VIDEO: British Airways' London City airport steep approach

In 2009 British Airways made it to the headlines by launching an air link between London City Airport (LCY) and New York's JFK.

Those of you familiar with London City Airport, its urban location and constrained operational environment will immediately recognize the challenges that this type of operation presents, all of them quite visually narrated in this great video.

British Airways uses a pair of specially configured Airbus A318s, which allows it to fly long-haul from LCY's short runway. The west-bound refuelling stopover at Shannon airport, Ireland, has not deterred bankers and other corporate clients (it is a business-class-only service) that find convenience in the cozy passenger experience LCY provides as well as its accessibility from the financial district of Canary Wharf.

The LCY-JFK flight seems to have been quite a success, although BA is keeping a watchful eye on any airport charge increases at LCY following ownership changes and has hinted that the future of this route is by no means assured. 

In any case, BA's LCY A318 operation is bringing us some amazing footage, such as this video, commented by the aircraft's pilots as it does the panoramic descent over London, all along the Thames.

Enjoy!