Image copyright PA Image caption Planes are grounded at the airport following the discovery of the device

An operation to remove a 500kg World War Two bomb that has forced the closure of London City Airport will continue through the night.

The airport has been shut all day and all flights cancelled, affecting up to 16,000 passengers, officials said.

The bomb was found at George V Dock on Sunday during planned work at the east London airport.

The Royal Navy said the bomb would be exploded underwater overnight and the airport should reopen on Tuesday.

Police have confirmed families who were evacuated from around the site can return to their homes after the device was moved to another location in the dock.

However, a new cordon area around some roads south-east of the airport will come into effect from 21:00 GMT as the ordnance is transported further.

A tunnel used by some rail services from St Pancras International will also be closed around midnight.

Image copyright Royal Navy/MoD/Crown Copyright Image caption The airport says the operation to remove the bomb is "proceeding well"

Image copyright Royal Navy/MoD/Crown Copyright Image caption The Ministry of Defence says bomb disposal teams deal with about 60 German World War Two bombs a year

The airport was shut at 22:00 GMT on Sunday when the bomb was discovered lying in a bed of silt 15m underwater.

Lieutenant Commander Jonny Campbell, who is leading the bomb disposal diving unit, said the 1.5m-long device would be floated down the River Thames and "high-grade military explosives" would be attached to it.

He said his team had "a long night ahead" before the bomb is finally destroyed underwater on Tuesday morning.

Image caption The device was discovered during planned works at the airport

According to the airport's website, a total of 261 arrivals and departures had been scheduled for Monday.

"All flights today are cancelled but some airlines have moved their flights to other airports - CityJet to Southend and Alitalia to Stansted", the airport said.

Passengers have been told not to travel to the airport as the terminal is closed and to contact their airline.

Among passengers affected were Tottenham Hotspur fans heading to Italy for a Champions League game against Juventus.

The north London club advised any fans flying to Milan to "contact their airline as soon as possible", ahead of the match in Turin on Tuesday.

Image copyright PA Image caption Passengers were turned away from the airport and all flights were stopped

Spurs fan David, 52, was booked to fly to Milan on Monday before taking a connecting train to Turin ahead of the Champions League away match.

British Airways has now booked him onto a new flight on Tuesday, he said, but he was disappointed he has lost a hotel night in Turin.

"There's no sense of 'you're out of pocket for a night in a hotel'," he said.

Robert Sinclair, CEO of the airport, apologised and said: "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."

Image copyright PA Image caption The first stage of the operation was to free the bomb shell from the silt so it can be floated for removal

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The device has been moved to another location in the dock before it is floated further down the Thames

Airlines using London City Airport include British Airways, Flybe, CityJet, KLM and Lufthansa, with flights to domestic and European city destinations.

Police said a 214-metre exclusion zone had been set up and properties inside were evacuated.

A rest centre was opened by Newham Council to provide bedding and refreshments for families affected.

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One passenger arriving at the airport had been hoping to board a flight to Milan.

"We don't know what to do", the passenger told BBC London.

"We're going back to the city to get more information as there's nobody here to help. We'll have to call our airline and hopefully we'll arrive back in Milan soon."

The roads affected by the latest exclusion zone are Woodman Street, Milk Street, Fishguard Way, Barge House Road and parts of Grimsby Grove.

Newham Council has advised families affected "to make arrangements to stay with family and friends".

Two train services will be delayed by the closure of the train tunnel, Southeastern rail have said.

Docklands Light Railway services between the airport and Woolwich Arsenal have also been suspended.

Passengers took to social media to express confusion and frustration.

Twitter user Richard Macey talked about his Dublin flight being cancelled.

Another user said they were attempting to book a new flight to Aberdeen.

At the scene: Greg McKenzie, BBC Radio London

Image caption A police cordon is in place around houses in Silvertown, Newham

People have been arriving at London City Airport DLR station - many with suitcases and some unsure about what is happening.

I've managed to get into a tower block in Silvertown - directly opposite the airport where 15-20 police vans are blocking each entrance to the estate.

From the 10th floor I can see the runway - which is empty.

On a usual Monday you'd expect a plane landing every 20 minutes.

I saw about 10 British Airways planes grounded at the airport.

Between September 1940 and May 1941, the Germans dropped about 24,000 tonnes of explosives on London - but 10% of all bombs that dropped did not detonate, according to historians.

Last year, more than 4.5 million passengers used London City Airport.

A £400m expansion was given the go-ahead by ministers in July 2016, which includes extending the terminal.</s>ALL FLIGHTS IN and out of London City Airport are cancelled today after a World War II bomb was discovered in the nearby River Thames.

