The UK government has approved plans to raise the annual passenger cap at London City Airport from 6.5 million to 9 million. However, a proposal to extend the
airport's Saturday flight curfew from 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM was rejected, following an appeal decision by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government.
Alison FitzGerald, the airport's chief executive, expressed her approval of the increased passenger cap but voiced disappointment over the decision to maintain the Saturday curfew.
Environmental group Greenpeace criticized the government's decision, arguing that it "undermines the UK’s climate leadership" and primarily benefits a wealthy minority of frequent flyers.
The increased passenger cap will be supported by a rise in the number of morning flights between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, on the condition that quieter aircraft are used during this time. The airport had proposed the use of "cleaner, quieter, next-generation aircraft" during the extended Saturday hours, which was ultimately rejected.
In July 2023, Newham Council's strategic development committee unanimously opposed the airport's expansion plans, citing concerns over noise and the potential impact on the "weekend respite" rule that has been in place for 25 years. The committee's concerns were echoed by Rokhsana Fiaz, the Mayor of Newham, who welcomed the government's decision to uphold the Saturday curfew but remained worried about the impact of increased aircraft noise on residents throughout the rest of the week.
Fiaz stated, "I remain deeply concerned that our residents will be seriously harmed by the impact of further air-flight noise with today’s decision to allow an increase in flights in the early mornings throughout the rest of the week. We will be studying the decision notice carefully and considering all options as we remain concerned about the detrimental impacts on the health and quality of life of our residents."
Climate campaigners and local residents' groups have been vocal in their opposition to the airport's expansion. FitzGerald argued that the rejection of the extended Saturday hours would slow the adoption of cleaner, quieter aircraft, which could have benefitted local residents throughout the week.
The decision was made by Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, and Louise Haigh, the Secretary of State for Transport. In their decision, the ministers noted that extending the curfew would not significantly reduce the overall noise impact.
Greenpeace UK climate campaigner Paul Morozzo criticized the government's decision as a "clumsy misstep," pointing out that more than half of the destinations served by the airport, including popular routes like Amsterdam and Edinburgh, can be reached by train in under six hours.
In addition to Newham Council, eight other London councils near the airport and local campaign groups opposed the expansion. BBC News has reached out to the Department for Transport for comment. Photo by Matt Biddulph, Wikimedia commons.