City Airport should be closed because it has little direct contribution to the UK economy, according to the independent think tank New Economics Foundation.
The report said the airport has only 2.4% of London’s total flight capacity. The airport caters predominately to business travellers.
The Foundation pointed out that its direct contribution to the economy was £110m in 2011, less than other operations in the area.
The valuable land it occupies should be redeveloped in order to build more housing stock.
City Airport has one of the shortest runways in the country, which means that only smaller aircraft can use it and poor weather can prevent take-off and landing.
The Foundation claims that City Airport “places a significant environmental and social burden on neighbouring communities and gives back very little in return."
But a spokeswoman from London City Airport argued that it is the only airport in London that “provides a direct route to the capital's business, financial and political centres, facilitating inward investment and economic growth."
She said that closing the airport would put 2,000 people out of work, prevent the future creation of jobs, and remove £750m a year from the economy.
