London City Airport applies to CAA to accommodate A320neo

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.”