London City Airport, located 6 miles to the east of the business district — the City of London — has warned officials of potential problems with the skyscraper, designed by architecture firm Foster and Partners.
Foster proposed to have gondalas moving up and down the top of the 305-metre (1,000ft) City of London Tulip tower. The glass spheres were designed to take visitors on an 8-minute journey in an elliptical loop around the tower's tip.
The design and its impact were assessed as problematic for the National Air Traffic Control, which is to be consulted over the potential impact of the moving gondalas on radar systems.
"The gondalas will be moving and therefore may have a slightly different effect than a static element of the building," the London City airport said.
The planning application by Fosters and Partners was lodged in November, with the new skyscraper swiftly capturing the minds of many.
The 12-storey glass bubble topping a concrete stem of the Fosters' skyscraper will accommodate bars, restaurants, a viewing gallery and "a classroom in the sky."