The ordnance was discovered in King George V Dock, close to the runway of London’s most central airport, during planned works early on Sunday morning.

At about 10pm last night, Met Police and the Royal Navy decided to implement a 214-metre exclusion zone around the airport.

City Airport operates short-haul flights and is located in east London, close to the Canary Wharf business district.

Met Police said that overnight officers had been helping to evacuate properties in the area and it was working to provide residents with temporary accommodation.

“While we endeavour to progess the operation as quickly as possible and minimise disruption, it is important that all of the necessary steps and precautions are taken to ensure it is dealt with safely,” a spokesperson said.

In a statement on Twitter, London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair urged any passengers scheduled to fly today not to come to the airport and to contact their airline for further information.

“The airport remains closed this morning following the discovery of a World War Two ordnance in King George V Dock on Sunday,” Sinclair said.

“All flights in and out of London City on Monday are cancelled and an exclusion zone is in place in the immediate area. 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.

Nearly 228,000 passengers passed through London City Airport last month.

The unexploded ordnance is being dealt with by specialist police officers working alongside the Royal Navy.

Thousands of bombs were dropped on London during the “Blitz” by German Air Forces between September 1940 and May 1941 during World War II.

Read: South African chief Jacob Zuma looks to finally be on the way out of office after nine years

Read: Elderly people can’t leave hospital due to council taking up to 18 months to fit walk-in showers and ramps</s>A WWII bomb that was defused in Germany's Frankfurt last year (File | AP)

LONDON: London City Airport says all flights in and out have been canceled for Monday after an unexploded World War II-era bomb was found nearby in the River Thames.

The Metropolitan Police service says it has evacuated an area within 700 feet (214 meters) of the bomb and officers are working with specialists from the Royal Navy to remove the device.

Police say the bomb was discovered Sunday at the George V Dock during pre-planned work at City Airport.

Airport CEO Robert Sinclair says he recognizes that passengers will be inconvenienced but that the airport is cooperating fully with authorities "to resolve the situation as quickly as possible."</s>London City Airport was closed on Monday after a 500 kg (1,100 lb.) German World War II bomb was found nearby in the River Thames.

All inbound and outbound flights have been cancelled, affecting 261 flights and an estimated 16,000 passengers, a spokesperson told the BBC. Roads around the terminal are also closed at police request, according to Transport for London.

In a statement, Robert Sinclair, the airport’s chief executive, said, “The airport remains closed this morning following the discovery of a World War Two ordnance in King George V Dock on Sunday.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Navy were working in conjunction to remove the bomb.

Properties in the 241 meter exclusion zone have also been evacuated.</s>World War II bomb discovered in London’s River Thames, airport shut down, reports say

A stunning discovery in London’s River Thames forced officials to evacuate the nearby London City Airport on Sunday, after reports said an unexploded World War II-era bomb was found.

The ordnance was discovered at the George V Dock in North Woolwich during scheduled work at the airport just after 5 a.m. local time, authorities said in a news release.

The Royal Navy “confirmed the nature of the device,” police said. Sky News and other U.K.-based news outlets reported it was an unexploded bomb. – READ MORE

RELATED: Authorities in Germany have been in the process of evacuating approximately 50,000 people from their residences Saturday and Sunday after they discovered five suspected WWII-era bombs at a construction site.

City officials inspected eight other suspicious objects and concluded they were not dangerous, according to the Associated Press.

The operation in Hannover is expected to be the second largest carried out in Germany after 54,000 people were expelled from their Augsburg homes in December. The exposure of WWII bombs is not extraordinary as there have been at least four such incidences in the past eight years, according to BBC. While the origin of the bombs is not yet known, Allied planes conducted massive bombing campaigns all over Germany during the massive global conflict.

Officials reportedly passed out leaflets written in German, Polish, Turkish, English and Russian to almost every home and building to ensure everyone was properly notified of the potentially dangerous situation. Citizens were told to bring any necessary medication with them, and to temporarily discontinue their gas and electrical services, reports BBC.

Weapon experts and local authorities hope to diffuse the explosives by the end of Sunday so people can return to their normal lives.</s>LONDON: London City Airport announced that it was closed on Sunday (Feb 11) after a World War II bomb was discovered in the nearby River Thames.

The ordnance was discovered in King George V Dock, close to the runway of London's most central airport, during planned works.

"A 214m (234-yard) exclusion zone has been implemented as a precaution by the Met Police. As a result, London City Airport is currently closed," the airport said in a statement.

Travellers were told to avoid the airport: "All passengers due to travel from London City on Monday are advised to contact their airline for further information."

