London City Airport is the smallest, but most centrally located, of London’s airports.
With its size and location, it has several restrictions on aircraft that can use it.
Nothing larger than an Airbus A318 lands there,
but there are plenty of smaller aircraft that can operate, as this video explores.
London City Airport is located in a built-up area of the docklands. While it is immediately
surrounded by water, the built-up areas of Canary Wharf and beyond are on the approach. As such,
there are several restrictions on aircraft flying to LCY. The following are all prohibited:
Helicopters and other vertical take-off or landing aircraft
Single-engine aircraft Aircraft from flying or leisure clubs
Aircraft operated by a single pilot Aircraft that don’t meet strict noise limits
There are then further restrictions on which fixed-wing aircraft are permitted to land.
London City has a short and narrow runway at just 1,508 meters long and 30 meters wide. It
also requires a steep approach due to the height of the buildings surrounding it.
The most unusual aspect of London City is the steep approach required for landing,
with a rate of descent almost double that of other airports. This approach is 5.5 degrees,
compared with a standard approach of around 3 degrees. This also affects take-off,
with aircraft making full use of the available runway and climbing faster than usual.
Pilots also must be rated appropriately. Quoted in The Express,
British Airways Senior Training Captain Mike Pickard explains,
“London City Airport has special requirements to allow a pilot to operate into and out of.
Once pilots have completed their conversion training, they are required to then have
further simulator training for the steep approach, short take-off, and landing.”
So, which aircraft meet basic requirements? Here’s the list:
ATR 42 ATR 72
Embraer E135, E170 and E190 Fokker 50 and 70
British Aerospace Jetstream 41 British Aerospace 146
Saab 340 and 2000 De Havilland Dash 8-400
Airbus A318 Airbus A220-100
And Dornier 228, 318 and 328JET
There are also many executive and corporate jets able to use the airport. These include
the Cessna CitationJet series, the Beechcraft Super King Air, and the Hawker 400 and 800.
Interestingly, British Airways’ A318s were specially modified to handle the steep approach.
Spoilers were added that could be raised on each wing.
There were also warning announcements in the cockpit for the more complex flare procedures.
A recent aircraft to get certification to operate at London City Airport has been the
A220-100 in 2017. SWISS currently flies the type to Zurich and Geneva from the airport.
Looking ahead, the A220 and E2 will be mainstays at London City. These aircraft
have been tipped to lead services amid the airport's ambitions for sustainable expansion.
With their efficiency and quietness, the pair of modern jets will help the airport management's
goal of increasing flight hours while meeting environmental and social responsibilities.
What do you think of London City airport? Have you experienced the steep landing and takeoff here?
Let us know what you think in the comment section.