Campaigners make a noise over New York flights

The tongue-in-cheek protest saw "business polluters" dressed in suits and top hats clanging pots and pans while screaming "More flights, fewer seats".

The action was a comment on the fact that each flight would only accommodate 32 business passengers at a time. Campaigners also argued that the introduction of the service flew in the face of British Airways' pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent between 2005 and 2050.

One sign - positioned next to three decayed dolls on the walkway - read: "By the time this 32-seater aircraft lands back at London City Airport, 32 Londoners will be dead from dangerous airborne particles".

Elizabeth Baines, of protest group Plane Stupid, said: "Newham Council has given London City Airport permission to expand by 50 per cent. They're trying to do this by selling it as a business airport, and by introducing aircraft like this. It's been dubbed 'the son of Concorde' but there will only be 32 people on board for each trip.

"We want to see the expansion plans ruled out. Fight the Flights has launched a legal challenge against Newham and LCA as the planning permission has not gone through the proper channels and the residents were not consulted properly.

"These massive aircraft - which are huge polluters and make a large amount of noise - are flying right over one of the most populated areas of London, and the residents don't have a say about it."