The London-City Airport temporarily closed due to discovery of WW2 bomb in the Thames River. The bomb was discovered during construction work to a dock adjacent to the only runway. The police established 214-meter-long security zone for safety disposal of the explosives and to ensure safety of the people living nearby. The security zone covered the runway of the London-City Airport, which was closed for operations. Some of the roads to the airport are also closed.
Specialist officers and the Royal Navy confirmed the device was explosive and the airport was shut at 22:00. The Met said it was working with the Royal Navy to remove the device.
“At 22:00 an operational decision was made with the Royal Navy to implement a 214-meter exclusion zone to ensure that the ordnance can be safely dealt with whilst limiting any risk to the public”, said the spokesperson of the Royal Navy.
London-City Airport is not far from Canary Wharf business district and serves only short-haul flights.
Airlines using London City Airport include British Airways, Flybe, KLM and Lufthansa, with flights to domestic and European city destinations. Its largest operator, British Airways, has cancelled the majority of Monday’s departures and arrivals. Flybe and CityJet have cancelled most morning flights and are warning disruption is likely throughout the day. Docklands Light Railway services between the airport and Woolwich Arsenal have been suspended and some roads near to the airport are closed.
Luftwaffe, the Nazi regime’s aviation battle, poured over London thousands of bombs during the World War II between September 1940 and May 1941.