Plans to expand London City Airport have been blocked by the local authority

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Plans for a significant expansion of London City Airport have been blocked by the airport’s local authority due to concerns about noise pollution and other environmental impacts from additional flights.

Newham Council on Monday rejected the airport’s bid to increase its annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million by increasing its operating hours, including an increase in weekend and early-morning flights.

The airport, which is popular with business travelers due to its proximity to the City of London and Canary Wharf financial districts, operates under long, strict hours due to its location in a densely populated part of East London.

It sought to ease these restrictions to help meet the demand for air travel, which has returned following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airport offered a “commitment” to local residents that only newer and comparatively quieter aircraft would be allowed to operate during the extended operating hours.

“Newham Council has declared a climate emergency and is working to help residents stay happy, healthy and well,” the council said.

The airport said it was “disappointed” by the decision and is “actively considering it.” , , next step”.

“We strongly believe in our proposals, which are carefully balanced and make the best use of our infrastructure,” the airport said.

The Planning Inspectorate, a government agency, has in recent years overturned local decisions preventing airport expansion at London Stansted and Bristol.

Airports are racing to get permission to expand their operations. Last week, London Gatwick formally submitted a proposal to increase its passenger capacity by 60 percent, while Heathrow, Britain’s busiest airport, is still considering whether to go ahead with its expansion project.

Eight of the UK’s biggest airports plan to fly around 150 million more passengers per year, an increase of more than 60 per cent, according to FT calculations.

Environmental campaigners have questioned how expansion of the aviation sector is compatible with the UK’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, when the industry does not have a commercially proven route to reach the target.

The government’s own climate change advisory body has recommended that no airport expansion should go ahead until a UK-wide framework is in place to assess and control the sector’s emissions.

Industry officials have argued that expanding flight is compatible with reducing carbon emissions, pointing to their own pledge to reach net zero by 2050, primarily through less polluting but currently expensive alternative fuels. based on the use of