BORIS Johnson climbed into the cockpit for the opening of Greenwich's new aviation-themed centre next to the cable car.

The £4m Emirates Aviation Experience includes a full-size replica nose-cone of a double-decker A380 complete with flight-deck, plus London’s first A380 flight simulator.

It also includes a 3D hologram, video-wall and various zones explaining how aeroplanes work.

Emirates president Tim Clark said: "The purpose of this centre is to provide a fun, yet educational, overview of just what it takes to successfully get a 560 tonne aircraft off the ground and 40,000 feet into the sky.

"Our aim is to explain the intricate science of modern aviation, in a hands-on, entertaining and instructive environment."

Entry to the experience costs £3 for adults but a simulator ride costs £45.

The £60m Emirates Air Line cable car has struggled for users since it opened one year ago.

It reached an Olympic high of 180,804 passengers shortly after opening but have slumped since and figures for the week ending June 22 showed just 29,937 used it.