BUSINESS NEWS
London City could be handling nine million passengers a year by 2031; inset, Angela Rayner (left) and Louise Haigh
London City airport gets green light to expand
Government’s decision may yet be challenged in High Court. Ian Taylor reports Their decision trod a fine line
The government approved plans to expand London City airport last week, increasing its capacity from 6.5 million passengers a year to nine million by 2031. But while allowing the airport an
additional three flights in the first half hour of each weekday – a 50% increase – the government refused to extend London City’s operations through Saturday afternoon from 12.30 to 18.30. The joint decision by deputy
prime minister Angela Rayner, who is secretary of state for housing, communities and local government,
48 29 AUGUST 2024
and transport secretary Louise Haigh overturned the decision of the Labour- run London Borough of Newham which refused permission for expansion. It also ignored Labour Mayor of
London Sadiq Khan’s policy to make London carbon neutral by 2030 noting this lacked “statutory weight” and aviation emissions “are controlled under national control regimes”. Rayner and Haigh accepted the
recommendations of inspectors who oversaw a recent public inquiry into the airport’s appeal against Newham’s ‘no’ to planning permission.
between signalling the government’s support for infrastructure development and pledge to fast-track planning decisions to “boost growth”, and its promise to act in line with “strict environmental standards”. It gave a clue as to how Labour
will approach more substantial airport planning decisions – crucially, Heathrow’s reworked plan for a third runway, which has been on hold
Continued on page 46
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PICTURES: Shutterstock/Sven Hansche; David Woolfall; Laurie Noble Photography
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