Residents Call for Boris Johnson to Make U Turn on London City Airport Flights

There are renewed calls for Boris Johnson, Mayor of London to retract his support for the 50% increase in flights at the airport, and for him to put the health and safety of all Londoners first. Today's news that a Heathrow bound Boeing 777 and a private jet from London City Airport had a near collision in 2009 has further raised residents concerns regarding the safety of increasing flights at London City Airport (1).

Anne-Marie Griffin said: ''the Civil Aviation Authority had already been forced to change flights paths to improve safety due to larger jets being flown out of the airport, but as this near miss occurred after these changes were implemented in May 2009 it is shocking (2). There simply isn't enough room for more planes above London, and there's no room at all for error from pilots, air traffic controllers or the aircraft''.

''The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson should be supporting residents who are against expansion to protect their environment, health and well being. The risks of increasing flights in the most complex flight paths in the world is simply a bigger risk''.

On the eve of the London Plan aviation day, Boris Johnson has so far failed residents in East London, despite him showing signs of being shocked to hear how badly affected they were by aircraft noise at a question time event in Ilford (3). However despite Boris's promise to ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority would carry out the flight path review publicly, the Mayor appears to have taken no action at all. Once again, Boris appears to have ignored the residents of East London and failed to carry out the pledge he made to residents in Ilford last year.