London Assembly member Leonie Cooper has warned that planned expansion of London City Airport will increase noise and pollution for residents in south Newham. The airport is seeking permission to allow larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320neo, to operate from its Albert Dock site, alongside proposals for lower flight paths.
Planes to Fly 27 Metres Lower
Airport officials claim that the new, larger planes will be quieter than those currently in use and that the overall number of flights will decrease. However, Cooper, a Labour Assembly member, expressed significant reservations. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), she said: “If the planes are coming in lower, firstly the noise is surely going to be more, and secondly the air pollution is going to be more.” Cooper noted that planes will fly 27 metres lower over the Royal Docks than they do currently, which she fears will mean louder noise harming the health of people living nearby.
Existing Approval and Local Opposition
This latest proposal follows London City Airport’s existing approval to increase its annual passenger capacity to nine million. In 2024, then-government cabinet ministers Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh agreed to change a planning condition, overruling Newham Council, which had previously capped passenger numbers at 6.5 million a year. London City now says that to increase passenger numbers it needs to allow the A320neo to use its runway, requiring permission from the Civil Aviation Authority for planes to land at a shallower angle. Planes currently approach London City at a steeper angle than usual because of nearby tall buildings.
Noise and Health Concerns
Cooper emphasised the impact of noise on residents: “It’s absolutely deafening even now. And not everyone living around the airport has got the sort of soundproofing we have at City Hall. We know the impact of noise on people’s sleep patterns – it’s really bad for their heart health as well as their mental health. Apparently lack of sleep can even cause obesity.” She also fears lower flights will expose Newham residents to more air pollution, pointing to parliamentary research that found pollution close to airports is “significantly higher than in locations distant and upwind of airports”.
Conflicting Noise Assessments
A report by the Aviation Environment Federation for the anti-expansion campaign group Hacan East in September 2025 indicated the A320neo is quieter than the main aircraft currently used, the Embraer 190. However, the E190 is due to be replaced by newer aircraft by 2036, which could be quieter than the A320neo. A noise impact assessment for City Airport produced in January states the A320neo is quieter than current aircraft and that airport noise will travel less far. It admits the A320neo is louder than other new planes that could replace the old one, but only “slightly” by less than two decibels, “not perceptible to most people”. The assessment assumes other planes would continue to land at steeper angles.
Airport's Response
London City Airport says that as the A320neo can carry more passengers, there will be 76,500 fewer flights over twelve years. A spokesperson told the LDRS: “Larger capacity, new‑generation aircraft will mean fewer flights and less noise disturbance for local communities when compared to not making this change over the coming years.”
