London City Airport invests in increased commercial resources to support pioneering growth strategy

London City Airport is to focus on inbound growth for 2012 and beyond, dedicating a large proportion of the year’s marketing activity to key European hubs and substantially increasing resources within the Commercial Division.

Introducing a unique and pioneering airport commercial strategy, newly positioned sales staff will be responsible for driving increasing passenger numbers from cities including Barcelona, Madrid, Dublin, Geneva, Munich, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stockholm, building on the three million plus travellers who passed through London City Airport in 2011.

Concentrating on the UK, Ireland and Western Europe, additional Sales Managers will target corporate partners, travel management companies and business communities in their home markets in order to raise awareness of the Airport’s proposition and influence decision-makers to switch their travel choices to London City to enjoy a better travel experience. This activity will complement working closely with airline customers through planned airline marketing activity, extending the reach of the campaigns through personal interaction with targeted audiences.

The only airport with a London postcode, London City has a higher proportion of passengers travelling into London, with over 60% of all its customers choosing the facility to travel into the UK’s capital; the airport’s 2012 marketing budget will therefore reflect the importance of the inbound markets to the airports historical and future growth plans.

Maximising on the opportunities provided by upcoming events, such as the Queen’s Jubilee, the London 2012 Olympic Games and the airport’s own 25th Anniversary, London City’s ambitious strategy aims to strengthen the positioning of the East End as a vital gateway to the capital and deliver increased passenger traffic to the city’s financial centres and surrounding locales, including nearby Canary Wharf.

Offering a time-saving option and minimal ground transportation costs for visitors travelling to the UK’s capital in 2012 and beyond, passengers flying into London City Airport will benefit from a transfer time of just ten minutes from plane to surface transport on arrival. Direct services to the main Olympic Park are also available from outside the terminal entrance via the Docklands Light Railway, making London City a convenient hub for visitors arriving in 2012.

Matthew Hall, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: “We have invested over £7m in the terminal over the past year, extending the Central Search area, as well as other improvements, to ensure that the airport continues to deliver the time saving proposition promised, even with an increased number of passengers.”

He continued: “We are doing all we can to back London as a must-visit destination this year and beyond and this injection into overseas resources will highlight the many unique and exciting attractions that the capital has to offer for first-time travellers as well as returning visitors. It will also emphasise London City Airport’s unique position in the heart of the capital’s financial district and location just three miles from the Olympic Stadium.”