Boris Johnson and Arnold Schwarzenegger take in East London views from the Emirates Airline

Boris Johnson welcomed Arnold Schwarzenegger to East London on Sunday with a trip across the Thames on the Emirates Airline cable car.

The Austrian actor-turned-politician was keen to take a ride on the cars with the Mayor of London as it was built by cable car experts Doppelmayr, a company from Arnie’s home country of Austria.

The pair had previously met last year, when they enjoyed a bike ride around the capital, and Mr Schwarzenegger had promised to return in the near future, with the Olympics ultimately proving too good an opportunity to turn down,

He said: “I love coming to London and the energy here right now is amazing. The Olympics have been thrilling to watch, and the City has really stepped up to the plate to highlight the greatness of athletic spirit.”

The cable cars have carried an average of 20,000 passengers each day since the start of the Games. Saturday saw the highest number of passengers in one day yet, with 31,964 journeys taken between the North Greenwich peninsula and Newham’s Royal Docks.

Mr Johnson added: “When Arnold said he would be back this summer, I had absolutely no reason to doubt him.

“I was pleased to be able to highlight not just of the beauty of London, but of the huge investment opportunities that exist in the east of the capital and beyond.”