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London City Airport Consultative Committee

Operational facilities and procedures


 

 

 

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On this Page:

Operations Control Centre

Ground Services

Flying Hours

Terminal Opening Hours
Limitation on Air Transport Movements
Permitted Aircraft

Other Regulatory Requirements
Runway
Stands

Slot Coordination
Operational Improvements Programme
Navigational Aids
Dealing with Snow and Ice
Air Traffic Control
Rescue and Firefighting Service

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Related Pages
About the Airport - Home Page (Alt+2)
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Aircraft (Alt+4)
Air Traffic Control (Alt+5)
Corporate Aviation (Alt+6)
Fire and Rescue (Alt+7)
Operational Improvements (Alt+8)
Passengers (Alt+9)
Airport Safeguarding (Alt+0)

 
 

Ops Control CentreOperations Control Centre

THE Operations Control Centre at London City Airport is located close to the Air Traffic Control Tower and the Apron. The Centre's function is to establish, implement and monitor policies and regulations relating to the safe operation and handling of aircraft.

The Control Centre is a focal point for the collection and distribution of information such as flight times/plans and weather reports. Operations Controllers inspect the runway, taxiway and apron to ensure that they are clear and serviceable.  Controllers are often first on the scene of any airside incident or emergency.  This team is also responsible for Bird Control and they also maintain the airport’s noise monitoring system.

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Ground Services

London City employs its own Ground Services Agents’ to handle the following range of duties:

  • Baggage sortingTug
  • Baggage security
  • Aircraft loading/unloading
  • Snow clearance
  • Driving – baggage delivery to aircraft
  • Operating Specialised Equipment

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Flying Hours

THE Airport is permitted to operate flights during the following hours: 

  • Between 06.30 and 22.00 hours on weekdays
  • Between 06.30 and 12.30 hours on Saturdays
  • Between 12.30 and 22.00 on Sundays.
  • Between 09.00 and 22.00 hours on Bank Holidays

Only six air transport movements are permitted between 06.30 and 06.59 hours and there is provision for controls on the noise made by these particular aircraft. The Airport is closed to flights on Christmas Day.

There are exemptions for aircraft using the Airport in an emergency and aircraft are permitted to take off or land during the period of 30 minutes after the Airport closes for traffic where they have suffered unavoidable operational delays. These flights must not exceed 400 in any calendar year or 150 in any consecutive period of three months.

These restrictions on the hours of flights operation flow either from the planning consents given for its construction and/or subsequent expansion or from related agreements under s.106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, notably that entered into with the London Borough of Newham on 21st July 1998.

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Terminal Opening Hours

The Terminal is currently open during the following periods:

  • Mondays to Fridays: 05.30 hours to 21.30 hours
  • Saturdays: 05.30 hours to 12.30 hours
  • Sundays: 11.00 hours to 21.30 hours

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Limitation on Air Transport Movements

THE planning regime also places restrictions on the number of Air Transport Movements (ATMs).  These are flights by civil aircraft for the transport of passengers, cargo or mail on commercial terms including flights by aircraft engaged in sightseeing tours. According to the 1998 planning agreement the maximum permitted numbers of ATMs were:

  • 140 per day on Saturdays and Sundays but not exceeding 220 on any consecutive Saturday and Sunday
  • 240 on other days except 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day Holiday, late May Bank Holiday, late August Bank Holiday, 25 December and 26 December
  • 140 on 1 January
  • 160 on Good Friday and the May Day Holiday
  • 200 on Easter Monday, the late May Bank Holiday and the late August Bank Holiday Apron Lineup
  • 100 on 26 December
  • 200 on any other Bank Holiday which may be proclaimed (but up to 240 with the consent of the local planning authority)
  • 73,000 per calendar year

In calculating the number of ATMs account is taken of the category of the aircraft and its noise factor - see the Noise Page. Thus, air transport movements by aircraft in:

  • Category A count as 1.26 ATMs
  • Category B count as 0.63 ATMs
  • Category C count as 0.31 ATMs
  • Category D count as 0.16 ATMs
  • Category E count as 0.08 ATMs

These are called factored movements. The number of factored movements must not exceed 15% of the permitted number of movements in any one week or 73,000 per calendar year. Here are the noise factors of the most common aircraft using the Airport:

