London City airport achieved a record 4.5 million passengers in 2016 ahead of £344 million development plans.
The total was the largest number of passengers in the airport’s 30-year history, representing 5% year-on-year growth.
The busiest ever month was recorded in July when 421,518 passengers passed through the Docklands airport.
The 10 commercial airlines which operate from London City serve nearly 50 domestic, European and US destinations, with the most popular routes by passenger numbers in 2016 including Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, Rotterdam and Dublin.
New routes were added last year to Bergerac, Alicante, Berlin, Bremen, Cardiff, Paris Charles De Gaulle and Rennes.
Chief executive Declan Collier said: “Our offer of a speedy and efficient passenger experience, just six miles from the City of London, means less time in transit and more time for the purpose of your trip.
“With 52% of all passengers travelling for business, the 5% year-on-year growth demonstrates that the appetite for business travel to and from London remains strong despite the unpredictable political climate, as we prepare to expand the airport in 2017 to meet increasing demand.”
The government approved planning permission for a £344 million City Airport Development Programme, with work starting this year.
The development will enable 6.5 million passengers to use the airport by 2025 and add 29,000 additional flights a year.
The privately funded investment includes plans for seven new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway to maximise runway capacity, and a terminal extension.
The airport came under the new ownership almost a year ago under a consortium of international infrastructure investors: Alberta Investment Management Corporation, OMERS, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure Management, the infrastructure investing arm of the Kuwait Investment Authority.