London City Airport said on December 19 it has applied to increase its annual passenger cap from 6.5 million to 9 million and to have Saturday afternoon flights run until 6.30pm instead of 12.30pm.
The application was made to the London Borough of Newham after a 10-week consultation by the airport, which said the borough is in turn expected to carry out a 30-day public consultation regarding the request, according to which only "cleaner, quieter new generation aircraft" would be allowed fly during any extended hours.
While the airport said it was neither looking to increase its annual number of flights from the permitted 111,000 nor upgrade its infrastructure, the changes it applied for would, if approved, "create almost 2,220 jobs across London by 2031" and would contribute "an additional £702 million in gross value added" to the city's economy.
"We need to ensure London City can accommodate the increase in business and leisure passengers forecast over the next decade or so, particularly as East London grows, and more and more passengers choose to fly through London’s fastest and most convenient airport," said the airport's chief executive Robert Sinclaire