I went to Belgium today - for six hours. I flew to Antwerp for a business meeting mid-morning and returned in time for dinner. This is my second time in Belgium in the last 18 years. My first visit was equally brief. I caught a bus from Rotterdam to London in 1990 that briefly stopped for a coffee break in the outskirts of Brussels. I can report that today's weather in Belgium was wet and grey, while London was enjoying a bright, sunny afternoon.
My brief Channel hop was effortless thanks to the incredible convenience of London City Airport. This commuter airport is located in the Docklands area of East London. The same area is also home to the city's infamous Millennium Dome, the Thames Barrier and the 2012 Olympic Stadium.
I love London City Airport. I've flown out of it several times over the last six years including several flights to Berlin, Munich and Madrid. The range of cities within its reach is limited only by the type of aircraft able to safely land on its 1080 metre runway. At last count 11 airlines operated from the airport connecting 33 European cities to the very heart of London.
British Airways has even announced plans for two daily trans-Atlantic flights to New York starting early next year. These extended range flights will be operated using a specially configured Airbus 318, seating 32 people. Eastbound aircraft will fly non-stop to London while westbound flight will make a brief fuel stop in Shannon, Ireland.
The airport is incredibly easy to reach. A 30-minute tube ride from Swiss Cottage literally deposits me at its doorstep. Short queues and a quick security transit make it easy to be in the air less than 45-minutes later. With convenience like that it no wonder the airport saw a record 2.9 million passengers pass through its doors last year. In April this year was its single busiest month, processing 298,835 passengers.
By comparison, it takes more than two hours from an aircraft at Heathrow to home. The journey also requires a lengthy cab ride through stop-start traffic, or three train transfers and several cumbersome stairways. I know which transfer I'd prefer!
My brief Channel hop was effortless thanks to the incredible convenience of London City Airport. This commuter airport is located in the Docklands area of East London. The same area is also home to the city's infamous Millennium Dome, the Thames Barrier and the 2012 Olympic Stadium.
I love London City Airport. I've flown out of it several times over the last six years including several flights to Berlin, Munich and Madrid. The range of cities within its reach is limited only by the type of aircraft able to safely land on its 1080 metre runway. At last count 11 airlines operated from the airport connecting 33 European cities to the very heart of London.
British Airways has even announced plans for two daily trans-Atlantic flights to New York starting early next year. These extended range flights will be operated using a specially configured Airbus 318, seating 32 people. Eastbound aircraft will fly non-stop to London while westbound flight will make a brief fuel stop in Shannon, Ireland.
The airport is incredibly easy to reach. A 30-minute tube ride from Swiss Cottage literally deposits me at its doorstep. Short queues and a quick security transit make it easy to be in the air less than 45-minutes later. With convenience like that it no wonder the airport saw a record 2.9 million passengers pass through its doors last year. In April this year was its single busiest month, processing 298,835 passengers.
By comparison, it takes more than two hours from an aircraft at Heathrow to home. The journey also requires a lengthy cab ride through stop-start traffic, or three train transfers and several cumbersome stairways. I know which transfer I'd prefer!
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