London City passenger traffic dips below 1 million

LONDON - Passenger traffic at London City Airport fell by 82 percent in 2020 down from the record 5.1 million in 2019.

"Aviation has been one of the hardest hit sectors with significant travel restrictions and quarantine requirements affecting both business travel and leisure flights," the airport said.

At the height of the first wave in March 2020, London City also took the decision to temporarily cease commercial flights for three months to protect staff and support operations at the nearby NHS Nightingale hospital.

The airport saw a brief rebound in passenger numbers upon reopening in late June and the announcement of travel corridors by the UK Government, with high load factors on routes including Florence, Palma, Ibiza and Nice.

"However, subsequent travel restrictions in the UK and across the airport’s key markets significantly reduced airline schedules and passenger confidence in the last quarter of the year," the airport said.  The total number of LCY passengers in 2020 was 905,326.