There is only one terminal at London City airport so travelling through the airport can often be quicker than at other London airports. Check in opens 2 hours before your flight. Please do not arrive earlier than 2 hours before your scheduled departure time.

London City Airport (LCY) is famous for its efficiency, but in 2026, you should generally aim to arrive 90 minutes before a domestic/European flight and 2 hours before an international flight. Because the terminal is significantly smaller and more streamlined than Heathrow or Gatwick, security processing typically only takes 10 to 20 minutes. However, during the "Business Peak" (Monday mornings from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM), queues can swell, so the full 2-hour window is safer. It is important to know that check-in and bag drop desks at LCY only open 2 hours before departure, so arriving earlier than that is actually counterproductive as there is very little to do "landside." For those traveling with hand luggage only and a digital boarding pass, arriving 60 minutes before departure is often feasible during off-peak times (like Sunday afternoons), but the airport is very strict with its "30-minute" cutoff for gate closing. In 2026, the airport has also fully implemented new 3D scanners, meaning you can leave your liquids and laptops inside your bag, making the trek from the DLR station to your gate one of the fastest airport experiences in the world.