Michael V. Barile 
The Emirates Air Line has closed for a week while the cable car is undergoing maintenance. Londoners will not be able to cruise in style on the River Thames while the tourist attraction is serviced.
The cable car closed from 8 p.m. on March 6 (Sunday) and will reopen on March 14 (Monday). It usually closes for a week in March to undergo maintenance. A Transport for London spokesperson said: “The cable car is currently closed for scheduled annual maintenance. This ensures that we can continue to provide a safe and reliable service to all of our customers.”
When fully operational, Emirates Air Line operates from 7am to 9pm Monday to Thursday, 7am to 11pm Friday, 8am to 11pm Saturday and 9am to 9pm Sunday. Local resident Philomena Hale was passing by and expressed surprise at its closure.
She said: “I didn’t even realize it wasn’t working at the moment. I’ve been there many times. [I like it as] you get a nice view, it’s easier to get to the other side. People use it. Obviously the last two years, with everything that’s happened, we don’t have any tourists using it.” She added that locals “still love it.”
READ MORE:13 reasons why the Emirates Air Line cable car is the best thing on the London Underground map
(Photo: Kiro Evans)
While closed, the nearest alternative public transport is North Greenwich underground station for the Jubilee line on the south side of the river and Royal Victoria DLR station on the north side. The Emirates Air Line opened in 2012 in time for the London Olympics and connects the Greenwich Peninsula to Royal Victoria Dock.
It cost £60million to build and was backed by sponsorship from Dubai-based Emirates. But last month reports emerged that TfL was struggling to find a new sponsor to replace Emirates as its deal ended.
The Emirates Air Line offers a bird’s eye view of London in 10 minutes to cross the Thames. The cable car made headlines just weeks after its launch in 2012 when it suffered a breakdown, leaving passengers suspended in the air.
The incident lasted about half an hour before they were driven back to the terminals. The service was repaired and operational again an hour later.