Category

Types of Aircraft

A BAe 146, Avro RJ85, Fokker 70, Dassault Falcon DA10/50/900B/900EX, DHC 6, Embraer 135*, Piper Navajo, Citation II & V and the Citation Bravo
B ATR 42, Fokker 50, DHC-8 (100), DHC-8 (300), Dornier 328, Saab 340, Piper Navajo 31, Piper Seneca 34, Beech 90 & B200, Mitsubishi MU2.
C Saab 2000, Shorts 360
D Dornier 228, DHC-7

* Provisional

In 2006 there were 79,616 movements at the Airport of which 65,860 were air transport movements. The remainder were mostly private flights to and from the Jet Centre.

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Temporary Variation of Limits - 2007

Traffic at the Airport is now approaching the original daily limit of 240 air transport movements. Pending the finalising of the Airport Master Plan the Airport in July 2006 applied for temporary planning permission to redistribute the current daily limits such that it would be permitted more daily movements Monday to Friday in exchange for fewer movements on Saturdays and Sundays and during quieter holiday times. The total annual movement of 73,000 movements would remain.

A copy of the application (No 06/01310/VAR) can be seen on Newham Council's website along with an officers report on the application (without maps). The application was approved unanimously by the Council's Development Control Committee on 24th January 2007. The Section 106 agreement needed to complete this process has been agreed and will be signed shortly.

The approved new temporary limits are shown in the following table alongside the previous limits set in the 1998 planning agreement:

 
Original Limits
New Temporary Limits
Saturday
140
50
Sunday
140
100
Total Weekend
220
140
Weekday (except specified
days):
240
360 (providing 73,000 is not
breached annually)
January 1
140
80
Good Friday
160
100
Easter Monday
200
120

May Day Holiday
160
150
Late May Bank Holiday
200
140
Late August Bank Holiday
200
140
December 25
0
0
December 26
100
60
Annual Limit
73,000
73,000

It will be noted from the Council's report that some movements flowing from the operation of the Airport's Jet Centre do not rank as air transport movements and are not counted in the limits. It is proposed that when the Airport applies for a permanent permission these flights should be counted.

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Increasing the Limits

Early in August 2007 the Airport applied to the London Brough of Newham to vary the limits in the present airport planning permission so as to increase the number of permitted flights.  If approved the new overall annual limit, which will apply to all movements including those to and from the Jet Centre, would be 120,000 per annum compared with about 81,000 such flights in 2006. This will allow for about three years growth by which time traffic at the Airport will be operating broadly in line with the capacity of facilities already built or approved   This "interim" application does not seek permission to construct any new facilities. For more information visit our Looking Ahead page

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Permitted Aircraft

ALL aircraft using the Airport must be of an approved type. To qualify for approval an aircraft must fit into one of the above noise categories and be capable of making an approach at 5.5 degrees or steeper (this compares with 3 degrees at most other airports). Helicopters and other vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and aircraft with a single engine, are prohibited and flying for club or leisure purposes is not permitted. Type approval is given by the Airport's Operations and Control Department:

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7646 0241
Fax: +44 (0)20 7511 0248
E -mail: opsc@londoncityairport.com

Check with them for types already approved or to obtain new approvals.  There is a current (October 2003) list of approved types on our Aircraft page along with brief details of the main airline types currently using the Airport and hyperlinks the to the web sites of the manufacturers.

All pilots must hold a Commercial or Air Transport Pilots Licence and have completed at least three approaches at 5.5 degrees or steeper.

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Other Regulatory Requirements

MOST of the controls listed above are planning requirements.   The Airport is also subject to the ordinary regulatory requirements  relating to UK Airports administered by the Department of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority. Runway - end 2003For information about the DfT's role in aviation visit the aviation pages on their website. This inludes information on airport security. Similarly, details of many of the controls administered by the CAA an be accessed via their website.

