City airport loses flyers as carriers ditch routes

Cutbacks by a major customer stymied passenger growth at London City airport last year, the firm admitted on Monday.

The business travellers’ favourite, bought by a consortium of Canadian pension funds two years ago, said 4.5 million passengers used the airport in 2017, flat compared with the previous 12 months.

It is understood the main handbrake on growth was Irish airline CityJet’s move early last year to scale back its operations at the airport, cutting staff and dropping services to Paris Orly and Nantes. Other airlines also decided to end routes, hitting passenger numbers.

But chief executive Robert Sinclair said traveller numbers were up nearly 50% since 2012 and insisted 2018 will see a return to growth. He added that its decision to press ahead with a £480 million development programme was a sign of confidence in prospects.

He said: “This programme will transform the airport over the next four years, adding much needed capacity at peak, substantially enhancing the overall facilities and providing much more choice and flexibility for passengers, at a time when the London airport system is already highly congested.”

Amsterdam was the airport’s most popular route last year, with a 16% rise in passengers thanks to the return of Dutch carrier KLM a year ago.