By Courtney Pochin

Copyright metro

London City Airport is launching flights to Madrid in December (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As the weather gets cooler, you might be tempted to book yourself a trip to get away from gloomy grey UK skies.

If Spain is calling your name, you’re in luck as one of London’s top airports is launching new flights to Madrid this winter.

London City Airport (LCY), which was recently crowned London’s best flight hub by the consumer experts at Which, has a new route to Madrid available to book from December 1.

The British Airways flights will run 11 times a week and each one is able to carry up to 106 passengers.

British Airways is launching the flights from London City Airport (Picture: Getty Images)

For those who’ve never been to Madrid, the central capital of Spain is regularly hailed as a ‘phenomenal’ city in reviews, with Lonely Planet saying it has ‘excellent art museums, phenomenal food, enormous parks and Europe’s largest palace’ as well as an ‘inclusive atmosphere that really makes the city soar’.

At the time of writing, British Airways (BA) has flights to Madrid available in December starting from £58.

Madrid isn’t the only new destination you can fly to from London City Airport though, as several popular European routes are also returning for winter.

This includes flights to Innsbruck in Austria, Geneva in Switzerland and Chambery in France.

LCY is also bringing back flights to Innsbruck, Geneva and Chambery (Picture: Getty Images)

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LCY has also confirmed that journeys to hotspots such as Ibiza and San Sebastian will continue throughout the gloomier months, for those seeking some much-needed sunshine.

Andrew Hodges, chief commercial officer at London City airport told Time Out: ‘We’re excited to expand our winter schedule with British Airways, offering even more options for passengers seeking city escapes, ski adventures, or winter sun.

‘The launch of Madrid and the return of popular ski routes are a clear response to growing demand for leisure travel from London City.’

He added: ‘With existing capacity available, we’re actively in discussions with both new and existing airlines to broaden our network and unlock more destinations for our passengers.’

London City Airport’s new destinations: at a glance

Flights to Madrid take two hours and 20 minutes (Picture: Getty Images)

Spain’s capital city is a two hour and 20-minute flight from London. Once you arrive you’ll have plenty to do, with lots of galleries and museums to explore, bustling streets with fantastic shopping and a thriving foodie scene.
The top attractions according to Tripadvisor include the Museo Nacional del Prado, Parque del Retiro, Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Palacio de Cristal.
Flights from London City Airport with BA start from £58.

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol (Picture: Getty Images)

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol in Austria and is a popular destination in the Alps for winter sports. The idyllic city boasts stunning views of the Nordkette mountain range and is hope to a unique mix of buildings from colourful houses on the bank of the river to medieval old town with Baroque architecture and modern cable car stations designed by Zaha Hadid.
Top attractions on Tripadvisor include the Nordkette (cable cars), the old town and Ambras Castle.
At the time of writing flights from London City Airport start from £137 in December, but there are currently no direct flights available, they all have one or two stops.
Alternatively, easyJet has flights starting from £88 from Gatwick and these take one hour and 55 minutes.

Geneva is beautiful but expensive (Picture: Getty Images)

Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world – so visitors might have to budget for the high price of food and accommodation.
That being said, there are plenty of free things to do, such as admiring Lake Geneva. Tourists can walk along the promenade or take a free boat ride across.
They’ll also be able to see the Jet’dEau, a 140-metre fountain and one of the city’s most famous landmarks that can be viewed from various points along the waterfront.
It’s worth noting that public transport is free in Geneva depending on where you stay. Anyone staying in approved accommodation, whether that be a hotel, youth hostel, or campsite, is entitled to the city’s Transport Card for free travel for the duration of their visit.
At the time of writing, flights with BA from London City Airport start from £61 in December and take one hour and 45 minutes.

Chambery is known for its old town (Picture: Getty Images)

The pretty alpine town of Chambery is located in the in the southeastern Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, between Chartreuse and Massif des Bauges regional parks.
Central Chambery has a medieval layout and is full of history and ‘traboules’ which are a network of alleyways between large buildings.
While visiting, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for trompe-l’œil illusions, including the biggest one in Europe which can be found at François-de-Sales Cathedral.
Top attractions include the Fountain of Elephants, Chateau des Ducs de Savoie and Ville Ancienne.
Direct flights take one hour and 45 minutes from London City Airport and BA has flights from £125.

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