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Runway

THE runway, at 17 feet above mean sea level, is constructed of concrete.  In 2002 a scheme to reconfigure the runway was carried out including the widening of the original  "starter" strips to full runway width and replacing the original arrester beds with high friction Runway End Safety Areas. As a result there is now a paved area of 1508m x 30m (5184ft x 98ft) plus turning areas at each end.  Within this is the runway with the following  "declared distances":

Source UK AIP 23/11/03

Runway Designator
* see below
TORA
Take-off Run Available
TODA
Take-off Distance Available
ASDA
Accelerate-Stop Distance Available
LDA
Landing Distance Available
10 1199 metres
(3934 feet)
1319 metres
(4327 feet)
1319 metres
(4327 feet)
1319 metres
(4327 feet)
28 1199 metres
(3934 feet)
1385 metres
(4544 feet)
1319 metres
(4327 feet)
1319 metres
(4327 feet)

* For aircraft taking off/approaching from the east the runway is designated Runway 28 after the heading on which approaching aircraft will fly to the runway threshold (the bearing is actually 276 degrees magnetic). For aircraft using the runway from the west the runway is designated Runway 10 after the reciprocal heading of 096 degrees magnetic.

Layout of Runways and Navaids - November  2003Click the thumbnail  to see an outline (142k) of the runway and the Airport's other facilities - for more detailed information for navigation or other purposes please see the UK AIP Aerodrome Map obtainable via our Aeronautical Data Page.

There is high intensity approach lighting in both directions comprising a centre line with two crossbars. This is starts at 401 metres (1316 feet) from Runway 10 and 462 metres (1516 feet) from Runway 28.  There is is also threshold, runway end and runway edge lighting.

Runway Holding Point - completed 2003There is no parallel taxiway and aircraft arriving/departing have to "backtrack" on the runway to take-off/taxi to the apron. Until the summer of 2003 this had the effect of limiting the number of arrivals and departures to about 20 per hour per hour depending on the weather and other circumstances. The attached usage chart illustrates the hour by hour use of the runway on weekdays during the winter of 1999. It will be seen that there was pressure on the use of the runway in the peak periods.  To help deal with this the Airport, as part of its Operational Improvements Programme, has constructed a holding point for three aircraft at the eastern end of the runway by building out southwards over the King George V dock for a short distance. Completed in September 2003 this facility allows for improved handling efficiency, especially in the peak hours. It is also expected to reduce the impact of ATC delays in that it provides space for aircraft using Runway 28 to wait for ATC clearances without sterilising the runway for take-offs and landings by other aircraft. It is thus expected to reduce substantially the number of "go-arounds" by landing aircraft approaching Runway 28.[Video clip of Runway Hold in use - wmv file 1.8mb]

In another move to help maximise the use of the runway the ATC in the Summer of 2005 introduced Ground Movement Control (GMC). Coupled with the new holding point this allowed an increase in the the sustained rate of aircraft movements to 32 per hour.

Top of PageAerial View of Apron - end 2003

Stands

THERE are fourteen stands for aircraft on the apron, 10 original and four more provided when the western apron was reconfigured in 2002. In addition there are stands at the Jet Centre for corporate aircraft.  Click the thumbnail (left) to see a plan (79k) of the apron and the location of the stands.  The stands are all "self- manoeuvring"- pilots steer their aircraft on to the appropriate stand lead-in line (as directed by ATC) from where they are directed by marshallers who turn the aircraft so that it is ready to taxi out for departure. There is thus no requirement for "push back" tractors as at many other airports.

In May 2007 the Airport announced it had placed a contract worth £19m with support services and construction company Carillion for the eastwards extension of the apron to provide five additional aircraft parking stands.  The contract is for the construction of a 20,000 square metre concrete platform, supported by piles and built over the King George V Dock to the east of the existing terminal.  In addition, a sound screen is to be incorporated to minimise noise impact of aircraft operations on neighbouring houses.  Construction started in June 2007 and the new stands will be in service during the summer of 2008.

There is on YouTube speeded up footage which shows activity on the main apron at the Airport over a period of an hour - click here

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Slot Coordination

The Airport is designated as a Schedules Facilitated (Level 2) airport in accordance with the IATA Worldwide Scheduling Guidelines. The Airporet employs Airport Coordination Limited to provide schedule coordination services and they have an on-site Coordinator.

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Operational Improvements Programme

THIS Programme of improvements will allow the Airport to deal efficiently with the growth in traffic up to the level approved in the 1998 planning permission.  Full details of the programme are on our OIP Page.

