London City Airport's £344m expansion gets the go-ahead

London

The UK government approved the expansion of London City Airport - a project held up by former Mayor Boris Johnson - as new Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond looks to underline the city's role in the global economy in the aftermath of Britain's vote to exit the European Union. The £344 million (S$611 million) plan for the inner-city airport in London's former docklands had been delayed by Mr Johnson's objection to the purchase of land needed for the expansion.

Sadiq Khan, who took over as mayor after an election in May, gave approval to the project in his second week in office. The airport will build new aircraft parking spaces, expand the existing terminal capacity and add a new aircraft taxiway, enabling more modern and larger aircraft to operate and adding to connections between London and mainland Europe.