timeline

30 Years of London City Airport: A Timeline
Before the airport The origins of the airport London City Airport opens for business
1855 1880
Royal Victoria
Dock opens in
East London.
Royal Albert
Dock opens –
then the largest
man-made dock
in the world.
1921 1950s
King George V
Dock opens.
London’s Royal Docks: Before and After
Maritime traffic
in the Royal
Docks peaks.
Mid-20th century c.1981 2017
1960s onwards
Containerisation
and advances in
technology leads
to the decline
of the Docks.
1981
Closure of the
Royal Docks.
1981
London Docklands
Development
Corporation (LDDC)
is established to
regenerate the area and
the idea for a Docklands
airport is conceived by
Chief Executive Reg
Ward and Sir Philip
Beck, Chairman of
John Mowlem & Co
plc., who takes the
idea to Bill Bryce of
Brymon Airways.
1982
27 June: Captain Harry
Gee lands De Haviliand
Dash 7 test flight on
Heron Quays (now part
of Canary Wharf).
LDDC feasibility study
for a ‘short take-off
and landing’ (STOL)
port in the Docklands.
1983 1984
8 June: Public
inquiry lasts
63 days.
Government
grants planning
permission.
1986
April:
Construction
begins, lasting
18 months.
May: Prince
Charles lays
foundation stone.
H
1987 H
31 May:
Captain Harry
Gee lands the
first test flight
on the runway.
26 October 1987:
Inaugural commercial
flights – Brymon Airways
from Plymouth and Euro
City Express to Paris.
5 November
1987: Airport is
officially opened
by HM Queen
Elizabeth II.
1988
133,000
passengers use
the airport in
first full year.
River bus service
from Charing
Cross begins -
with a 35 minute
journey time.
First demo flight
of the BAe 146.
1991
One Canada
Square in
Canary Wharf
opens, then
the tallest
building in
the UK.
1992
The runway is
extended from
1030m to 1199m.
Diana Princess
of Wales opens
the extension.
SWISS Airlines’
predecessor
begins operations.
1994
Virgin CityJet
(later CityJet)
commences LCY
operations with
Dublin services.
Lufthansa
begins
operations
with flights to
Frankfurt.
1995
Mowlem sells
the airport for
£23.5m to Irish
businessman,
Dermot Desmond.
9 airlines
now serve 12
destinations.
1996
Richard Gooding
appointed
Managing Director
of the airport,
beginning his
16-year tenure.
1997
Airport celebrates
10th anniversary
and welcomes
1 million
passengers
in a year.
Support begins
for Richard House
Children’s Hospice
in Newham.
Since 1997 the
airport has raised
nearly £900,000.
The first airport
‘Fun Day’ and air
show held for the
local community,
at its peak
attracting up to
20,000 people.
1999
Jubilee line
extension opens
enabling Green
Park to Stratford
via Canning Town.
2000
ExCeL London
and Millenium
Dome (later O2
Arena) open.
2001
New arrivals
hall completed.
2002
London City
Airport Private
Jet Centre opens.
The airport
welcomes its
10 millionth
passenger
since 1987.
2003
New runway
holding point
enables 32
flights per hour.
British Airways
begins operations.
2005
A new extension
on the Docklands
Light Railway
brings services
to the airport.
Luxair begins
services to
and from
Luxembourg.
2006
Airport
acquired
by Global
Infrastructure
Partners
and AIG.
2008
£27m East Pier and
apron extension
project completed.
Annual passenger
total reaches
3.3 million.
2009
Planning
permission
granted to raise
number of
flights to 120,000
per annum.
British Airways
begins services
from London
City to New York
JFK on an allbusiness
class
Airbus A318. The
first destination
outside Europe.
2010
The passenger
terminal is
reconfigured to
increase space
and create a
new first floor.
2012
25th anniversary and 1
millionth flight marked by
a visit from The Queen.
London 2012 Olympics
GB swimming team
arrive at the airport
to water cannon.
Declan Collier becomes
Chief Executive.
Alitalia begins operations.
2014
Flybe begins
operations at
London City
Airport.
2015
SkyWork Airlines
returns to London
City serving Bern
and Basel.
2016
A record-breaking 4.5
million passengers use
London City Airport.
£350 million development
programme receives
planning permission
– 7 new aircraft
stands, parallel
taxiway and extended
passenger terminal.
Airport sold to
consortium of
international
infrastructure partners.
H
2017 H
30th Anniversary Year
Bombardier C Series
begins operations on
SWISS Airlines.
Plans unveiled for the
UK’s first digital air
traffic control tower.
Construction begins
on the City Airport
Development Programme.
£24m refurbishment of
West Pier departures area.
KLM returns to London
City and TAP Portugal
commences Lisbon service.
#LCYTurns30
@LondonCityAir
Image by Ben Walsh