Aviation union GMB demanded today that London City airport bring in independent monitors to assess the impact of excess fumes on passengers and staff.

The privately owned airport operates a unique parking system for aircraft, with the tail exhaust pointing directly into the passenger lounge.
According to the union, regular discharges of toxic fumes are propelled into the customer lounges with potentially long-term health implications.
Some employees have already been taken ill as a direct result of working in areas exposed to the poisonous fumes.
GMB organiser Stephanie Attwood said that members had reported signs of poisonous exposure including dry mouths, headaches and breathing difficulties.
"GMB members working in this area have to vacate the room on a daily basis in order to escape having to breathe in the toxic air," she said.
Ms Attwood also drew attention to the health of passengers and future visitors to the 2012 Olympics site, which is located in the area.
"Members of the travelling public who land at London City airport have to use this area too, as will competitors and visitors to the Olympics."
Employers at the airport are using "in-house" monitoring equipment to gauge the severity of the fumes and their potential effect on passengers.
Surprisingly, however, GMB has been denied access to the results of the tests and has expressed "serious doubts" about their accuracy and validity.
"We have received an independent environmental report which states that there were volatile organic compounds present in the air sampled, sufficient to cause discomfort and possibly ill health.
"GMB is amazed at London City airport's refusal to agree to full independent monitoring to this potentially dangerous situation," said Ms Attwood.
She appealed to employers at the airport to "get real" and "finally put the health of passengers first.
"The reality of the situation is that London City airport has chosen to sacrifice the health of their passengers and staff in order to line their pockets with high levels of profit," Ms Attwood added.
National co-ordinator of the Campaign against Climate Change Phil Thornhill called for the "full disclosure" of tests carried out by the airport on pollution levels.
London City airport was unavailable for comment.

Lcy/jfk
 

Very true mate. There has been a number of posts regarding this new routes that have said BACF crew will be operating the flight. When BA announced the route it was announced as a BA mainline service not BA operated by BACF to JFK. :ugh:BACF is a subsidary and as such is seperate from BA mainline.

The flight will be operated using A320 family rated flight crew and the purser and two main crew will come from the LGW fleet who already operate the A319 ex LGW.

The closest BACF will get to it is when they park one of their shinny new Ejet on the stand next to the A318.

Hoefully GMB wins the debate regarding the exhaust issue. It's just ridiculous really. Even when there is space they still park it with the exhaust facing the L1 door. Loads of complaints from passengers, not to mention the crew sitting in the exhaust smoke filled aircraft.

GO GMB!

It's worth pointing out that this service will benefit the City not just the Wharf. It's about 20 mins on the DLR from Bank to London City, with services every few minutes. I'd favour that over battling accross London to Heathrow in a cab, or tube or cab to Paddington then Heathrow Express. Much less hassle. Add in the ease of the whole London City "checkin and depart" experience and I would imagine this route will be extremely popular by the time it comes in to service.

Look, you're talking about the auxilliary power units parked next to L1. GWB couldn't care less about these - they only inconvenience flight crew and PAX (although it never ceases to amaze me that the exhaust is usually aimed straight at the L1 stairs).
GWB are concerned about the fumes from aircraft (flight and aux) engines. Anyone who has experienced a 146/Avro starting up next to a door that wasn't latched closed, or nex to an open window (I know they should be closed...) knows what they're on about. But the alternative would be a logistical nightmare - tug to stand, tug away from stand - so I can't see that going anywhere, at least not w/o seriously threatening LCY's viability.

Afternoon all.

What is the purpose of the temp metal enclosure they've put up on the parkway beside the "new" terminal?

There was a Citiflyer jet in it but I couldn't see if it was being worked on

... or is it something to do with the airshow?

Thanks :ok:

It's to conceal the BA RJ that had a nosewheel collapse. It's going to be taken apart ready to move it out of the airport.

That's what I thought it might have been - just seemed odd it wasn't off to one side though, but plonked in the middle of the parking bays!

Thanks for that :)

It is the only stand that is large enough to bulid the enclosure on. The stand furthest to the right (stand 24) next to the dock, is needed for engine runs.

As in scrapped out of sight? Flown on that one....

