How long does it take to check in at London City Airport?

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 being one of the fastest and most efficient airports in the world, often boasting a "20-minute" goal from the front door to the departure lounge. For most passengers in 2026, the check-in and bag drop process takes between 5 and 15 minutes, thanks to its compact layout and high-tech security scanners that allow you to keep liquids and laptops in your bag. If you have checked in online and have no bags to drop, you can often clear security in under 10 minutes. However, the official airline recommendation (such as from British Airways) is still to arrive at least 90 minutes before your flight to account for any unexpected tech issues or peak-hour surges. Because the airport is small, the "boarding gate" is usually only a 2-minute walk from the security exit. This extreme efficiency makes LCY the preferred choice for business travelers, though you should note that the terminal only opens at 4:45 AM (Mon-Sat) and 10:30 AM (Sun), so there is no need to arrive extremely early.

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London City Airport (LCY) is the closest airport to central London, and it's easily accessible by Tube, bus or taxi. Because it's a smaller airport, arrivals and departures at LCY can be much quicker and easier than larger airports in London.

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It is the fifth-busiest airport by passengers and aircraft movements serving the London area — after Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton — and was the 14th-busiest in the UK in 2017. In 2019, the airport handled over 5 million passengers.

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Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight. That said, there are many factors to consider that will help you decide how much time you should budget for at the airport.

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The general guideline on how early to get to the airport for a domestic flight is 2 hours. However, those traveling at a very busy time of year or out of a large airport might want to allow more time.

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With space limited in the London Docklands area, and comparatively low passenger volumes, London City Airport is small compared with several other airports serving London, such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southend and Luton.

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Major airports in London. In 2022, four of the airports in London served more than 10 million passengers: London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted and London-Luton. While much smaller than the others, London-City is also worth mentioning as it's perhaps the most convenient London airport.

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At London (LCY) Airport you will be Fast Track or Expedite through immigrations and customs upon international arrival or Fast Track or Expedite through check in and security upon your departure.

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The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

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To check-in and check bags at the airport, you must be there a certain amount of time before scheduled departure: Within the U.S. – 45 minutes. To or from destinations outside the U.S. – 60 minutes.

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First, check-in closes an hour or two before flight departure; if you're not checked in by then, either through the app, online, or in person at the airport, you may not be able to get a boarding pass to get through security and will likely miss your flight.

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Most airlines cutoff checkin at 30 minutes prior to the flight. That gives time for you to get a boarding pass and get to the gate after security screening, and for checked luggage to get loaded on your aircraft. At that point, seat control shifts to the gate agent who can start releasing seats to standby passengers.

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Facilities at London City Airport (LCY) Free wi-fi for all passengers using the airport. Travelex currency exchange facilities. Cafes on the terminal concourse for pre-security snacks and a choice of pub food, gourmet sandwiches, American meals or baked goods when you head through the gates.

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You may be surprised to learn that British Airways does not have a lounge for passengers departing from London City Airport, unless they are travelling on BA1 to New York. In fact, there are not even any third-party lounges in the terminal.

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Going through airport security (+20 minutes) Leave at least 20 minutes for airport security, as there tend to be more people, and you may not have the luxury of utilizing your TSA PreCheck privileges.

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Because of space limitations and just one, very short runway, large aircraft is not permitted to use the airport, which limits long-haul flight availability. The lack of space also means that London City Airport operates out of a relatively small terminal building.

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Heathrow is by far the largest airport in London. When taking an intercontinental flight from the US, you will most likely end up here. Transportation to west and central London is cheaper and faster than from airports outside London due to the Underground connection.

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