--- iata: LCY name: London City Airport city: London country: United Kingdom lastUpdated: '2026-08-31' officialWebsite: 'https://www.londoncityairport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.londoncityairport.com/' - 'https://www.londoncityairport.com/corporate/corporate-info/facts-and-figures' - >- https://assets.ctfassets.net/lmkdg513arga/2dywUTmlC1BhwMkvPLgd7H/1b806457199676b8e813f7bec30ef47d/LCY_AnnualPerformanceReport_2025.pdf - >- https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2025/annual-2025/ - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_City_Airport' - >- https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/stations-stops-and-piers/london-city-airport - 'https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares' - 'https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4eze3v791o' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-kingdom/london-city/lcy1d-soul-and-grain - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-kingdom/london-city/lcy2d-juniper - 'https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/liquids-aerosols-and-gels' - >- https://www.londoncityairport.com/at-the-airport/need-to-know/security-baggage quickFacts: - >- Single-terminal Docklands airport on the former King George V Dock, Newham — about 7 miles (11 km) east of the City of London; IATA LCY / ICAO EGLC; elevation ~19 ft; opened 26 Oct 1987 - >- UK CAA annual 2025 Table 09: 3,737,888 terminal passengers; airport Annual Performance Report 2025 cites 3,732,815; CAA Table 03: 50,992 aircraft movements (grand total; 50,098 air transport). Well under the 6.5 mppa CADP cap; government approved a path to 9 mppa in 2024 - >- Steep-approach specialist field: runway 09/27 is 1,508 m; certified 5.5° glideslope (vs ~3° typical). Aircraft limited to steep-approach-approved types (e.g. Embraer E-Jets / A220-class); BA CityFlyer is the main base - >- DLR station is attached to the terminal (Zone 3) — typically ~22 minutes to Bank on the Bank branch; ~72% of 2025 passengers used public/sustainable modes (airport APR) - >- No passenger lounge open as of Aug 2026; Aspire lounge announced for early 2027. Priority Pass currently offers £18 dining credits at Soul & Grain and Juniper only - >- CT scanners let you leave liquids/electronics in cabin bags, but LCY still enforces ≤100 ml containers (DfT directive since Jun 2024). Airport FAQ: no public Fast Track product bentoTips: - label: Transport title: Ride the DLR — skip the forecourt fee detail: >- London City Airport DLR station sits in the terminal complex (Travelcard Zone 3). Bank is typically about 22 minutes on the Bank branch; Canary Wharf and Canning Town are shorter hops for Docklands / Jubilee connections. Pay with contactless or Oyster — TfL Zone 1–3 pay-as-you-go is £3.90 peak / £3.30 off-peak (2026 TfL fare table; peak Mon–Fri 06:30–09:30 and 16:00–19:00). Since 6 Jan 2026 the forecourt charges £8 for the first five minutes then £1/min (max 10 minutes; Blue Badge exempt; black cabs currently exempt per BBC). For most City/Canary Wharf trips the DLR beats a taxi on time and cost. summary: Attached DLR Zone 3; Bank ~22′; £8 kerbside drop-off since Jan 2026. category: timing - label: Security title: Keep bags packed — but still pack ≤100 ml detail: >- London City’s Next Generation Security Checkpoints use CT cabin-bag scanners: leave liquids, laptops and tablets in your hand luggage. The airport still requires each liquid/gel container to be 100 ml or less with the volume on the original label (temporary DfT reintroduction from 9 Jun 2024). Official FAQ states the airport does not operate a Fast Track lane; published average security time is around 5 minutes when calm — build buffer for weekday peaks. Assisted travelers can email the airport ahead for alternative screening. summary: CT leave-in-bag process; classic 100 ml limit; no public Fast Track. category: terminal - label: Lounge title: No lounge yet — PP is dining credit only detail: >- As of August 2026 there is no Priority Pass or walk-up passenger lounge airside. An Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality lounge is under construction on an unused upper level (access planned via a lobby after security opposite duty-free) with an early-2027 target; pricing and PP status are not published yet. Until then Priority Pass lists Soul & Grain (main concourse by duty-free) and Juniper (East Pier toward gates 21–24) as £18 dining credits per visit entitlement — present card + same-day boarding pass before ordering. Juniper typically 05:00–21:00 weekdays; shorter Saturday lunch window; Soul & Grain similar weekday span with weekend variants. summary: Aspire due early 2027; today PP = £18 at Soul & Grain / Juniper. category: status - label: Food title: Refill after security near the mid gates detail: >- Free drinking water is commonly reported airside near gates 7–8 (and sometimes nearer other mid-pier gates). Landside, buy a sealed bottle in