The NEF’s report is unfortunately characteristic of a near fifteen year spate of critical comment of the aviation industry by individuals and organisations who don’t understand its operation or the value that it brings. For some reason, none of this was shouted from the rooftops following the NEF attack. The airport has a strong level of engagement with local residents, and works hard to minimise the impact of issues such as noise pollution – including schemes such as free noise insulation. There are strict curfews on night flights to protect residents, no flights are allowed at weekends and for safety purposes no pilot is allowed to land at the airport unless having made the approach previously as a co-pilot. On top of this, LCY has one of the most impressive examples of airport best practice going. Despite having to make a pit-stop in Shannon to refuel (the plane can’t take off from LCY fully loaded as it would not be able to make the steep ascent required by the airport strict environmental guidelines) the load factors (number of people on the plane) of the flights are consistently strong, so much so that BA have given them the old Concorde flight numbers in an added boost to prestige. In addition, the airport is so well-liked that BA recently launched a twice daily business class only flight to the US. A quick scan of departure and arrival boards for the airport reveal connectivity with almost every major financial hub in Europe. As LCY has pointed out, it is the “only airport in London providing a direct route to the capital's business, financial and political centres, facilitating inward investment and economic growth.” As a result it is popular with business. Ignoring the obligatory bun fight over competing statistics, the NEF’s comments are fundamentally inaccurate. Despite employing 2,000 people (with the potential for this to rise to 3,500) and generating £750 million for the UK economy each year, the NEF claims that the airport “creates little value” and that the passengers who currently use the facility could be equally well served by Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. There are a lot of myths in UK aviation at the moment – exemplified most recently by the New Economic Foundation’s (NEF) call to close London City Airport (LCY) and use the land for homes and offices.
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