Behind the Scenes: London City Airport – The trip home and my thoughts
- Behind the Scenes: London City Airport: The Introduction
- Peak rush to London, aLoft ExCeL
- Morning time at LCY – Inspecting runway lights
- Ramp Operations
- At the JetCentre
- Ramp Walk 1
- Ramp Walk 2
- From the Tower
- Watery Inspections with the Fire Service
- Leaving London and Final Thoughts (THIS SECTION)
The fire service tender drove over to Gate 23 where security was waiting for us. After being re-cleared, I caught a few pictures of the BA A318’s parked next to each other.
Engine work on G-EUNA
After that is was the short walk to Domestic Arrivals and the information desk where this tour started to end this tour.
I thanked my guides profusely for the tour of the airport and for the opportunities that were offered during the day.
Passing the main entrance – not the BA1/3 Check-in area and trolley.
Exit to the car park and buses
Another view
Information totem – also lists the airlines active at LCY
Armed with an information pack and a lot to digest and write about, it was time to head the short distance to the DLR station (exit the foyer, turn right to the DLR, beep an Oyster Card and then up to the platform).
Two trains later, I was back at ExCeL and at the aLoft to recombine my baggage (and also to do an emergency patch job to my clothes – no, don’t ask…).
The back of the The aLoft ExCeL.
At Midday I checked out of the hotel, with all charges settled correctly. It was then off to Canary Wharf for a coffee with a friend, and then back on the Jubilee line up to Baker Street.
Call me soft – but I do like this bit of Tube Artwork
Then one stop across to London Marylebone main line station
There was only a short wait for a train, and it was back to Birmingham Moor Street. Again the service was nice and fast, comfortable and not overloaded for what is an off peak journey. 1 hour 40 I was at Moor Street, and at the front door of the flat 20 minutes later.
And that’s a peak behind the scenes at London City Airport.
The impression I got of the airport and its staff is professionalism, care to the job and a sense it was a big family as opposed to larger faceless places – something that carries through when it comes to customer interaction
The Marketing and Press Team who were my hosts that day do an excellent job with a well filled Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/londoncityair) that is manned by a person, and keeping people informed – which is so important in a place where people are moving in and out and need to know what is going on.
They also have one hell of a Internet connectivity link at London City Airport if you’re going through and using their Free WiFi – to deal with the surges in use, they have upgraded from 10mb line to a 100mb line so that users can keep connected at speed.
For an airport that targets business travellers – the need for decent connectivity on the road is met here – something that is lacking at even major hubs.
London City Airport has various factors going for it – least of all its location, but its people, its service, and its “can do” attitude. Combine that with the detail to safety, the growing route network and the connectivity to and from the airport as well as the speed you can get through the place…
If your travels take you through to London and London City Airport comes up as an end point to your journey, I’d urge you to try it.
You might be very surprised as it puts some of the pleasure back into flying.
I’d like add my personal thanks the Marketing and Communications Team at London City Airport for hosting me for the day and to the management at Boarding Area for passing me over the invitation for the rare behind the scenes visit of London City Airport.
Disclosure: London City Airport kindly supplied a hotel room at aLoft ExCeL to me to assist in this visit. Some details and factual information has been provided by London City Airport Corporate Communications Department.
All opinions expressed within this trip are my own, represent my own personal thoughts and my observations during the visit.
You can find out more about London City Airport at http://www.londoncityairport.com/