Planespotting London City — EGLC
London City is unlike any other airport in Britain. Its single 1,500 m runway, 09/27, sits on a strip of land between two Victorian docks in Newham, 11 km east of the City, and every aircraft has to fly a 5.5-degree approach — roughly twice the usual angle — to clear the surrounding buildings. Only types and crews certified for that steep glidepath operate here, so the fleet is a select club of Embraer E-jets, Airbus A220s, ATR 72s and Dash 8s, plus business jets. The setting is the attraction: Canary Wharf towers, the ExCeL centre and dockside flats frame almost every shot, and the water of the Royal Albert and King George V docks keeps the foreground open. There is no preferred runway direction, but with prevailing westerlies 27 is in use around two-thirds of the time. Everything is reachable by DLR and bus. One thing to plan around: the airport closes from 12:30 on Saturday until 12:30 on Sunday.
- THY1934 A21N 12 675 ft
- FIN1EA A321 11 675 ft
- CPA239 A35K 8 000 ft
- DLH1HM A20N 7 725 ft
- VIR214 B789 6 000 ft
- BAW7CP B78X 5 575 ft
- FLJ61H E550 3 525 ft RWY 09
- CFE80NJ E190 2 600 ft RWY 27
Conditions right now
Runways
- 10/28 RWY 10 1,508 × 29 m · 4,948 × 95 ft closed
- 09/27 1,503 × 29 m · 4,931 × 95 ft concrete
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody64%
- Turboprop22%
- Bizjet14%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Royal Albert Dock — Newham Dockside path
The long waterside path on the north bank of Royal Albert Dock, running east from the restaurants by the Travelodge past Newham Council's Dockside offices. The whole runway lies across the water, so you can follow arrivals and departures in both directions and pick your angle anywhere along the path.
- Getting there
- DLR to Royal Albert and walk south to the dock. Drivers can use the car park on Dockside Road opposite the Travelodge (historically free — check signs). Cafés next to the restaurants at the western end.
- Best time
- You are north of the runway, so the sun is in front of you for most of the day. It works in summer early morning and in the evening, when the sun swings round to the north-east and north-west.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm; 150–300 mm for runway movements, wider for ramp and skyline shots.
Royal Docks Bascule Bridge (Albert Road)
The road bridge on the A112 Albert Road at the eastern end of the airport, in line with the 27 threshold. Arrivals cross low over the water on their steep final, and departures on 27 climb out towards you — the place to show just how steep the approach is.
- Getting there
- Bus 474 from London City Airport or Cyprus DLR to the Bascule Bridge stops. No parking on the bridge and no facilities; the terminal is a short bus ride away.
- Best time
- Westerly operations (27 arrivals and departures). From the south side of the runway the light is usable from around 09:00 to 16:00 in summer and all day in winter.
- Lens
- 100–300 mm; small departing bizjets may need 400 mm.
University of East London dockside walk
The public walkway along the dock edge south of the University of East London's Docklands campus, at the eastern end of Royal Albert Dock. It faces the 27 approach and departure paths with water in the foreground.
- Getting there
- DLR to Cyprus and walk south for a few minutes. Cars cannot enter the campus; the dockside path is open on foot. Bring your own food and water.
- Best time
- 27 arrivals and departures. North of the airfield, so best early morning and late evening in summer.
- Lens
- 150–300 mm; 400 mm for small bizjets departing.
DoubleTree by Hilton London ExCeL (spotting hotel)
The hotel on the dockside next to ExCeL, opposite the western end of the runway. Even-numbered, top-floor rooms face the airport and look onto the 09 threshold, so 09 arrivals pass the window and 27 departures climb past a little higher. A good option for night shots of the apron lights and Canary Wharf skyline.
- Getting there
- DLR to Royal Victoria or Custom House. Request a high, airport-facing room when booking — and ask again at check-in.
- Best time
- Easterly operations (09 arrivals) are the best show; 27 departures visible too. Evening for skyline light.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm for aircraft, a wide lens for skyline panoramas.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
BA CityFlyer is the largest operator, flying Embraer 190s and 170s to UK, European and summer leisure destinations. Around it you will see KLM Cityhopper E-jets, Swiss A220s, LOT Embraers, Luxair Dash 8s and ATR 72s on the Dublin route. The airport's steep-approach rule keeps out anything larger than an A220-100 or E195-E2, so variety comes from airlines and liveries rather than types. Business aviation is handled at the Jet Centre, with Citations, Embraer Phenoms and Legacy jets and Dassault Falcons common on weekdays. Winter adds ski flights to Geneva, Zurich and Chambéry; summer adds sun routes. Weekday mornings and early evenings are busiest.
What actually flew over London City in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A320 27.1 %
- A319 16.2 %
- A21N 15.1 %
- A20N 11.7 %
- B738 10 %
- B38M 7.9 %
- P28A 6.5 %
- C152 5.5 %
FAQ
What's that plane over London City?
Spotterra's live map tracks every ADS-B aircraft over the Docklands in real time — type, registration and route — so you can tell a City-bound E190 from a Heathrow arrival passing overhead. It is free and needs no app.
Why is the approach to London City so steep?
The 5.5° glidepath keeps aircraft clear of the Docklands buildings and reduces noise. Each aircraft type and crew needs special certification, which is why only E-jets, A220s, turboprops and some bizjets fly here.
When is London City closed?
From 12:30 on Saturday to 12:30 on Sunday — a 24-hour break that has survived the airport's recent expansion approvals. Don't plan a Saturday afternoon visit. Weekday mornings and evenings are the busiest.
Which side of the docks has the best light?
The north dockside is the classic view but faces south into the sun for much of the day, so go early or late in summer. The Bascule Bridge south-east of the runway is better around midday.
Spotterra watches the sky over London City
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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