City Airport operates short-haul flights and is located in east London, close to the Canary Wharf business district.

The Metropolitan Police said the discovery was reported before dawn on Sunday, at around 0500 GMT, and the exclusion zone was put in place at 2200 GMT.

The decision was taken "to ensure that the ordnance can be safely dealt with whilst limiting any risk to the public," police said in a statement.

The unexploded ordnance is being dealt with by specialist police officers working alongside the Royal Navy.

Thousands of bombs were dropped on London during the "Blitz" by German Air Forces between September 1940 and May 1941.</s>All flights in and out of London City Airport were canceled Monday after a 1,100-pound unexploded World War II-era bomb was found nearby in the River Thames.

LONDON — All flights in and out of London City Airport were canceled Monday after a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) unexploded World War II-era bomb was found nearby in the River Thames.

The Metropolitan Police service cleared an area within 214 meters (700 feet) of the bomb, including several residential streets, as officers worked with specialists from the Royal Navy to remove the device.

Local officials offered emergency accommodations to residents, as the Newham Council local authority said work to remove the bomb would continue into Tuesday.

Police said the bomb was discovered Sunday at the George V Dock during pre-planned work at City Airport.

Airport CEO Robert Sinclair said he recognizes that passengers will be inconvenienced but said the airport is cooperating fully with authorities “to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

London City, the smallest of London’s international airports, handled 4.5 million passengers last year. It’s located in east London’s docklands, an area that was heavily bombed during World War II.</s>LONDON — One of London's airports has been closed after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered nearby.

The ordnance was found in the River Thames during pre-planned work at London City Airport on Sunday, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The airport was shut at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) and a 700-foot exclusion zone was set up to allow Royal Navy experts to safely remove the bomb. Local residents were also asked to leave their homes overnight.

A total of 284 flights were canceled Monday, affecting around 9,000 people, a spokesman for the airport told NBC News.

London was heavily bombarded during the Second World War and unexploded ordnance is regularly discovered, particularly during construction work.

London City Airport's runway was purpose-built on a marina adjacent to the Thames in 1987. A $477 million plan to expand the airport was approved in 2016.</s>LONDON—All flights in and out of London City Airport were cancelled Monday after a 1,100-pound unexploded World War II-era bomb was found nearby in the River Thames.

The Metropolitan Police service cleared an area within 214 metres of the bomb, including several residential streets, as officers worked with specialists from the Royal Navy to remove the device.

Police said the bomb was discovered Sunday at the George V Dock during pre-planned work at City Airport. They described it as a 1.5-meter shell that was lying in a bed of dense silt.

“The first stage of the removal operation is to free the shell from the silt so that it can be floated for removal,” police said in a statement.

Local officials offered emergency accommodations to residents and said work to remove the bomb would continue into Tuesday.</s>An unexploded World War II bomb has shut down London's City Airport, leaving all flights in and out of the airport cancelled and affecting up to 16,000 passengers.

The 500-kilogram bomb was discovered at George V Dock in the River Thames by workers just after 5:00am on Sunday (local time), according to a statement by London's Metropolitan Police.

Police cleared an area within 214 metres of the bomb, including several residential streets, as officers worked with specialists from the Royal Navy to remove the device.

Local officials offered emergency accommodations to residents, as the Newham Council local authority said work to remove the bomb would continue into Tuesday.

Police said the bomb was discovered on Sunday at the George V Dock during pre-planned work at City Airport.

London City Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said all flights to and from the airport had been cancelled.

"I urge any passengers due to fly today (Monday) not to come to the airport and to contact their airline for further information," Mr Sinclair said.

Mr Sinclair said the airport was cooperating fully with authorities "to resolve the situation as quickly as possible".

Regional airline CityJet said its flights from the airport had been rescheduled to land and take off from London Southend airport.

British Airways said it was trying to minimise disruption for passengers after the airport's closure.

"We are rebooking customers due to travel today onto alternative flights or offering refunds for those who no longer wish to travel," the airline said in a statement.

London City, the smallest of London's international airports, handled 4.5 million passengers last year.

The airport is frequently used by business passengers and is close to London's financial hub in Canary Wharf.

The airport is serviced by major airlines including British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa and has flights to domestic and international locations.

It is also close to London's East End which was bombed heavily during the Blitz — Germany's bombing campaign on the United Kingdom during 1940 and 1941.

Light railway stops near the airport have also been shut down due to the exclusion zone.
All flights to and from London City Airport are cancelled after an unexploded World War II bomb is discovered in the River Thames at King George V Dock.