London City to re-open on Sunday

London City Airport will reopen on Sunday when British Airways will operate the first flight since late March, carrying passengers to the Isle of Man.

The Docklands Airport closed on March 26 and, as it was the closest air strip to the temporary Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel Centre, it was offered to the Government to use during the pandemic.

Loganair will launch a new service from London City to Dundee on July 6 and Eastern will also launch a Teeside service from the Docklands on the same day.

Tickets are also on sale for BA flights from London City to a number of European destinations including Ibiza, Florence, M-¡laga and Palma as well as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin.

London City Airport said a recent survey among more than 4,700 of its customers revealed 79% were either very likely or quite likely to travel when they are told it is safe to do so.

The Foreign Office is still advising against all non-essential travel and anyone who leaves the UK will be required to quarantine for 14 days when they return.

Neverthless, 42% of the airport’s customers said they plan to travel for leisure within the next three months, and 41% said they expect to fly on business before the winter.

London City Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said: "This clear early demand from our passengers to get back to flying is really encouraging.

"It shows a desire to not only enjoy a holiday soon after nearly three months of lockdown, but to get back to business travel as well.

"We have worked hard to create a safe environment at the airport, so they can get back to flying in confidence. At the same time, we have been careful not to sacrifice the speed through the airport which passengers have always valued and is now more important than ever, as these results show.

"We will also be making a number of announcements with our airline partners in the coming weeks which we hope passengers will be excited by.

"With the aviation market opening up across Europe this week, it is my hope that air bridges can be agreed quickly with low risk European neighbours. This news would be a shot in the arm for the industry as well as for the wider UK economy."

Adam Tyndall, transport director at London First, said: "This survey reinforces the need for the Government to switch quickly to risk-based approach to international travel.

"Both blanket Foreign Office advice not to travel abroad and the mandatory two-week quarantine for all arrivals into the UK should be limited to the highest risk countries.

"Aviation can play a vital role in the economic recovery – from exports and professional services through to universities and hospitality – but only if the Government removes these indiscriminate constraints and reverts to a nuanced, risk-based approach."

It is expected that staples of London City Airport’s Anglo-Irish route network, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dublin, will return in July, boosting regional connectivity.

As part of its new safety measures, London City Airport will limit access to the terminal to only passengers holding a valid ticket on the day of travel and will ask passengers to wear a face covering while at the airport.