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The Thames Cable Car, otherwise known as The Emirates Air Line, is a cable car service across the River Thames running from Western Gateway beside Royal Victoria Dock to the Greenwich Peninsula near to the O2 arena (formerly the Millennium Dome). It was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Expedition Engineering and Buro Happol, and built by Doppelmayr with sponsorship from the Dubai-based airline, "Emirates".
The service, which is operated by Transport for London (TfL) opened on 28 June 2012. It extends for 1275yds (1.1km) between its termini and the crossing takes about 10 minutes. The maximum travel speed is 6m/s. The maximum height achieved is about 90m (300'). Cabins arrive at the stations approximately every 30 seconds. There are three major pylons supporting the running mechanisms and lifting the cables over the Thames, with further minor pylons immediately adjacent to each terminus.
As the gondolas climb to their maximum elevation there are excellent views in all directions, and the crossing is advertised as much for these views as being a means of crossing the river. In truth, it has proved to be more successful as an attraction than as a useful method of crossing the Thames - mainly due to the somewhat out-of-the-way siting of its northern terminus.
One-way ticket price (Sep 2014) is £4.40 redued by 25% to £3.30 if you have a TFL travel card.
TfL website for the service Link

London Cable Car is a Transport for London gondola link across the River Thames, that was built with sponsorship from the air carrier Emirates for the 2012 London Olympics. The scheme, comprises a 1 km cable car line that crosses the river from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks, linking two important Olympic sites. The project, estimated to cost £60 million, began construction in August 2011. From October 2022 it will be sponsored by IFS.
Wikipedia: Link

The Royal Victoria Dock opened in 1855 it was the first of the Royal Docks and the first London dock to be designed specifically to accommodate large steam ships. It was also the first to use hydraulic power to operate its machinery and the first to be connected to the national railway network.
The Royal Victoria Dock consisted of a main dock and a basin to the west, providing an entrance to the Thames on the western side of the complex.
The dock was an immediate commercial success, as it could easily accommodate all but the very largest steamships. It was badly damaged by German bombing in World War II but experienced a resurgence in trade following the war. However, from the 1960s onwards, the Royal Victoria experienced a steady decline as the shipping industry adopted containerization, which effectively moved traffic downstream to Tilbury. It finally closed to commercial traffic along with the other Royal Docks in 1980.
Since the 1980s the area around the dock has been redeveloped, including the ExCel Centre.

The Royal Docks are three large docks in East London, known as the Royal Victoria Dock (opened 1855), the Royal Albert Dock (opened 1880), and the King George V Dock (opened 1921).

During their heyday most of imported goods to London came through the Royal Docks which were the largest enclosed docks in the world. They were closed in the 1980's, and now form part of a redeveloped Docklands.

Read more at wikipedia Link