A record number of passengers passed through London City Airport last year, it has been revealed.

Statistics from the airport show that more than 2.9 million travellers used the hub in 2007, up 23 per cent compared with 2006.

The airport is now gearing up for even more passengers after it submitted a planning application last year to expand capacity to 120,000 flight movements.

This year will see a number of new routes launched from London City Airport, including those to Berlin Tegel by Lufthansa and services to Nice, Barcelona, Warsaw and Amsterdam by British Airways.

Commenting on the popularity of the hub, chief executive Richard Gooding stated: "There is no doubt that passengers all across London and the south-east are waking up to the options offered by this airport, not least the attractive five minutes taken to exit the terminal from the steps of the aircraft."

A new route between London City Airport and Vienna was launched last year by Austrian Airlines.

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