London City is to pause its development programme at the end of the year, with the airport warning that “it has become clearer that the recovery to previous levels will take longer than initially expected”.
LCY is in the middle of a £500 million programme to deliver new terminal facilities, eight new aircraft stands and a parallel taxiway next to the runway.
The stands and taxiway are set to be completed by the end of this year, and next month a new immigration facility will open, featuring ten e-gates. The airport is also set to add a new baggage facility next summer.
But the planned terminal extension will now be put on hold, with CEO Robert Sinclair stating that “For the time being, we have taken the decision to focus our attention on delivering the vital additional airfield infrastructure which will provide our existing and prospective airline customers with the potential to bring new generation aircraft to this airport in greater numbers, which will be a crucial aspect of how we build a better, more sustainable airport”.
“Completing the terminal extension and new east pier very much remains part of our future, and, with the foundations for both in place, we stand ready to take those projects forward when demand returns,” said Sinclair.
“In the months ahead we will work with airlines and Government to help restore confidence to the UK aviation market and we will continue to support our local authority and our communities as they plan for life beyond the crisis.”
London City airport reopened on June 21 after a three-month closure, initially serving domestic routes, before adding international flights in mid-July.
Services are currently operating to Amsterdam, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Bergerac, Málaga, Florence, Nice, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Menorca-Mahon, Teesside, Faro and the Isle of Man, with Vilnius returning on August 31, followed by Frankfurt.
British Airways will also launch flights to Belfast City (taking over a route previously operated by Flybe) next month.
