All flights in and out of London City airport have been cancelled after the discovery of an unexploded second world war bomb.
The airport’s chief executive, Robert Sinclair, said it would be closed for the whole of Monday, affecting 120 flights out and a similar number of incoming flights.
A 214-metre exclusion zone set up by the Metropolitan police remains in place after the device was found at King George V dock in east London on Sunday. Properties within the exclusion zone are being evacuated and trains on the Docklands light railway between Pontoon Dock and Woolwich Arsenal have been suspended.
Sinclair said: “I urge any passengers due to fly today not to come to the airport and to contact their airline for further information.
“I recognise this is causing inconvenience for our passengers, and in particular some of our local residents. The airport is cooperating fully with the Met police and Royal Navy and working hard to safely remove the device and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
The unexploded ordnance was discovered during work at the airport just after 5am on Sunday. After specialist officers and the navy confirmed the nature of the device a decision was taken to implement an exclusion zone at about 10am.
The area was heavily bombed during the blitz and Newham council described the bomb as a “German 500kg fused device”. The local authority said residents unable to stay with family or friends were being taken to a rest centre with bedding and refreshments but some had chosen to remain in their homes.
A council spokesman said: “Work will not start on lifting and removing the device until the initial 214-metre zone is clear. When work starts to remove it, it is expected the exclusion zone will be extended to 250 metres and more properties will need to be evacuated.”
A number of road cordons have been established and motorists have been urged to take alternative routes. The operation is expected to continue until Tuesday morning.
London City airport is the 14th busiest in the UK with 4.5 million passengers last year, according to data from the Civil Aviation Authority.
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