Is London City airport expansion even necessary? 54% of train journeys take less than 6 hours

The ruling Labour government in the UK is mulling an expansion proposal for the London City airport. The airport has an objective to increase its capacity from 6.5 million to 9 million passengers a year by putting on more flights.

But a recent analysis by the NEF thinktank and the environmental charity Possible has found that destinations served by the airport are mostly in mainland Europe and could be reached easily by train. The research has intensified discussions on climate pollution.

London City airport expansion threatens UK’s net zero goals

The analysis found that 43.7% of the London City airport’s destinations could be reached in less than five hours, 54.1% in under six and 66.2% in under eight, reported the Guardian. The most popular routes can be reached quickly by train.

The NEF and Possible argue that their analysis of the available official data reflects the fact that the proposed expansion is only set to exacerbate the airport’s environmental and social impacts, and only benefit frequent flyers – people more likely to be rich.

Passengers flying at least once every couple of months occupy an estimated 43% of seats – meaning they made six or more return trips annually. The median household income of leisure passengers at the airport is about 34% higher than the average UK air passenger.

UK’s Climate Change Committee has a recommendation

Critics argue that the proposed expansion of London City airport is not only expected to make it harder for the UK to meet its climate commitments, but is also likely to offer little to no economic benefit. But an airport spokesperson said the plans could create over 2,000 jobs.

The Climate Change Committee – an expert group created by the last Labour government – 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.