The Emirates Air Line was the first urban cable car system of its kind in the UK and opened to the public in Summer 2012, just 24 months after being announced as a project by London Mayor Boris Johnson. Crossing the River Thames to link North Greenwich with the Royal Docks, the project was described by the Mayor as ‘an exciting and innovative mode of transport easing travel for thousands and offering spectacular bird’s eye vistas of our majestic Thames’. Ardent secured all the land and rights required to facilitate this exciting project.

Ardent was appointed in May 2010 to negotiate option agreements and to acquire land and rights to facilitate the construction and operation of the scheme by private treaty. In just four months the Ardent team concluded all option agreements with a mix of public and private landowners, amounting to more than 50 separate land transfers, including construction licences, surrenders, rights of access, wayleaves, restrictive covenants and leases.

Once funding for the project was fully in place Ardent managed the land delivery through the agreements, handing over the final worksite in August 2011 and completing the operational leases in Spring 2012, ahead of the scheme opening to the public. 

In October 2011 a £36million sponsorship deal was announced between TfL and Emirates, leading to the scheme being renamed as Emirates Air Line. Our work on the Emirates Air Line project is an excellent example of how we are able to work flexibly with clients to achieve results.