Tell London City Airport what you think about their expansion plans

The expansion proposals put forward by London City Airport (LCA) are unacceptable at a time of climate crisis.

The increased number of flights, equating to 100 per day, 40,000 annually, will lead to more emissions, noise pollution and damage to the climate.

Flying times are set to increase by half an hour at the end of each day, with the 24 hour no flying period that presently exists over the weekend being abandoned.

The whole aviation industry seems to regard itself as living in an exempt expansion bubble, with little regard for the consequences of its actions.

There are the proposals to expand London City Airport plus the plans to expand Heathrow airport with a third runway.

Yet the City Airport consultation paper tells us that even with the Heathrow expansion, UK major airports – except Stansted, will be up to capacity by the mid-2030s, so this they believe gives the mandate to expand even more.

There were 4 billion flights worldwide in 2017, a figure due to increase to 7.8 billion by 2036. This predict and provide approach – previously seen with serious environmental consequences on the roads – cannot continue. The planet cannot sustain such aviation growth.

Take the history of London City Airport – created originally primarily for business. There were strong restrictions on flights due to the airport operating in a built-up area. Over the years, the business flights have to a large degree flat lined, whilst the leisure flights have increased – the opposite of what was predicted at the outset.

The latest expansion seems intended to cater for ever more leisure flights – something never predicted when the airport opened back in 1987.

Meanwhile, the density of the population below flight paths has increased. So how does this justify more flights other than on the altar of profit for the company that owns the airport?

The people of Redbridge and neighbouring boroughs are rightly outraged by the planned expansion. A motion passed recently at the council opposing expansion. Why the Conservative Party abstained on the motion is a question they need to answer.

On Thursday (3/10), there is a meeting at Wanstead Library, with London City Airport, when Redbridge residents can have their say. This meeting was only obtained after local councillors and MP John Cryer insisted, previously LCA did not consider it needed to have one of its scheduled consultation meetings here. Yet residents of large parts of Redbridge, particularly Wanstead, will have their quality of life effected by these developments if they go ahead.

So please come along and make clear your views to Tim Halley, London City Airport Director of Infrastructure and Planning.

City Airport needs to think again, listen to what people are saying and realise that whilst they may need to make more money, that the environment, health and welfare of those of us living below these flight paths is more important.

• London City Airport meeting – 7pm at Wanstead Library on 3 October 2019

Published - Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 2/10/2019