London City Airport Transfers Fixed-Price Taxi, 24/7 Service

No. Licensed black cabs across London, including at London City Airport, accept credit and debit cards with no surcharge, alongside cash. Licensed minicabs and pre-booked private transfers also typically take card payment, so you're not required to carry cash for your journey. With The Royal Britain Airport Transfer, you can book online at theroyalbritainairporttransfer.com and pay by card, with the fare agreed before you travel.

Pick-ups work differently to drop-offs at London City Airport. From 6 January 2026, passengers being collected are directed to use the airport's Short Stay car park rather than the terminal forecourt, which has its own parking charges separate from the drop-off fee. If you're being collected by a pre-booked private transfer, check with your provider on where they'll meet you, since pickup arrangements can differ from a standard taxi rank collection.

London City Airport allows hold baggage check-in from two hours before your flight departs, but exact recommended arrival times can vary by airline, so it's worth checking your booking confirmation or airline directly. Given the airport's compact size, many passengers find they need less buffer time here than at London's larger airports, though allowing extra time is sensible during peak periods.

Yes, there's a terminal forecourt for drop-offs, though from 6 January 2026 this comes with a charge, £8 for stays up to five minutes, rising by £1 per minute after that, with a ten-minute maximum stay. Blue Badge holders are exempt. Cameras monitor the forecourt, so drivers are expected to keep moving rather than wait in the drop-off zone.

It depends on what matters most to you: speed, cost, or convenience. The DLR runs directly into the airport with its own station, connecting to Canning Town, Stratford, and Bank every four to ten minutes, and is the cheapest option. A pre-booked private transfer costs more but takes you door to door without changes or luggage handling, which is often the more practical choice if you're travelling with bags, in a group, or heading somewhere the DLR doesn't reach directly.

From 6 January 2026, London City Airport charges £8 for a drop-off of up to five minutes on the terminal forecourt, with an additional £1 per minute after that and a ten-minute maximum stay. Blue Badge holders don't pay the charge. The forecourt is monitored by automatic number plate recognition cameras, so the charge applies whether or not you intend to wait.

Yes, The Royal Britain Airport Transfer offers meet and greet for London City Airport transfers, with your driver waiting for you after you land rather than you having to find them in the arrivals area. Your flight is tracked so the pickup adjusts automatically if your landing time changes.

Yes, licensed black cabs and minicabs operate from a rank at the airport with metered fares. If you'd rather have a fare agreed before you travel instead of a metered rate, a pre-booked private transfer is the alternative, with your driver arranged in advance rather than found on arrival.

No, hours vary by day. The airport runs 04:45 to 22:00 on weekdays, 04:45 to 13:00 on Saturdays, and 10:30 to 22:00 on Sundays. This is worth checking against your flight time, particularly for Saturday travel, since the airport closes considerably earlier that day.

A taxi from the airport rank is metered and picked up on arrival, with the fare depending on traffic and route on the day. A private transfer with The Royal Britain Airport Transfer is booked in advance, with the fare agreed before you travel and your driver already assigned and tracking your flight, so there's no need to queue at the rank or wait to see what the meter shows at the end of the journey.

London City Airport is about 3 miles (4.8km) from Canary Wharf and around 6 miles (9.5km) from central London. Its compact size and proximity to the city make it one of the more straightforward London airports to reach, with the DLR providing a direct rail link into both areas.