London City Airport has published its official annual passenger figures for 2018, showing that the number of passengers using London’s most central airport during the year totalled a record-breaking 4,800,190, the highest in the airport’s 31-year history and a year-on-year increase of 6.4%.
The number of annual flights in 2018 totalled 75,271 air traffic movements, slightly fewer than in 2017 with the passenger growth being achieved through larger aircraft and higher load factors.
The busiest month was July, when 471,519 customers traveled – reflecting how an increase in leisure routes from London City is diversifying the mix of passengers beyond business travel. Leisure passengers, which include tourists using the airport as the most convenient gateway to visit the capital, now make up around half of all passengers at the airport.
The most popular outbound leisure destinations in 2018 were Florence, Ibiza, Malaga and Mallorca with city breaks to Berlin and Lisbon also in the top 20.
Robert Sinclair, CEO of London City Airport, said, “In what was a remarkable year for London City Airport, we have seen demand reach a new peak, our airlines invest in new services, and passenger satisfaction increase. It’s proof that the fundamentals of London City – speed, convenience, connectivity and excellent customer service from the heart of London – remain very strong.
“As we take forward a transformative £500m (US$ 638m) development program, which will be complete in 2022, London City Airport can play a much bigger role supporting this thriving international city, connecting London with established and emerging markets and serving a broader range of both leisure and business passengers.”
The development program will enable the airport to accommodate a further two million passengers a year and over 30,000 additional flights once complete. The new infrastructure includes a new terminal four-times the size of the existing facilities, eight new aircraft stands, and a parallel taxiway to improve the efficiency of the runway. The new terminal design will reflect 21st century London, supported by new shops, restaurants, bars and experiences which are synonymous with the creativity, energy and diversity of the capital.
Click here to see images of the multimillion-pound development project.