London City airport: 54% of journeys take under six hours by train, data shows

More than half of the journeys taken from London City airport last year can be reached in six hours or less by train, data reveals.

The Labour government is preparing to make the final call on the airport’s application to significantly increase its passenger numbers. The airport wants to increase capacity from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers a year by putting on more weekend and early morning flights.

The analysis, by the New Economics Foundation thinktank (NEF) and the environmental charity Possible, found that destinations served by the airport were mostly in mainland Europe and could be reached easily by train.

It found that 43.7% of the airport’s destinations could be reached in under five hours, 54.1% in under six and 66.2% in under eight. The most popular routes – including Amsterdam, which made up 15% of the airport’s flights in 2023 and Edinburgh, which made up 10% – can be reached quickly by train: Amsterdam takes four hours and Edinburgh four hours and 20 minutes.

Many English airports are seeking to expand. Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted are all pushing to increase passenger capacity via new runways or terminal expansions. Labour has taken a soft stance so far and signalled an “open minded” approach to Heathrow’s proposed new runway.

The NEF and Possible argue their analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data shows the proposed expansion would worsen the airport’s environmental and social impacts, while only benefiting frequent flyers, who are more likely to be wealthy.

The analysis shows an estimated 43% of seats were occupied by passengers who flew at least once every two months, meaning they made six or more return trips a year, and the median household income of leisure passengers at the airport was about 34% higher than the average UK air passenger.

The Climate Change Committee has recommended that there should be no net airport expansion in the UK if the country is going to meet its legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050.

The airport is owned by Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, the Kuwait Investment Authority, and a group of Canadian pension funds.

Dr Alex Chapman, a senior economist at the NEF, said: “The new government is keen to cut planning red tape and get the country building, but not all proposals are made equal. New developments can’t come at the expense of the climate or low-income communities.

“The proposed expansion of London City airport fails on both tests. Indeed, the proposed expansion directly contravenes the advice of the Climate Change Committee – an expert group created by the last Labour government. Our analysis shows that expansion will not only make it harder for the UK to meet its climate commitments, but it will also offer little to no economic benefit, all while damaging the wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of people who live nearby.”

A London City airport spokesperson said: “This planning application includes no increase in the number of annual flights permitted, no new infrastructure and – a UK airport first – that only cleaner, quieter, new-generation aircraft will be allowed to fly in any extended periods.

“Our proposals would create over 2,000 jobs, contribute over £700m to London’s economy and improve connectivity for passengers.”