public retail if you need certainty before screening. Free unlimited Wi-Fi on SSID “LCY Airport Free Wi-Fi” (airport: enter email; expect roughly mid-teens Mb/s depending on load). Compact airside F&B is the Soul & Grain / Juniper / retail cluster — do not expect a mega-hub food court. summary: Airside fountains near mid gates; Wi-Fi “LCY Airport Free Wi-Fi”. category: food lounges: - name: Soul & Grain (Priority Pass dining credit) hours: 'Mon–Fri 05:00–21:00; Sat 05:00–12:30; Sun 11:00–22:30 (PP listing)' access: - Priority Pass dining credit (£18 off bill per visit entitlement) bestFor: - Priority Pass holders when no lounge exists - Quick meal by duty-free after security summary: >- Not a lounge — Priority Pass dining venue airside on the main concourse next to duty-free. £18 off the bill per registered person with card + same-day boarding pass presented before ordering; pay any overage. Restaurant seating is capacity-limited at the venue’s discretion. verdict: depends terminal: Main terminal airside (main concourse by Duty Free) amenities: - Fresh-to-go food and drinks - £18 Priority Pass credit - Air conditioning - Wi-Fi / flight information (per PP listing) - name: Juniper (Priority Pass dining credit) hours: >- Mon–Fri 05:00–21:00; Sat 05:00–12:30; Sun 11:00–20:30 (PP listing; 25 Dec closed) access: - Priority Pass dining credit (£18 off bill per visit entitlement) bestFor: - East Pier departures toward gates 21–24 - Sit-down meal with PP credit instead of a lounge summary: >- Not a lounge — Priority Pass dining venue at the entrance to gates 21–24 on the East Pier after security. Same £18 dining-credit rules as Soul & Grain. Useful when your gate is on the East Pier; still not a quiet lounge product. verdict: depends terminal: Main terminal airside (East Pier / gates 21–24 entrance) amenities: - Restaurant menu / drinks - £18 Priority Pass credit - Disabled access (per PP listing) - No smoking including vaping waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside retail bottled water zone: landside price: Typically ~£1.50–£3 for 0.5 L (shop-dependent) summary: >- Buy a sealed bottle in the public terminal before security if you want guaranteed hydration before the 100 ml rule applies to anything you keep through screening. location: Public check-in / arrivals retail hall terminal: Main terminal isBestValue: true - kind: free name: Airside drinking fountain (mid-gates) zone: airside summary: >- Traveler reports and airport guides consistently place a cold drinking fountain near gates 7–8 (sometimes also nearer other mid-pier gates). Confirm on the day — the compact pier makes a short walk worthwhile. location: Airside departure pier near gates 7–8 terminal: Main terminal isBestQuality: true - kind: purchase name: Airside café / bar bottled water zone: airside price: Typically ~£2–£4 for 0.5 L summary: >- Sealed bottles at Soul & Grain, Juniper and other airside retail if you miss the fountain or want a spare for the flight. location: Airside concourse F&B and retail terminal: Main terminal airportistScore: 7.7 slug: lcy region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/lcy](/airports/lcy). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/lcy) - [Lounge directory](/airports/lcy/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # London City Airport (LCY) London, United Kingdom · Europe Docklands’ steep-approach city runway: DLR in the building, a tiny single terminal, CT screening that still enforces 100 ml, and no real lounge until Aspire’s early-2027 opening — unbeatable for Canary Wharf/City day trips, brittle when noise curfews or weather bite. ## Airportist Score **7.7 / 10** - Comfort: 7.0 - Navigation: 8.6 - Food: 6.6 - Transport: 9.0 - Disruption resilience: 6.4 ## At a glance - Passengers: 3.74M (CAA 2025) - Terminals: 1 - Typical security: 8 min - On-time: 74% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - City / Canary Wharf business day-trips on BA CityFlyer and European regionals - Travelers who value attached DLR over mega-hub shopping - Light-luggage short-haul within LCY’s steep-approach aircraft limits - Priority Pass dining credits at Soul & Grain or Juniper until the Aspire lounge opens ## Watch out for - No passenger lounge open yet (Aspire targeted early 2027) - ≤100 ml liquids still enforced despite CT leave-in-bag scanners - Saturday afternoon–Sunday morning noise closure — no scheduled flying - £8 / 5 min forecourt drop-off since 6 Jan 2026 (then £1/min, 10 min max) ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/lcy/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/lcy/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/lcy/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/lcy/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/lcy/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/lcy/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/lcy/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/lcy/reviews.md)