How long does it take to get through the London City Airport?

WIth no bags to check, a boarding pass in hand, an expectation of as much food and drink as I need onboard, and a reasonable walking speed, I would be quite comfortable walking in the front door of LCY at T-30 minutes. You will probably exit security just about as your gate, or a 2 hour delay, is announced.



London City Airport (LCY) is widely regarded as the most efficient airport in the UK, primarily catering to business travelers who value speed. Under normal conditions in 2026, you can expect to get from the front door through security in just 10 to 20 minutes. During peak weekday periods (5:00–9:00 AM and 4:00–7:00 PM), this may increase to 30 minutes, but it rarely reaches the hour-long waits seen at Heathrow or Gatwick. The single-terminal design is compact, meaning there are no long shuttle rides or miles of walking to reach your gate. On the return journey, the time from "baggage reclaim to exit" is often as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Because all gates at LCY use walk-boarding (tarmac walking rather than jet bridges), the deplaning process is also remarkably fast. For a domestic or European flight, arriving 90 minutes before departure is usually more than sufficient, allowing you to breeze through the checkpoints and enjoy a coffee at the gate with plenty of time to spare.

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London City Airport was ranked best by the study, with the average queue lasting just 12 minutes. Half of travellers reported waiting between five and 10 minutes. It was also the only London airport where customers did not suffer any waits of more than an hour.

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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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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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When to arrive. We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.

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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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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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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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Faster experience The use of the new security scanners has enabled the airport security staff to reduce the duration of the security checks from 7 minutes in 2022 to 3 minutes and 45 seconds. City A.M.

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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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Yes, it's safe but spending the night in the London City Airport is not possible due to its limited operating hours as the airport mostly shuts by 10:00 pm (1 pm on Saturdays). If you want to stay near the airport to catch an early or late night flight and don't want your sleep at stake, hotels are nearby.

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A Visitor Oyster card can be delivered to your home before your visit, or Oyster cards can be purchased at all London airports and stations. Visitor Oyster card holders also enjoy a range of special offers and discounts across the city.

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London's Gatwick is the worst offender for delays and cancellations.

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Making the steep approach. The most unusual aspect of London City is the steep approach required for landing, with a rate of descent almost double that of other airports. This approach is at 5.5°, compared with a standard approach of around 3°.

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London City Airport (LCY) London City is the least busy of London's airports. It primarily serves business travellers as the airport operates only short-haul flights throughout the UK and Europe and is within close proximity to Canary Wharf.

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For domestic flights in the United States, most airlines recommend that passengers arrive at the airport at least 1-2 hours before the scheduled departure time for check-in and security screening.

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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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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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