London City expansion gets green light
London City Airport’s £344 million expansion plan has been approved by new transport secretary Chris Grayling and communities secretary Sajid Javid.
The privately-funded plan to include a new taxiway, additional stands for larger aircraft and a terminal extension had been blocked by former Mayor Boris Johnson but won the backing of his replacement, Sadiq Khan.
It is designed to allow an extra 35,000 flights to the airport by 2025, handling 6.5 million passengers a year.
In 2015, the Docklands airport had 4.3 million passengers.
The project is expected to create 1,600 airport jobs, and could generate up to £1.5 billion to the UK economy by 2025, say the airport’s owners.
Chancellor 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."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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