co-ordinate its flight paths with those of other airports in London and the SE, and particularly with Heathrow and Biggin Hill.
Earlier this year London City consulted key stakeholder groups on some creative concepts to replace the currently unpopular routes. These included the provision of respite so that most communities could get a break from the noise.
Feedback
An outline of stakeholder’s views was given to the Consultative Committee.
Stakeholders favoured:
The sharing of routes to provide respite
Planes to be kept higher for longer
A reduction in fuel and climate emissions
A separation of routes so that, wherever possible, the same area was not overflown by planes from different airports
Collaboration with other airports.
a short summary of the proposals before the INQUIRY AND HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS
Details of the application: https://www.hacaneast.org.uk/new-page-61
Our short briefing charts the somewhat complex journey from expansion proposals took from when they first emerged in 2019. They have changed over the years. This briefing should make it easier to follow the twists and turns that took place, detailed on this page and in the archives. In fact it acts as a summary.
Read the briefing: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:e7ec6ee3-a535-4746-a9a0-fc59e51134fe
HACAN East’s Official Response to the Consultation https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56507de4e4b018da2a5ce870/t/64105058ec419938bf5451c3/1678790756373/Newham+Consultation+response+from+HACAN+East.pdf
Consultation Poster
http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/new-page-34
Our guide to responding to the consultation:
http://www.hacaneast.org.uk/new-page-61
Consultation: key points explained:
NEWHAM LAUNCHES FORMAL CONSULTATION INTO cITY EXPANSION PLANS
Newham Council, the planning authority, has formally started consulting on London City’s expansion proposals
The consultation runs from15th February to 17th March.
Newham’s Planning Committee will then later this year decide whether or not to approve the proposals.
The detailed application is on Newham’s website:
It is long, long, long!
We summarise the key points below:
What London City is asking for:
An extra 6 - 7 hours flying on Saturday
At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. London City proposes for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm in summer).
An extra 2.5 million passengers a year using to the airport
London City plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5m to 9m a year
Extra early morning flights
London City plans 3 extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30 – 7am.
It is not proposing to:
Introduce to introduce night flights
Lift the cap of 111,000 allowed to use the airport each year
It will only allow ‘quieter’, cleaner planes during the extended hours
LONDON CITY AIRPORT SCALES BACK GROWTH PLANS
London City Airport today announced it has scaled back its expansion proposals following a consultation earlier this year.
It has:
· Reduced the hours it proposed to fly on Saturdays
· Cut back on the number of extra flights allowed in the early morning
· Abandoned plans for late evening flying
The airport will now submit a formal application to Newham Council, the planning Authority. Newham will carry out a formal consultation before masking a decision.
At present no flights are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays. In the consultation London City had proposed all-day flying on Saturdays. The plan now is for flights on Saturday to end at 6.30pm (7.30pm at the height of summer).
The airport proposed six extra flights during the first hour of operation, from 6.30am – 7am. That has been scaled back to three additional flights.
Airlines will be required to use new, quieter aircraft on Saturday afternoons.
The plans to increase passenger numbers from 6.5m to 9m a year remain but there are no plans to lift the annual cap of 111,000 or to operate night flights.
The airport will now submit a formal application to Newham Council, the planning Authority. Newham will carry out a formal consultation before making a decision.
London City Growth Proposals
On July 1st London City published it proposals for growth. They are out for consultation until September 9th. If, following the consultation, London City decide to proceed with them, there will need to be a formal consultation by the London Borough of Newham, the planning authority. London City aims to have its new plans in place by 2024.
The details of the plans, plus details of the consultation and of the exhibitions, can be found on the airport’s website at https://consultation.londoncityairport.com/
In summary, these are the key proposals:
an increase in annual passenger limit from 6.5 million to 9 million;
getting rid of the current curfew on flights (12.30pm Saturday – 12.30pm Sunday) to allow flying on a Saturday afternoon and evening - there will be no change to the current operating hours on Sunday, with no flights before 12.30 pm;
An increase in the number of flights permitted between 06:30 and 06:59, from 6 to 12
‘more flexibility’ for delayed departures and arrivals in the last half hour of operations each day (10pm – 10.30pm) – they are currently limited to 400 per year;
only the cleaner, quieter planes will be allowed during the additional hours of operation – London City believes this will act as an incentive for airlines to renew their fleet so these aircraft become the norm at all times. These planes are larger which allows London City to seek to increase annual passenger numbers but not the total number of flights.
What is not changing:
The 8 hour night ban will remain (10.30pm – 6.30am)
The current annual cap of 111,000 flights will remain – London City seems to have dropped, certainly for now, the proposal in its Masterplan to seek to increase it to 151,000.
No increase at parking at the airport.
Comment on the Proposals
End of Weekend Respite
The proposal to permit flights after 12.30pm on Saturdays ends the valued weekend break from the flights and the noise which has existed since the airport opened more than 30 years ago. It was brought in because so many people live so close to the airport. City has given no indication of the number of aircraft there will be during this additional 9.5 hour period. Will it be 5 an hour? Could it be up to 45 an hour?
More Early morning and Late Evening Flights
These are the times when people tend to be most sensitive to the noise from the flights.
‘Quieter’ Planes
These planes will be noticeably quieter but only on departure and only within about 4 miles from the airport. The difference is negligible elsewhere.
No Link with Flight Path Changes
London City is currently revising its flights paths. It will be a long process. Consultation not expected until late 2023/early 2024, with the new flight paths not in place until 2027. The timescale for the growth proposals is shorter. But no link has been made between the growth proposals and the flight path changes.
Consultation Exhibitions Poorly Advertised
The details are on London’s City’s website but, so far, there is no indication of a widespread publicity campaign. And no exhibitions are planned for some key overflown boroughs such as Havering, Southwark and Lambeth.
The Consultation Response Form is Poor
It seeks to collect views on many things not directly connected to this consultation while not asking some key questions about its proposals, such as whether you back Saturday afternoon and evening flying. If you do not wish to fill it in you can email London City directly with your comments: londoncityairport@cratus.co.uk