240 Million Pounds For London City Airport

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

I just read in new latest Nov issue of AIRPORTS OF THE WORLD that London authorized 240 million pounds for London City airport to build NINE new gates/stands!!! Surprised me that they would rather spend money opening MORE gates in London City airport than to spend money on extending its runway to safer distance to compensate for possible pilot error.

Regards,

Aharon

[RobDob]

It's not as straightforward as just extending the runway. As soon as you extend to over 1200m, you need to also widen it too which is not so easy nor cheap in the case of LCY. Anyway, it's perfectly safe for those aircraft certified to use it....how many have you heard of running off the end?! It meets all required UK safety standards, if it didn't it wouldn't operate.

[Aharon]

Yet they agree to build NEW taxiway instead of extending runway little bit more.

[RobDob]

But there is no need for a longer runway, but a need to increase capacity and efficiency which new stands and taxiway will provide. More stands gives the obvious benefit, but the taxiway means no more backtracking so more movements per hour. There is no shortage of demand for the airport, and there are many modern types that use the 1199m LDA with ease.

[airboatr]

250 million pounds in London City Airport??!

It'll sink!

[blanston12]

That does seem like a lot to just add nine gates, and build some taxiways. For about than that they build a whole new airport in St Helena (granted they did messed it up and now the airport can't be used, but still)