The central London airport’s annual passenger cap will rise from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers, flying three extra flights in the first half hour of operations during the week.
Despite the cap increase, City Airport’s proposals to extend its Saturday afternoon operating hours were knocked back by the government.
The decision was announced by Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, and Louise Haigh, the transport secretary, on Monday.
London City Airport said they welcomed the airport passenger expansion, but were disappointed by the government’s decision to knock back the proposed extension of operating hours on Saturdays, which would have seen flights operating in central London until 6:30 p.m.
“Local residents would have had the added benefit of these aircraft operating at the airport throughout the week, not just in the extended operating hours.”
The expansion plan was initially rejected in 2023 by the airport’s local authority, Newham Council, over a range of objections such as the potential impact of noise and environmental issues.
Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz, told The Epoch Times that she remains “deeply concerned” that Newham residents will be “seriously harmed” by the impact of more air-fight noise pollution.
Despite approving London City Airport’s application to increase annual passenger numbers by 2.5 million, Fiaz said the government’s continuation of the 24-hour flight curfew from 12:30 p.m. on Saturday until 12:30 p.m. Sunday, which has been in place for 38 years, is a small win for local residents.
Monday’s decision by the government has been met with frustration by environmental campaigner groups in the UK, as many other London-based airports are currently seeking to expand.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted are all pushing to increase passenger capacity via new runways or terminal expansions.
The Climate Change Committee previously recommended there should be no net airport expansion in the UK if the country wants to meet its legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Responding to Monday’s judgment Johann Beckford, senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, said in an email to The Epoch Times: “This is a disappointing decision given the new government promised it would prioritise tackling climate change.
“Its own independent advisers, the Climate Change Committee, clearly state that airport expansion is currently incompatible with net zero.”
Beckford believes that the government’s decision sets a worrying precedent for planning applications at Luton and Gatwick airports due later this year.
Paul Morozzo, climate campaigner for Greenpeace UK, called the decision a “clumsy misstep” from the recently appointed Labour government.
Morozzo told The Epoch Times that the cap expansion will mostly benefit an “elite of wealthy frequent fliers” while dumping long-term environmental costs on some of London’s poorest neighbourhoods.
“It feels like the new Labour government has followed the previous administration in falling for the aviation industry’s arguments that climate change can somehow be dealt with later, by some magical untested technology, instead of taking the tough decisions needed today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alethea Warrington, senior campaigner at climate charity Possible, said the government has “failed its first test on climate.”
“The new minister for transport must explain why the government has ignored the clear scientific consensus on constraining aviation emissions—along with the advice of their own scientific advisors, the Climate Change Committee, which recommended no increase in the UK’s airport capacity—in favour of allowing more planes and more pollution,” Warrington told The Epoch Times.
A Government spokesperson from the Department for Transport commented to The Epoch Times via email on Tuesday that the government is committed to, “Securing the long-term future of the aviation sector in the UK while protecting our environmental obligations.”
“In line with the recommendation of the independent inspectors, ministers have jointly approved a planning appeal submitted by London City Airport,” the spokesperson said.
