The closure is expected to last until the end of April.
As the world reacts to the coronavirus pandemic, the airline industry has quickly become one of the more disrupted transport systems. Now, London City Airport – which is current in the midst of redevelopments that’ll see it quadruple in size – has become the first London airport to announce a closure as a result of the virus, with flights in and out suspended until the end of April.
All commercial and private flights will be suspended as of this evening, but there’s a very good reason behind the closure. As the most central of all the London airports – and handily rather close to the huge field hospital currently under construction at the ExCeL Centre – they’ve offered the use of the airport to the Government, so that it may be used “by the emergency services or other agencies to support the national effort”, which is rather decent of them.
In addition, they’ve made clear that no staff will be laid off as a result of the decision, and will return to work once normal operations resume. At which point, I assume half the country will be jetting off on hastily-rearranged holidays, right?