Coronavirus: London City Airport suspends all flights
London City Airport has suspended all flights in and out of the airport for the foreseeable future.
The airport will stop all commercial and private flights from this evening due to the fallout from the coronavirus.
The airport only had a handful of flights today, with numbers sharply decreasing due to the travel restrictions imposed in Europe and the US.
London City Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said it was the “right and responsible course of action to protect the safety and wellbeing of our staff and passengers”.
He added: “The fundamentals of our business remain strong.
“The airport is backed by very committed, long-term investors and, once confidence returns to the market, the airport and our staff will be ready once again to quickly return to normal operations.”
The aviation sector has been left reeling from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some airports and airlines on the brink of going bust.
However, chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed yesterday that there would not be a specific bail out package for the industry, despite earlier assurances to the contrary.
The statement sparked fury from the Airport Operators Association (AOA), an aviation trade body, who said last week that some airports were “weeks away from closing”.
In a statement released yesterday, AOA chief executive Karen Dee said: “While countries across Europe have recognised the vital role airports play and are stepping into the breach, the UK government’s decision to take a case-by-case approach with dozens of UK airports is simply not feasible to provide the support necessary in the coming days.
“Not only does the decision today leave airports struggling to provide critical services, it will hamper the UK recovery.”