London City airport expansion gets green light from ministers

Ministers have given the go-ahead for a GBP344m expansion of London City airport. The plans include an extended terminal, more space for planes to taxi to and from the runway, and new aircraft stands that will allow bigger, more modern planes to use the airport. The project will create about 1,600 new jobs at the airport and another 500 during the construction phase, according to London City. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, and the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, gave the formal green light to the plan. It will allow more flights to and from the airport at peak times, and the extended terminal will accommodate more passengers. The airport currently serves about 4m passengers a year. Hammond said it was a vote of confidence in the resilience of the UK economy. <br/>