London City Airport starts £16m departures transformation

The work has now begun to reconfigure London City airport's western pier in a £16m development programme to transform the departures area. The western pier houses 70% of the airport's departures gates.

The new Western Pier will create a bright, open-plan space with modern seating, electronic boarding gates, workspaces, quiet areas and charging points. The area will increase in size by around 84% (approx. 1,780m2), with space for new retail and food and beverage outlets, and accommodate 600 additional seats.

Declan Collier, CEO of London City Airport, explains the changes:

We are creating more space, more seating, and more comfort for our passengers. A record number of people used London City Airport in 2014 and we are on track for another record this year, with some 4 million passengers expected to travel through. People choose LCY for its unrivalled location so close to central London, the speed of check-in and arrivals, and for the quality of the experience here. Without development, that experience was at risk of being compromised but this multi-million pound investment will make the new Western Pier a cutting-edge extension of the departure lounge, with a business-class feel throughout, that is accessible to all.

The popularity of the airport is further illustrated by the additional flights to London City from Jersey added in January this year. 

Blue Islands Managing Director Rob Veron supports the changes at the airport.

We fly to London City because it is the best airport for fast access into the heart of London's business district. Smart travellers choose this airport for efficient travel to and from the capital and any developments the airport make to further improve this experience is something we wholeheartedly support.

Work has begun on the new Western Pier, with completion expected by Summer 2016.