General Atomics

London City Airport applies to CAA to accommodate A320neo

London City Airport (LCY) has submitted an application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that would, if approved, enable the Airbus A320neo to operate at the Capital’s most centrally located airport.

Image courtesy London City Airport

London City is seeking to introduce cleaner, quieter aircraft as part of its plans to grow in the most sustainable way possible. The application, which has been lodged, would enable London City to reach its permitted passenger capacity with fewer flight movements, stimulating economic growth while maintaining operational efficiency. It would open up a range of possible new routes for passengers while incentivising airlines to modernise their fleet from older to newer generation aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo, which are more fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly and quieter.

In August 2024, the Government approved London City’s plans to increase its annual passenger cap from 6.5 million to nine million by 2031 as a driver of economic growth. This included no increase to the permitted number of annual flights and no new infrastructure. The airport sees the possible introduction of the A320neo as key to building its leisure offering. The aircraft is able to carry over 180 passengers depending on the preferred seat configuration and can travel over 1,000km, which covers large parts of mainland Europe.

The application is specifically asking the CAA to approve a new flight procedure (RNP AR) which would alter the approach angle for this aircraft at each runway end. The current approach angle limits the type of aircraft that use the airport and requires those that can be certified for a steep approach.

Alison FitzGerald, CEO of London City Airport, said: “The potential introduction of the A320neo aircraft at London City Airport is incredibly exciting. It would broaden the range of leisure destinations for our passengers, enable growth without increasing the number of flight movements, deliver much needed economic growth and accelerate refleeting to cleaner, quieter, new generation aircraft.”

Related

UK risks missing aerospace MRO boom without national strategy, NMIS warns
British Airways Airbus A380 in the MRO workshop
UK risks missing aerospace MRO boom without national strategy, NMIS warns
NMIS CTO Coreen McCubbin says the UK must invest in skills, digital technology and MRO innovation or risk losing aftermarket work to rival global hubs.
Aerospace Defence Insights

18 Jul 2026

Vertical Aerospace to fly eVTOL at the Farnborough International Airshow
Vertical Aerospace VX4 will perform at Farnborough Airshow
Vertical Aerospace to fly eVTOL at the Farnborough International Airshow
Vertical Aerospace will bring its piloted eVTOL prototype to the Farnborough flying display, marking a first for the international airshow.
Aerospace

17 Jul 2026

UKEF and GE Aerospace introduce finance solution for regional UK shop visits
GE Aerospace CFM LEAP engine in an MRO shop
UKEF and GE Aerospace introduce finance solution for regional UK shop visits
In partnership with GE Aerospace, UK Export Finance (UKEF) is providing up to $1 billion (£742m) in financing over the next five years in a first-of-its-kind programme that will underpin a banking solution for engine overhauls and support airlines' UK flight operations.
Aerospace Member News

17 Jul 2026

UK risks missing aerospace MRO boom without national strategy, NMIS warns
British Airways Airbus A380 in the MRO workshop
UK risks missing aerospace MRO boom without national strategy, NMIS warns
NMIS CTO Coreen McCubbin says the UK must invest in skills, digital technology and MRO innovation or risk losing aftermarket work to rival global hubs.
Aerospace Defence Insights

18 Jul 2026

UK commits £255m to prepare Ukraine for Saab Gripen E fighters
Saab Gripen E for Ukraine
UK commits £255m to prepare Ukraine for Saab Gripen E fighters
The package will fund training, simulators, spare parts and logistics for Ukraine’s future Gripen E fleet while supporting around 5,000 jobs across the UK defence supply chain.
Defence Most Read

17 Jul 2026

Storm Fighter to lead new RAF collaborative combat aircraft family
BAE Systems Tempest with loyal wingman drones
Storm Fighter to lead new RAF collaborative combat aircraft family
Why the RAF is now racing do develop not only a high-end CCA called Storm Fighter, but also a complementary family of smaller autonomous aircraft to fly alongside crewed fighters.
Defence Most Read

17 Jul 2026

UK space sector punches above its weight but struggles to scale
United kingdom from space by NASA
UK space sector punches above its weight but struggles to scale
Britain captures around 5% of the global space market despite accounting for approximately 1% of government space spending worldwide. However, the UK Space Agency’s final annual report warns that the country has yet to solve its persistent scale-up challenge.
Space

17 Jul 2026

Serco awarded ESA contract to support FLEX Earth observation mission
Earth observation satellite
Serco awarded ESA contract to support FLEX Earth observation mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has contracted Serco to manage and deliver FLEX satellite data products to its users.
Member News Space

17 Jul 2026

ESA selects Keysight to develop 5G NTN anomaly detection
6G network
ESA selects Keysight to develop 5G NTN anomaly detection
Keysight will serve as the prime contractor, collaborating with Sateliot to support key technical development and satellite mission integration.
Member News Space

16 Jul 2026

Critical UK sectors targeted by Russian cyber actors
A hacker at a computer as government urges organisations to improve cyber security
Critical UK sectors targeted by Russian cyber actors
A new advisory has been issued by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and international partner agencies, urging the UK and its allies to defend against Russian state cyber actors’ global exploitation of poorly configured routers, as the UK sanctions Russian state and criminal networks for cyber and hybrid operations and calls out the FSB for a reckless attack on Poland’s energy grid.
Security

17 Jul 2026

UK defence SMEs unite under new Spearhead delivery collective
Spearhead SME member representatives
UK defence SMEs unite under new Spearhead delivery collective
Twenty-eight UK-owned defence and security SMEs have formed Spearhead, offering government and prime contractors access to specialist capability through one contract and one accountable delivery team.
Lockheed Martin Ventures opens London office with $100m UK and Europe fund
Lockheed Martin Ventures
Lockheed Martin Ventures opens London office with $100m UK and Europe fund
Lockheed Martin Ventures has chosen London for its first office outside the United States, with at least $100 million earmarked for UK and European defence technology start-ups.