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ILS Localiser - Runawy 10Navigational Aids

- see Map (142kb)

THE Airport is equipped with the Instrument Landing System (ILS) on both runways. The ILS is a radio system which transmits two beams, the localiser and the glide path. The localiser beam defines the centre line of the runway and extends along the approach path for 20 miles. The glide path beam defines the angle or glide slope at which aircraft should fly while following the localiser course to approach the runway, safely clearing all obstacles.

Linked to the ILS is Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) located at the mid  point along the runway.ILS Glideslope - Runway 10 This equipment gives a continuous readout to approaching pilots showing the distance to the runway threshold. This is achieved by the aircraft "interrogating" the ground equipment which, after a fixed delay, replies to the aircraft. Knowing the delay between transmissions and the reply, the equipment in the aircraft calculates the distance and displays it on the flight deck.

There are also PAPI lights (Precision Approach Path Indicators) which gives pilots a visual indication whether the aircraft is above, below or "on" the  prescribed glide slope. Both the ILS and the PAPIs are set at 5.5 degrees. his compares with 3 degrees at conventional airports.

Transmissometer - for measuring visiblityThe Airport also has a Non-directional Beacon (NDB) to which pilots can steer using ADF (Automatic Direction Finding) equipment.

Weather information is continually broadcast to pilots using Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS) equipment and the Airport has special equipment, known as a transmissometer, for measuring  visibility. 

Although it is uncategorised, London City conforms to the requirements of a Category One airfield.

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Dealing Snow and Ice

A snowy day at LCY

THE Airport has three de-icing rigs for aircraft and one for the runway. There are two runway snow clearing vehicles.

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Air Traffic Control

THE Airport's Air Traffic Control (ATC) services are provided by the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) under contract. There is a staff of 11 controllers and four engineers who work in two shifts. The team is also responsible for the maintenance of the Airport's air navigation systems. For more detailed information visit our ATC and Aeronautical Data pages. 

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Rescue and Fire Fighting Service

THE Airport's Fire and Rescue Service is fully equipped to provide an immediate response to an aircraft accident or incident. Visit our Fire & Rescue Page for more information

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Policing

Since September 2004 the policing of the Airport has been provided by CO18 Branch of the Metropolitan Police which is responsible for airport security at both Heathrow and London City. The unit responsible for London City, which includes both armed officers and comminity support officers, operates from North Woolwich Police Station which was specially upgraded to provide a reporting base and an armoury for their use. A representative of the unit attends meetings of the Consultative Committee as an observer.

Airport security and policing have been issues for debate since 2002 when Sir John Wheeler was commissioned to carry out a Review of Airport Security. For more information visit the website of the Liaison Group of Airport Consultative Committees.

It will be noted that one of the issues under discussion is that of the cost of Airport policing where there are perceived inequities arising from the "designation" of some, but not all, airports under section 25 of the Aviation Security Act 1982. There are currently nine airports designated for policing purposes - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Prestwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The primary responsibility for policing activity at these airports lies with the Chief Constable and the airport manager is obliged to make such payments in respect of policing the airport as the manager and the relevant authority may agree. If they cannot agree, the Secretary of State may be required to determine the amount to be paid to the police by the airport manager (section 26(3)).

At it's meeting in January 2007 the Consultative Committee heard that the Metropolitan Police Authority had written to the Secretary of State for Transport, seeking the designation of London City Airport under these powers. This would mean that the owners would pay the policing bill instead of taxpayers as at present.

The Airport commented that the Secretary of State had said he would not be designating any more airports under the present arrangements which had been under review for some time. The Airport was sharing in the review process through the Airport Operators Association (AOA) but meanwhile it had rejected a request from the Metropolitan Police to make a voluntary contribution towards policing costs not least because the amount involved would have been four times the amount payable per passenger at Heathrow - a designated airport.

Members commented that in circumstances where the level of policing at the Airport seemed to be settled elsewhere, and the primary threat which gave rise to that policing arose from the actions of other bodies, it was unreasonable to expect the Airport to meet the cost. It was recognised that airports attracted “ordinary” crime and sharing in the cost of dealing with this could be seen as more reasonable

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An independent Consultative Committee established by London City Airport pursuant to Section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982
Chairman:
John Adshead     Secretary: Stuart Innes
E-Mail

Page last modified: 22 February 2008