Great add/article in the Daily Telegraph today about Cityjet and LCY!

Focussed on the very quick and efficient service and it's locality. Basically it covered in depth everything that makes the airport fantastic.

BA forges ahead with London City longhaul
 

BA forges ahead with London City longhaul
British Airways will launch the first ever longhaul route from London City airport in September, despite the general aviation downturn.

The airline has taken the decision to press ahead with the launch and set a September 29 date for the first flights. Tickets for the twice-daily service to New York JFK go on sale tomorrow.

The business class-only service will be given the airline’s most prestigious flight number, BA001, previously used by Concorde until its retirement in 2003.

The aircraft on the City-New York service will be specially configured Airbus A318s, the largest aircraft that can be flown from the Docklands airport.

Fitted with just 32 seats, which convert to fully flat beds, the aircraft will fly across the Atlantic after a brief refuelling stop at Shannon in west Ireland, where customers will be able to clear US Customs and Immigration.

Return flights from New York will be non-stop, as the aircraft can use JFK’s full-length runways and take off with sufficient fuel for the whole transatlantic crossing.

Chief executive Willie Walsh said: “In the harshest trading environment airlines have experienced, we believe it is more important than ever to embrace the future and innovate. That is what this historic new route is all about.

“There is real enthusiasm from our customers for this project. This is BA at its best – stylish, British and ahead of the game. Reviving the BA001 flight number for the first longhaul route out of London City could not be more appropriate.

The LCY-JFK route isn't just a shot in the dark to grab some of the high-rollers. The customer base has been identified and is supporting the operation. As the financial institutions decruit the remaining execs are doing more work - time is more precious and that's where this fits in nicely. As most of these people are regular users of LCY they are well aware of the operational limitations of the airport.

Open Skies (BA's offshoot for Paris/Amsterdam to New York etc with 757s) was always going to be a boondoggle, and whichever BA board members proposed it (including those at the highest level) ought to be relieved of their responsibilities, as it was always obviously money down the pan. The LCY-New York operation is something different, it is a city pair market that BA are the undoubted leaders in, they have all the right corporate and marketing contacts with those travelling, they are bringing forward a new product which many currently travelling will actually want to buy.

I have noticed that both at LCY and more generally at Canary Wharf and in The City, activity is heading upwards again. Nonsense business trips have gone, but mainstream trips in search of new opportunities are up again, and there's quite a lot of this in a realigned financial world.

Member of staff was found to have swine flu today.

I work in the Wharf for a multinational bank and can assure you there's genuine enthusiasm, not only at my place, for the new service from LCY.

It's not just that it's all business class, it's mainly a) the convenience of LCY's location b) the hassle-free nature of the place and c) the immigration at SNN -- hopefully it won't by manned by plonkers.

WHBM - Spot on mate.

Government scraps ID cards
 

Sky news latest:

Until today, staff wishing to work at Manchester airport and London City airport had to sign up for an ID card before they could get security passes allowing them to work there.
But, announcing that the Government is accelerating the rollout of the ID card scheme, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said they would now be voluntary for those workers.
More follows...

LCY Fun Day and Airshow July 3
 

Unlike previous years there didn't seem much publicity for this, certainly not in the local area. Meanwhile the published flying display looked less significant than previously.

As a result, for the first time in several years, I didn't go, so can't comment first hand. But nobody else here seems to have done so either.

Now I guess (shame) that we can't have the DC-6 every year, like we did last year. But it looks like it was a bit thin. Someone different organising it ?

Couldn't get down the flight line this year as they had the tractor train rides for the kids between the crowd and the aircraft, hence everyone who wanted to see the planes was moved back 15 feet by the Police and kept behind a second set of barriers. There were a GREAT many Police present this year, the only community event i have ever attended where there were so many armed men!

Was glad BA Cityflyer had an RJ100 and an RJ85 open to the public as this is SO rare in this day and age, excellent PR for the wide eyed kids, many of whom come from families who have never had the money to fly from LCY I bet. Can we have an A318 next year I wonder?

I recall (long back in this same thread) commenting about the police presence and methods at the show last year, and there were a number of follow-up comments along the same lines. Maybe the large armed turnout this year were hoping to spot me. Probably as well I didn't come then :)