London City Airport Closes For Removal of WW2 Bomb
by Jessica Montevago
The London City Airport has shut down following the discovery of an unexploded bomb from World War II.
All flights were canceled Monday as officials worked to remove the bomb. Some airlines managed to reroute flights to nearby airports, including CityJet to Southend and Alitalia to Stansted.
Airlines operating out of London City include Alitalia, British Airways, CityJet, Flybe, KLM, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Airlines. KLM-partner Delta Airlines is offering a waiver to customers impacted by the closure.
The 500 kg (1102 pounds) bomb was found in the Thames River near King George V Dock on Sunday during planned work at the east London airport. The Metropolitan Police and Royal Navy plan to remove the shell that was lying in a bed of dense silt so the device can be floated for removal.
A @RoyalNavy diver prepares to inspect a submerged 500kg WW2 bomb in a carefully planned operation with @metpoliceuk at @LondonCityAir. Armed Forces bomb disposal teams from all three services deal with around 60 air dropped German WW2 bombs a year. pic.twitter.com/MEtJgsYP9t
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) February 12, 2018
London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair said he “fully expects” the airport to open as normal on Tuesday, aiming to complete the operation by this evening.
The international airport is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, which was heavily bombed during World War II. London City served over 4.3 million passengers in 2015.