13.07.08
London City Airport is expecting a slowdown in gpassenger rowth this year, as the global financial crisis takes its toll. However, the docklands hub still expects a 12% to 15% rise compared to last year, to around 3.4 million passengers.
Chief Executive Richard Gooding told Reuters in an interview: ‘It's slower, but not going backwards,’adding that in 2007 growth was 23%. He said: ‘When the current financial crisis ends passenger numbers will really start growing again,' noting that the airport expected to treble in size to 10 million passengers by 2030.
London City is more sensitive to corporate passengers' habits than any other UK airport, as 70% of its passengers are business travellers. Mr Gooding told Reuters that it is currently unclear whether the consumer spending downturn would also have an impact on passenger numbers this year, as many holiday-makers would have bought their tickets well in advance. He said: ‘If we see a downturn in leisure travel, it will be later this year.'
Mr Gooding said the BA business class-only route to New York planned for next year could shape the future of the airport, as it could pave the way for more 'medium haul' travel to locations such as Dubai and Moscow. He said: ‘It's a very interesting and innovating thing to do. It opens up a number of new horizons for us which otherwise would not have been there.'
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