Since opening in summer 2012, London’s cable car, which runs between the Greenwich Peninsular and the Royal Docks, has seen over 13 million journeys recorded and now Transport for London are looking for a new sponsor with Emirates 10 years deal coming to an end in June 2022.
Currently known as the Emirates Air Line it is the first urban cable car in the UK and runs for just over 1km. Taking just over 10 minutes the cable car links the Greenwich Peninsular (close to the O2) and the Royal Docks (close to ExCeL and the Crystal) and offers the higher observation point in London across the Thames (90 metres up) including spectacular sights including Canary Wharf, the O2, the Shard, Thames Barrier, Maritime Greenwich and the Olympic Park.
More than 13 million passenger journeys have now been recorded with it regularly seeing 40,000 passengers a week during the summer months. This summer has been one of the most popular for it since opening with weekly figures reaching more than 60,000 journeys as Londoners and those visiting the city seek out fun activities to do as part of a day out in the city. The recent August Bank Holiday was the most popular since 2012 with 28,000 journeys and the week in total also had the highest number of customer journeys in eight years.
The initial ten year deal for the sponsored naming rights for the cable car expires in June 2022 and TfL has now begun the process of seeking a new commercial partner who shares the ambition to build on the success and to cement the cable car’s position as one of the best things to do in London. The new deal will be for a minimum of three years.
John Crompton, TfL’s Head of the Cable Car, said: “Our cable car is unique to London and it provides spectacular views for those wanting to cross the Thames to get to the Royal Docks or Greenwich Peninsula. These latest figures show that it remains as popular as ever with Londoners and visitors. The Emirates Air Line is an instantly recognisable part of London now and we are keen to work with a brand following our successful 10-year partnership with Emirates. This exciting opportunity will allow the successful brand to get both national and global awareness, building on the success of this unique part of the London transport network as well as feature on the Tube map.”